5 Tips For Learning To Focus Only On What You Can Control
“The more you focus on what you can’t control, the more powerless you feel.” - Unknown
As a financial advisor, learning to master your mental game can be one of your greatest assets in achieving long-term success. A key foundational component to mastering your mental game is learning to focus only on what you can control. When you can begin to shift your energy away from the uncontrollable – market swings and client emotions—and concentrate instead on your own actions, strategies, and responses, you’ll find your stress levels diminish significantly. This empowers you to make better decisions and serve your clients with more clarity and confidence.
The following cheat sheet outlines five actionable strategies designed to help you to take command of your mental game by building a foundation of control and focus – regardless of what’s happening around you. By developing this mental discipline, you enhance your daily effectiveness and build a foundation for sustained success throughout your career.
1. Distinguish Between What's Within Your Control & What's Not
What You Control: Your actions, responses, principles, and mindset.
What You Don't Control: Markets, client decisions, other people’s opinions, and broader economic events.
Inner Advisor Tip: Each day, take a few minutes to list your top tasks and note which aspects of each task are within your control. Focus your energy on these.
2. Reframe Your Success As Effort & Progress - Not Results
Redefine success as following your principles and making high-quality, well-considered recommendations.
Recognize that positive client outcomes are a result of many factors, not your effort alone.
Inner Advisor Tip: You ultimately have control over your activity - not your results. When setting goals, always make them activity-based rather than results-based. For example: Call three clients – review and make recommendations on their IRA Rollover accounts instead of generate 10% growth in client portfolios.
3. Practice Detachment In Client Interactions
Listen actively, but don’t allow yourself to become involved in your clients' emotional states or view them as an indicator of your value as an advisor.
Focus on delivering clear and calm guidance, rather than striving to resolve their emotional concerns entirely.
Inner Advisor Tip: Use a mental mantra of your own before meetings to keep your focus on what you can control—your advice and demeanor, not their reactions. Your mantra could be as simple as, “I give my best, and let go of the rest.” Any mental tool you can access on autopilot will serve you well.
4. Respond Rather Than React
In high-stress moments, pause before responding to the situation. The pause can help you to avoid decisions and reactions based on emotion which are never wise.
This pause helps you choose responses that reflect your values and who you really are, rather than purely reacting to external events.
Inner Advisor Tip: Pause > Deep breath > Do not react > Observe the situation > Compartmentalize your emotions > Acknowledge the situation with emotionally neutral words such as, “That’s interesting…”
5. Treat Setbacks As Learning Opportunities
Instead of viewing mistakes or challenges as failures, use them as tools for improvement. When these situations arise, develop the habit of asking yourself, “What can I learn from this?”
This simple shift in mindset can change everything!
Remember that each setback you face helps you to build greater resilience and confidence in your ability to handle whatever life or the markets throw your way.
Inner Advisor Tip: After facing any challenge or setback, take five minutes to debrief. Jot down what went well, what didn’t, and one thing you can improve on next time. This is how you begin to turn obstacles into growth.
Learning to develop the skill of only focusing on what you can control is a key foundational component in beginning to transform your mental game into one of your greatest assets. Day by day, challenge by challenge, begin to build the habit of focusing only on your efforts, actions, and responses, and release your attachment to the outcome.
Use this cheat sheet as a regular reminder to stay aligned with what’s within your control. Commit to practicing these steps daily and over time, you’ll begin to navigate through the challenges of the business with more resilience and calm. Who doesn’t want that?
