Imagine if the typical NBA or NFL player approached pre-game prep the way that most of us do.

Instead of intentionally dialing in their mental game, blocking out distractions, and bringing 100% of their focus to the task ahead of them—they just sort of winged it.

For many of us, “game time” is anything that demands our clearest and most creative thinking. That could be a strategy call with a client, a brainstorming session with our team, or even a block of time spent in front of a blank whiteboard.

And what are we doing in the moments before we kick off that call or session? We’re wrapping up our fourth back-to-back Zoom meeting. Or catching up on emails. Or scrolling through LinkedIn.

What we’re NOT doing is taking a few minutes to get our head in the right place.

Do you think that Michael Jordan, moments before game time, would typically be focused on anything OTHER than the game he was about to play? Could you picture him spending the last few minutes before tip-off working on his investment strategy or arguing with Nike over that year’s Air Jordan royalties?

And yet…

While it seems like common sense for elite athletes to have an established ritual for dialing in their mental game, very few of us have a similar approach for maximizing our own performance as thinkers and problem solvers.

We don’t take the time we need to shift our focus, to shut out distractions, or even to simply take a deep resetting breath. And then we wonder why we never seem to have much creative energy left in the tank.

What if you approached problem solving and thinking in the same way that elite athletes approached their performance?

What if you worked on dialing in your mental game so that when it’s time to perform—to think clearly and creatively—you could quickly:

• Mute your distracting internal chatter?
• Access a deeper level of intelligence?
• Hear your intuitive inner guidance more clearly?
• Create space for breakthrough insights to emerge?

What will you do today to start dialing in your own mental game?

Will you give yourself time to shift gears and bring your best quality thinking to every challenge you face?