I have short-term memory. Oh, and it’s one of my superpowers.

Short-term memory is commonly tagged as something negative. But I have to say that in my case, I’ve discovered it’s more of a strength than a weakness. When I bowl, if I try to think about what happened three games ago, I can’t recall every detail. I don’t remember everything that happened in the game. What I can remember is how I felt. 

Okay, to be honest, I don’t think I have short-term memory in the medical sense. It is just a reflection of how I choose to focus my attention and energy in my game. I make moves based on my intuition and how I feel, so that’s what sticks with me. And, I don’t hang on to the past. Whether I just shot 300 or if I shot 130.

Weeks ago, when I was in the midst of the tour, I was thinking about this – how I remember (or don’t remember) things. There are so many people who remember literally every single detail of their game. As I looked around, I noticed that while some of these bowlers are just naturally detail-focused, others also hang on to all of those details. They don’t let details of past games go. They get into a sort of “analysis paralysis.” The details of past games bog them down because they’re holding onto so much information. It weighs them down as they move forward to the next game. As the tour progresses for some bowlers, all that weight of past games gets heavier and heavier and affects their ability to move forward. I am a big believer in tracking progress for sure. But, you have to know when to let it go.

Instead of hanging on to how things were, I play what’s in front of me. It’s partly my nature, and partly just something that I am intentional about doing. I am so present in what I am doing, it’s hard for me to look back.

I recognize that it isn’t easy or natural for everyone to let go. Many people overthink things. They get stuck in their head, overthinking instead of feeling. I know a lot of people like that, not just bowlers. My husband is like that. He over-thinks so many things. I’ve always preferred to keep things simple and just tune into the present moment. But everyone is wired differently. 

I think it’s important to know how your mind works and find a way to be more present even if you’re naturally inclined to overthink. 

It’s also possible to overthink even when it’s not your nature. During a recent tour stop, my husband John even reminded me once to slow my thoughts down. Even though John is naturally inclined to overthink, he’s been around me long enough now to recognize the importance of trying to block those thoughts to be more present. He’s started to echo my own teachings back to me! And yes, I am usually in the moment, but even I have to be reminded to stay present sometimes. During a moment when things weren’t going well, he just gently reminded me to breathe deeply, slow my thoughts and clear my head completely. And that really helped.

When your heart is racing and you have tons of thoughts in your head, pushing those thoughts aside makes room for more clarity.  When your brain is chaotic, when things aren’t going well on the lanes or even in life, it can be difficult to focus on anything. Too many thoughts in your head does not help you move forward.

You may recall me writing about the worst event of my career turning into my greatest learning experience. I started out in the number one seed on the show. Then I got caught up in my head. On live TV, I lost my focus, fell off my shots, missed spared, and someone else ended up wearing the tiara I thought was meant for me. In that one last game, I made every mental (and physical) mistake because I fell out of the moment and into my head. That taught me the importance of staying in the present moment. That’s where your power is.

These days, people often say to me, “you’re just so calm and focused when you bowl. You just don’t get upset, no matter what happens.” And that’s because I am being intentional about not hanging onto details and also not getting too ahead of myself. In moments when I’m overthinking things, I snap out of it quickly. I remind myself (or now John does!) to approach the moment with intention, and I wipe my thoughts. That brings me back to the present moment and to making conscious decisions about what I am paying attention to, no matter what way things are going. Sometimes it’s easy. Sometimes it takes more effort. But it always helps.

There’s actually an expression I’ve started saying lately: “I don’t freak out. I figure it out.”

It’s the idea that I know I’m doing everything I can in the moment, knowing it’s enough. I don’t hang onto those decisions either. I choose to have no regrets. Bowling is a game of educated guessing. Sometimes you guess right, and other times not so much.

When you are trying to succeed, in any area, if you can tap in and pay attention to the present moment instead of the past or future, everything is easier and more natural. But if you are constantly holding onto the details and doubting, second-guessing, or overthinking, it’s another story…

Short term memory actually makes decisions easier. You make the best choices for yourself at that moment and then don’t look back on it. Letting go of that extra dead weight keeps you more centered too. When your life may appear busy, letting go of everything but the moment helps you stay calm, clear and present. That can help in any area of life.

From the outside, my life probably appears really busy. And it is. But I also know that I can’t put my attention on everything all at once. What is in front of me is what I focus on. When I’m at the bowling center practicing or on tour, that’s what is on my mind. When I’m at home with my kids, they are what is on my mind. When I am posting this blog, that is where my focus is. Whatever is in front of me, I will focus on that. I am not trying to do or think about all of the things. Sometimes that means you have to put things on hold to do that, and that’s okay too. You can put all of your energy and attention into the task directly in front of you, and get to the other things in a different moment. Don’t think about what you were doing before or what you’re going to do next. Play what is in front of you now. 

Short-term memory is another way of looking at managing priorities. My priority is always staying present in whatever I am doing.