Approximately a 3-minute read

Good morning!

A process-driven life is a life with a relentless focus on what you can control. Here's an experience I had with an athlete who had to learn this the hard way

-Justin

The Power of the Scoreboard

Imagine if every moment of your work—every win, every mistake—was broadcast for the world to see. That’s the life of a Major League Baseball player. Performance isn’t private; it’s open to public praise or scrutiny. There’s no hiding and no excuses.

I once worked with a player who faced that reality every day. He cared deeply and worked hard, but no matter what he did, the numbers on the scoreboard didn’t seem to reflect it. Even a good game barely moved the needle. The scoreboard became a constant reminder that he was falling short.

Looking at his numbers on the big screen hurt his confidence and shook his trust in his process. He started to press and tried to force better results. That didn’t help; in fact, it made things worse.

The Shift

After breakfast one day, we talked about his situation, and he decided to make an almost counterintuitive shift:

He decided to stop trying to improve his numbers and to instead, stop looking at the scoreboard.

Now, I realize this might sound almost too simple. But for him, it made sense. The scoreboard was pulling his attention away from what he could control.

He channeled his focus, effort, and energy back to his process—his approach at the plate, his decision-making, his routine, the information he knew about the pitcher. He made a relentless commitment to the things he could control—including not looking at that massive stadium screen.

No more fixating on the results. No more beating himself up mid-game. He built a process to focus on the moment. It wasn’t easy, but he stuck with it.

The approach we took is backed by decades of research. Process goals—the specific, controllable behaviors he redirected toward—produce dramatically larger performance gains than outcome goals.

Gradually, he made better decisions at the plate. His focus sharpened. The emotional rollercoaster eased. Over time, his performance improved. It wasn’t overnight, and there were bumps along the way. But he learned what it meant to focus on the process and let the results follow.

I’m not claiming that ignoring the scoreboard magically fixed everything. But he’d tell you it helped him progress—and, maybe more importantly, made the journey less stressful and more enjoyable.

What's Your Scoreboard?

What’s the scoreboard in your world (revenue, wins, metrics, rankings, approval, recognition, etc.)?

How often do you find yourself consumed by it?

And, more importantly, what is it doing to the way you show up?

If you’re like that player, constantly checking the scoreboard of your life, it may be having a bigger impact on your performance than you realize. The things you try to control, but can’t, end up controlling you. I see this happen to elite athletes every day. It even happens to me.

So here’s a suggestion: Identify how your metrics of success are affecting you.

Then ask yourself: What would it look like to pay less attention to it—at least temporarily? And where could I double down on the things I can control instead?

Because in the long run, the people who perform at the highest level aren’t the ones glued to the numbers. They’re the ones who build a foundation underneath the numbers—something solid and repeatable, even if it looks a little different than what works for others.

In the end, the scoreboard is always there—watching, judging, demanding your best. But real victory isn’t in the numbers flashing overhead; it’s in how you respond to that relentless pressure. What matters most is building a process so strong, so intentional, that no scoreboard can define your worth or your potential. When you commit to your process, day after day, you meet the scoreboard on your own terms—and that’s where true success begins.

Two final things:

1. We work with some of the best sports organizations in the world, and are slowly growing our youth sports and executive coaching arm. If you're the parent of a committed youth athlete or an executive interested in working with one of our Process or Executive Coaches, reply to this email, and I'll send you more information.
2. For all of my daily content, you can join me on Instagram: @justinsua​

​​Hope you have a great week!

Justin Su'a

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