Vision is one of the most underrated traits in sports, as well as in life and business. I do not just mean your eyesight when I speak of vision (although that is hugely important as well) I mean the vision in your mind.

When our ego gets out of control it works like blinders that stand in the way of our seeing what we need to see. Imagine a quarterback that has blinders on which block his peripheral vision. Will he see the field better or worse? Will he make more or less plays? Will he get sacked more or less often? The answers to all of the above are obvious.

Blinders inhibit our personal learning and growth. Yet many players/people never reach their true potential because they get in their own way and block their own progress in this way. They are no different than the teenager who “knows all there is to know” already. Unfortunately, the player or person that let’s this happen to themselves has to learn the hard way, and unlike the teenager they do not have their whole life in front of them to recover from this avoidable mistake. Sadly most players and people that get to this point do not recover and have no one but themselves to blame.

Athletes and people that I have worked with who have let their ego get out of control are usually so blinded that when I describe this problem to them, they have no idea I am talking about them personally. In fact, most of them respond by saying “I know people just like that,” proving beyond any doubt that they have completely lost rational sight of themselves.

Keeping your ego in check is vital to your progress regardless of what sport or field you are working in and having the proper mental attitude and tools will help you keep your ego in check.

You can follow Sam on Twitter @SuperTaoInc

Posted in The Mind Side Blog