418. Process Over Panic: How to Turn Frustration Into Fuel
“Proper Prior PrePlanning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.”
— Greg Warburton
He walked three guys in a row.
Then struck out the next three.
That’s how one of my college pitchers opened his last outing in summer ball.
He’s been frustrated for weeks.
His scholarship got cut (which is why he came to me). His confidence is up and down.
He texted me after the outing:
“I’m not allowing myself to win in my own head.”
He was stuck in the same cycle most athletes get caught in:
Focusing on everything he can’t control —
ERA, bad luck, what coaches or teammates are thinking.
He knew he could pitch.
But he was trying to win in the vague.
You Can’t Win in the Vague.
You win in the specifics.
We got to work.
First, I asked him:
“What actually matters to you in an outing?”
He said:
0 walks
0 runs
0 hard-hit balls
Perfect. Now we had targets.
Then I asked:
“What do you need to do to make that happen?”
He said:
“Repeat my mechanics and focus on what matters.”
So we took the feel of his best outings and simplified it down to his Mental ABCs:
Get it out on time
Land
Get through it
Simple. Repeatable. Actionable.
“When I do that,” he said,
“I feel like a pitcher again.”
That’s what focus really means:
Not thinking less, but thinking about what actually matters.
So here’s the plan we built:
Before the game –
Review goals. Repeat his ABCs. Visualize feeling athletic.
Between innings –
Quick reset. Refocus on process, not results.
After the game –
Answer these 3 questions:
What went well and why? (celebrate the wins)
What could go better? (be brutally honest with yourself)
How’s it going to go better? (create a plan!)
That last one’s the most important.
Reflecting is good.
Reflecting then planning is elite.
The result?
Multiple outings now with 0 walks, 0 runs, and 0 hard contact.
Why?
Because he took ownership.
He stopped reacting to results.
And he started pitching with a plan.
💪 Your Challenge:
If you’re frustrated right now. Good.
Do something about it.
Pick 2–3 performance goals you can actually control
Identify your Mental ABCs — the cues that help you compete
After your next outing, journal the 3 questions from above
If you can do something about it, plan it and attack it.
If you can’t? Let it go.
P.S.
And if ERA was a teammate?
It’d be the one who blames the umpires, sits around complaining, and then STILL thinks he should be drafted. 😆
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