Bhrett McCabe
The Importance of a Game Plan
A good game plan gives you direction and a structure to lean on when things get loud. But the real test of your plan isn't how it works when things go right—it's what happens when they go wrong. When the pressure hits, it's not just the strategy being tested. It's you.
The Trap of the Perfect Plan
Many competitors treat a game plan like a flawless script, expecting it to eliminate chaos. This is a fantasy that leads to performance paralysis. When you're too attached to how things should go, you lose the ability to respond to what is happening. The plan becomes a prison, and it will break you the second it bends. Learning to manage the internal dialogue that fuels this paralysis is a central theme of my workbook, The Game Plan.
The Plan's Real Purpose
The best don't build plans to avoid adversity; they build them to withstand it. The purpose of a game plan is to give you a place to return when your emotions take over. When the moment intensifies, you don’t rise to the occasion—you fall back on your training. This is why your plan must be built on your fundamentals. Belief isn’t built by expecting a certain outcome; it’s built by knowing you’ve done the work.
Where the Plan Meets Reality
A plan is only as good as its application. Here’s how to ensure it serves you instead of trapping you:
1. Ground your plan in fundamentals. Your plan must be built on the small, repeatable actions you can execute under stress. These core basics hold up when everything else is shaky. Your plan is only as strong as the essential work you do when no one is watching.
2. Learn to pivot, not panic. When the plan breaks, don’t freeze. Simplify. Ask, "What is the one thing I can control right now?" and execute on that. Under pressure at the 2019 Masters, Tiger Woods didn’t do more; he did less, relying on his strengths while others made mistakes. That pivot is a skill, not an accident.
3. Separate the process from the payoff. You can play great and lose, or play poorly and win. Stop letting the scoreboard be your only validation. True confidence comes from knowing you executed your plan and made the right moves, regardless of the result. This is how you build resilience that outlasts any single win or loss.
Where the Plan Meets the Work
Building a plan that works under pressure involves more than just strategy; it requires a deep understanding of your own mindset, your response to adversity, and the fundamentals that ground you.
These themes are central pillars I explore from different angles across all my books. Whether it's developing your mental framework, managing the internal "Chump," or breaking free from a slump, there are tools to help. You can explore all of my books here.