Of all The Last Dance episodes, Episode 10 was my favorite. In the opening minutes, Mark Vancil, author of Rare Air, talks about Michael Jordan’s mindfulness secret, which is his exceptional ability to be in the moment.
“Most people struggle to be present… Most people live in fear because they project the past. Michael’s a mystic. He was never anywhere else. His gift was not that he could jump high, run fast, shoot a basketball; his gift was that he was completely present and that was the separator… A big downfall of a lot of players who are otherwise gifted is thinking about failure. Michael didn’t allow what he couldn’t control to get inside his head.
He would say, ‘Why would I think about missing a shot I haven’t even taken yet?’”
Even though the documentary didn’t dig into the concept of mindfulness, it was there in plain view from the first moments of that episode. Relentless preparation, competitiveness, focus, and pure natural talent are what most people talk about when they talk about Jordan. Not as many speak about his incredible mindfulness training and discipline in staying in the moment.
“A lot of athletes think the trick to getting better is just to work harder. But there is great power in non-action and non-thinking.”
Phil Jackson as written in the Foreword in The Mindful Athlete
In the book, The Mindful Athlete, author George Mumford talks about being hired by Phil Jackson to help the Chicago Bulls learn and apply mindfulness techniques to help them reach a place that Mumford calls “the zone.” He recalled this memory of Jordan from game six of the 1998 NBA Championship Finals between the Chicago Bulls and the Utah Jazz (also featured in Episode 10 of the documentary.) There were eighteen seconds left in the game and the Bulls were down one point. Jordan wills his way to getting the ball in his hands and makes the game-winning shot giving the Bulls their sixth championship—and notably their second three-peat.
Here’s what Jordan had to say after the game:
“When I got that ball, my thoughts were very positive. The crowd gets quiet, and the moment starts to become the moment for me. That’s what we’ve been trying to do…that’s part of that Zen Buddhism stuff. Once you get into the moment, you know when you are there. Things start to move slowly, you start to see the court very well. You start reading what the defense is trying to do. I saw that moment. When I saw that moment and the opportunity to take advantage of it…I never doubted myself. I never doubted the whole game. We were hanging too close.”
Michael Jordan
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is being completely and totally present in the moment. Whereas most people tend to think about multiple things at any given time, contemplate the past or the future, or become rattled by emotion, mindfulness is being fully present in the here and now.
I’ll give you an example outside of sports. For about a year, I worked as a recovery coach at an eating disorder program for women. One of the most challenging parts of the day for the patients was mealtime. We would gather together at the table and eat a meal just like you might do with family or friends. The differentiating factor is that for the women suffering from the eating disorder, meals are a battle. I won’t go on at length about that here, but my point is that this program is where I first learned about mindfulness. The therapists and dieticians would encourage the women to be present during their meals. This is because oftentimes someone with an eating disorder will mentally check out when they are eating because of their intense discomfort. We talked about mindfulness a lot. Being present and actually tasting the food was one of the goals in developing a healthier relationship with food. To many of those women, that was a monumental task, and that’s putting it lightly.
It was then that I started learning about mindfulness. I’m by no means an expert at applying it but I have a better self-awareness along with the ability to bring myself back to the moment. To do this day, I still catch my mind wandering or thinking about many things rather than focusing on something as simple as being present when I brush my teeth. It’s even more difficult when I am experiencing anxiety, but it’s also even more important during those times. I like to call it, “coming back to center.”
How can you be more mindful like Mike?
Life is complicated so while adopting mindfulness 24/7 is not easy, you can train your brain to let go, be clear, and focus, all while pursuing your goals. It’s an effort that takes training like anything else. And as we all know, Jordan is a master in mental discipline.
I think a lot of people view that “Zen Buddhism stuff” as meaning that you have to be peaceful to the point that you are no longer competitive. Jordan is the perfect example of why that couldn’t be further from the truth. (Need another example? Go read about Bruce Lee and his quest to be like water.)
You never saw Jordan as anything but fierce. He talked his talk and he walked the walk, competing at the highest level leaving people in awe of him night after night… but he did it all while being completely and totally present.
Since the documentary aired, when I find myself wandering into thoughts about what might or might not happen in the future, I remind myself of what Jordan said, Why would I think about missing a shot I haven’t even taken yet?
The man has a point.
Want to learn more about mindfulness for your mind, your body, and your soul? Click here to learn two steps to implementing mindfulness or click here to learn more about athlete mental health coaching sessions.