[Extra Edition] How to Build a Mindset That Isn't Swayed by Routines

Extra Edition

I would like to write about my thoughts on routines and mentality.

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Why do people create routines?

Routines are said to have various effects.

To increase concentration, to improve work efficiency, and to notice physical abnormalities.
I myself used to do specific stretches before practice.
Even during practice, I would repeat similar movements to check the condition of my body.

As that became a habit,
a sense of security that I had "done what I always do" would emerge before entering a game.

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What happens when a routine is broken

But one day, when I couldn't do that routine due to a sudden event or accident,
the anxiety of "I couldn't do that today..." remained in my mind even before I started playing.

Of course, just because you couldn't do your routine doesn't mean it directly affects your play.
However, the fact that I "couldn't do it" becomes a small noise in my mentality.

I really hated that feeling.

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The catcher position and the difficulty of routines

The catcher position often involves moving in sync with the pitcher.

Even at bat, I have to take off and put on catcher's gear.
Depending on the flow of the game, there are times when there is no preparation time at all.

Even so, I think it's possible to incorporate a routine if you try.
But because I found myself getting too caught up in it,
I decided to take the plunge and stop relying on routines.

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Toward a habit of "checking" instead of a "routine"

I haven't stopped completely; I still do stretches to check my body.

However, I try not to think of it as a "routine."
For me, it is part of "preparation for the game."
By thinking of it as "time to check my condition" rather than a set rule, I have been able to keep my feelings flat.

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Developing technique and mentality that won't waver even without a routine

Even if there is no time for preparation,
if you have a "mentality that isn't swayed by that" and the "technique to perform anyway," there is no problem.
Rather, I have come to think that is what is real.

It is easy to blame someone or something for not being able to do something.
But I try to think, "The reason I couldn't do it was my own lack of ability."

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Focusing on what you can control

Unreasonable things and things you can't accept.
There are plenty of those not only in baseball, but also when you go out into society.

Honestly, I'm still not at the point where I can accept everything.
But one thing I am conscious of is "focusing on what I can control myself."

Days when the weather is bad and I don't feel like it.
In the past, I might have thought, "It's because the weather is bad."
But now, I try to think, "I can't change the weather. I can change my mood."

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You can't control others either. But you can change your own emotions

Sometimes other people's words and actions make me feel uneasy.
But it's not easy to change that person's feelings.
If so, I adjust my own emotions to match them.

If I can do that, I think I'm incredibly strong.

What if there is someone who is clearly holding you back?
There is no need to force yourself to be friends.
The bare minimum of interaction is fine.
I won't spend my precious energy on that.

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Finally

In both baseball and life, there are countless things that are "out of your control."
But to perform well even in those situations, mental control is essential.

Routines can help with that, but
if you rely on them too much, they can conversely create anxiety.

Becoming someone who is "okay even without them."
That might be the answer I have arrived at.