Suffer Less, Dodge The Second Arrow

Sports coaches have this nifty little metric they obsess over.

It’s called Compound Mistake.

It's like a scoreboard for handling screw-ups on the field. 

Imagine, you’re playing your heart out, and bam! 

You mess up.

A foul, a missed shot, an epic error—happens to everyone, right? 

Well, that's where the Compound Mistake comes into play. 

It's not about the initial slip-up; it's about what you do next.

It’s all about your response, and how you bounce back.

Elite-level pitchers and sports psychologists know the deal.

Errors, they're just part of the game. 

You can’t expect to nail it every single time. 

Pros, they're always ready for those umpires to mess up a couple of calls in every game. 

So when they get a call they don’t like, they’re just like, “Eh, that’s one of them. Shit happens." 

It's like shrugging it off and moving on to the next play. 

So, why not start thinking like that too? 

Just another day on the field, right?

The Compound Mistake is a great metaphor for life.

You can't dodge every curveball fate throws your way. 

But you can decide how hard you let it hit you.

And speaking of life lessons, Buddhists say that any time life throws crap at you, two arrows are flying your way. 

The first one stings, sure.

But it’s the second one that hurts like hell. 

The Buddha explains:

“In life, we can’t always control the first arrow. However, the second arrow is our reaction to the first. The second arrow is optional.”

The Buddha is onto something when he talks about those arrows.

You can’t always dodge that first arrow.

Shit happens.

But that second sneaky bugger?

That’s on you. 

It’s the one you shoot at yourself with your anger, doubts and frustrations. 

It's that nagging voice saying, “Why me?” or “I’m screwed.”

In sports, dwelling on mistakes is like playing with blinders on.

Your mind's stuck in replay mode, while the game’s moving on without you. 

So what’s the game plan?

Easy.

Focus on the next play.

Missed the shot? 

No biggie.

Next play. 

Turned over the ball? 

Next play. 

Dropped the pass?

Next play. 

Opponent scored?

Next play.

Got tackled? 

Next play.

Ref missed the call? 

You guessed it - next play.

Living in the past sucks the life out of the present—where you can still make magic happen.

Elite performers get this like nobody else.

They don’t waste energy on what’s done. 

They’re all about the next move. 

The next play.

And hey, if you think this mindset is just for the field, think again. 

Next time shit happens, take a breath and move on to the next play.

Because in the game of life, the scoreboard resets with every sunrise.

PS. Do you struggle to set yourself apart from your competitors? Does your tone of voice lack a little personality? Either way, get in touch and I’ll help you become remarkable. Or get more communication advice that doesn't suck here.