Martin read ahead in the playbook to the eighth trait of the Best of the Best and it said:
Ironically, even though the best have a dream and a vision within their sights, it is the journey, not the destination, that matters most to them. The moment is more important than any success or failure. The moment is the success. The moment is the reward.
When the best are in the midst of their performance, they are not thinking "What if I win?" or "What if I lose?" They are not thinking "What if I make a mistake or miss the shot?" They are not interested in what the moment produces but are only concerned with what they produce in the moment. When all eyes are watching, they know that this is the moment they have been preparing and waiting for. Rather than hiding from pressure, they rise to the occasion. As a result, the best define the moment rather than letting the moment define them. To seize the moment, don't let your failure define you; let it fuel you. Don't run from fear; face it and embrace it. Don't let fear rob you of your love and joy for the game; let it push you into the moment and beyond yourself. Let it inspire you to live and work each day as though it was your last.
Don't let the moment define you. You define the moment. Define it by knowing that your practice and preparation have prepared you well. Define it with your mental strength, faith and confidence. Define it by knowing that regardless of the outcome, you have given your very best.
Everyone talks about destiny. Everyone searches for it, not realizing that each and every moment is your destiny. Make every moment of your life count. Realize that this is your one shot, yet don't focus on the result or the outcome of the shot. Jut focus on the shot.
Don't focus on the past, and don't look to the future. Focus on the now. Success, rewards, accolades, fame, and fortune are merely byproducts for those who are able to seize the moment—not those who look beyond it. Ironically, to enjoy success you must not focus on it. Rather, you must focus on the process that produces success.
You are more than your successes. You are more than your failures. You are who you are in the moment. Enjoy it. Live it. Make the most of it. Make it yours.
After reading this it became very clear to Martin why Coach Ken was so adamant about discussing fear. And now it was even clearer how this fear was impacting his performance over the past few days. When he arrived at Training Camp there was no pressure and no fear. No one expected him to make the team. But with his great performance there came expectations from the coaches and himself. Now, rather than creating success on the field, he was more worried about what failure meant off the field. Rather than just playing football and enjoying the moment, he was worried about his mother, his ankle, and all the negative consequences of not making the team. "It's ironic," he thought, "that I became a success by playing with nothing to lose. But now that I feel like there is something to lose, I'm no longer a success."
He remembered how this happened in college one year. His team, which was virtually ignored by all the television commentators and sports shows, came from the bottom of the ranks to become a top twenty football team. But as soon as the spotlight was on them, the players started to focus on the hype they received. They started to believe their own press clippings. They lost their focus. They lost their way. They focused on the outcome, not the process. Instead of playing like a team that had nothing to lose, they played like a team that was worried about losing. As soon as this happened their performance suffered and, as is often the case, the spotlight then moved on to another team.
He knew that the best perform their best in the face of pressure, not in the absence of it. Anyone could perform great when there were no expectations, no pressure, no consequences, and no spotlight, but Martin knew that if he truly wanted to be the best, that meant performing at his highest level when the spotlight was on him and everything was on the line.
He had allowed his fear of failure to define him, and he knew what he needed to do. He needed to stop thinking about the consequences of his performance and just focus on the performance. He needed to focus on the now and seize the moment.
From now on he decided it was all about making the most of the moment. This was a good thing, because tomorrow night was the team's final preseason game, and it would be the biggest moment of his life.