Present-moment focus
Present-moment focus means holding your attention on the action you are performing right now, instead of on past mistakes or the result to come. In sport this is the principle of playing one moment at a time.
Definition
This is the applied skill of putting all your attention on what is happening right now: this rally, this attempt, this breath. Drifting into the past produces regret, drifting into the future produces anxiety; both steal resources from the action in front of you. The here-and-now strategy breaks a performance into a series of separate moments, each of which asks only for attention to itself.
How it shows up in sport
A golfer thinks only about the shot in hand, not the number on the leaderboard; a tennis player plays point by point. This approach lifts the weight of the overall result and stops thoughts running ahead to a possible loss. It is a direct remedy for pre-competition anxiety, which usually lives in the future.
Related tests
How far your attention drifts into the past or the future is shown by the concentration and pre-competition anxiety questionnaires in the tests section. The assessment highlights the habit of living outside the moment. That is the starting point for training presence.
Exercises
Practise breaking the performance into short segments with a return word ("now", "this moment") and switching attention to sensory signals (the sound of the ball, the feel of the ground). After each episode, mentally reset and start again. Presence exercises are in the exercises section.
Related terms and issues
Present-moment focus is the applied extension of mindfulness and is closely connected to attentional refocusing and verbal cues. It reduces pre-competition anxiety. Our specialists can help you build the skill of presence.
FAQ
How do I make myself stop thinking about the result?
Don't suppress the thought of the result — switch your attention to the action in front of you using a cue word and sensory signals. Play one moment at a time.
How is this different from mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the general skill of non-judgemental presence; present-moment focus is its applied use during the performance itself, moment by moment.
Related topics
See also
When you need a personal review
If the challenge recurs, affects results, or causes strong tension for the athlete, it is better to discuss it with a specialist. Sports Talk helps you find a psychologist and a format that fits the sport, age and upcoming calendar.