“Do the next thing as impeccably as you can, as though this single action had to stand the test of time.”

- Sam Harris, Waking Up

One At A Time

Here we are again. England is in the final of the Euros. I can’t bear to watch it, yet I can’t bear to miss it either. Are you excited for Sunday? I am.

Although I like to watch (barely) from the back of the sofa, the balcony or through my fingers, what I love even more (weirdo that I am) is soaking up every bit of pre- and post-match commentary, listening to animated callers on 606 for hours on end on nights to lament and nights to remember.

If you didn’t already know, tournament football (unlike league football) eventually becomes all-or-nothing knockouts, which means you have to start winning, one match at a time. Sound obvious? Well, players, pundits and the public seem to flit from one opinion to another. They either like to lambast past performances, assuming probable failure at the next round, or else dare to get ahead of themselves and imagine we will win the whole thing.

Whatever the twitterings in commentary, you can rely on Gareth Southgate to repeat the same mantra in every interview - focus only on the next match. He encourages us not to get ahead of ourselves, reminding us that whatever the odds, every match will pose a unique self-contained challenge to overcome: one match, one moment.

Game Changer

It’s a bit of an extrapolation, I guess, but this ‘one match at a time’ thing resonates with me. You could substitute the word match, though, with a task, email, internet tab, conversation, or anything you choose.

I heard this concept in a podcast and decided to try it as a personal challenge. It was a simple suggestion to try doing one...thing…at…a...time.

Then, to do the next thing that needs to be done after that.

It sounds almost ridiculous, doesn’t it? Too simple. But this was a game changer for me.

Embracing this approach required me to change some habits, such as avoiding multitasking, refraining from checking messages during meetings, and sticking to one internet tab at a time. It even meant trying to enjoy a cup of tea without simultaneously scrolling through my phone. Woah 🤯

The results have been truly surprising - concentrating on a single task more often has allowed me to work with more precision, ease, and dedication. Without going back and forth in time and space, I can try to set emotion and distraction aside as I do my (one) thing. I am slowly learning to fully inhabit this way of working and being, realising that multitasking, which I once thought was a lauded strength, is a gift that never was - I’ll be letting go of that one.

One More Time, Boys

Anyway, back to more important matters—the football!

Here we are, at the final. Like Gareth says, did he and they succeed thus far by taking it one match at a time? I like to think so, at least in part. I sound like one of the callers giving their twopence on 606 myself! Maybe I’ll call in. Yogic football - could be a thing.

Because it’s the final, I'm afraid I'm one of those who seem to have gotten ahead of themselves this time (Gareth may disapprove). I already see the open-top bus in red and white slowly parading around a sun-filled Trafalgar Square next week. If it’s on a Thursday, I wonder how I’d wrangle half an hour out of work to revel in collective glory. Not even kidding 😝

At this stage, it’s even easier to start daydreaming about what could be—one step ahead when we should be in the here and now. I wonder how the players will focus on this singular task, dedicating themselves to the moments that present themselves on Sunday without the distractions of pressure, public fervour, and the unknown futures of abject ecstasy or disappointment.

Let’s see if they can focus on one kick, one pass, one moment in time - impeccably, as if each one could stand the test of time.

COME ON ENGLAND!!!

Let’s practise.