Over the weekend, AJ Brown, the Philadelphia Eagles star wide receiver, got caught doing something pretty bizarre. He was reading a book on the sidelines.
Brown said he was surprised the moment went viral because he reads on the sidelines “all the time.” The book Brown was reading, Inner Excellence, is all about clearing your mind to perform under pressure. “If I score a touchdown or drop a pass, it's something [I do to] refocus,” Brown explained. “I always revert back to the beginning of the book. It states if you can just have a clear mind that nothing else matters.”
Brown’s quirky routine actually demonstrates quite a bit about emotional intelligence (EQ) and how your EQ skills can help you perform when it matters most.
EQ Takeaway One: It’s 90% mental, 10% “everything else.”
Asked why he reads during games, Brown pointed out that football is “90% mental and 10% physical for me.” Obviously, he’s absurdly talented and trains incredibly hard. But that’s all assumed going into the game. On the field, the biggest differentiating factor is his mental game.
Brown’s approach translates. The moment before your presentation, your test, or your sales call, you won’t accomplish much by cramming in new information. Instead, your best bet is to turn inward, reset your mindset, and lock in. By focusing his effort on calming his mind, Brown is really practicing emotional intelligence. He’s making sure his emotions are flowing in his favor, not getting in his way.
It’s for this same reason that author Elizabeth Gilbert writes a letter to her fear before giving a big presentation or interview. Her routine, like Brown’s, is established to help keep damaging emotions in check so she can perform her best.
EQ Takeaway Two: Mental Resets Are for Both Bad and Good Moments
Brown, who had a tough game that day (1 reception for 10 yards), emphasized that he reads this passage in his book every game regardless of his performance. He uses his book to “refocus and lock in despite what may transpire in the game, good or bad.”
The fact that Brown uses this strategy no matter what transpires in the game is an important distinction. He relies on his book in both bad and good times. That’s because both have the potential to interrupt his focus. Good emotions are tricky because they feel good. The fact that they make us feel good can cause us to be thoughtless or risky. For example, it’s often the person who can’t stop winning bets who suddenly loses it all one unnecessary risk.
EQ Takeaway Three: Rituals Are a Powerful Strategy to Calm Your Emotions and Focus.
Rituals are more than just the superstitious ticks and obsessions we often make them out to be. They’re a powerful way to calm your mind and quiet distracting emotions. 11-time world champion surfer Kelly Slater squats on the beach and closes his eyes every time he paddles out in a contest. Tennis legend Rafael Nadal follows a strict sequence of rituals, including arranging his water bottles precisely and toweling off after every point. Like Brown, Slater and Nadal both established routines to help themselves stay calm, get centered, and fall into a rhythmic state of flow.
EQ Takeaway Four: Stick to Your Values and Beliefs, Especially When You Have Doubters
After the clip of Brown reading went viral, there was a strong backlash against him. Many fans felt like reading was out of place, inappropriate, or a distraction.
For example, one comment read: “Sorry, but when you are working for someone you should be doing the actual work. What’s next? Talking to family on a cell phone between plays? In a normal workplace this would not be tolerated and the employee would be told to ‘read books on your own time.’”
Rather than let criticism like this get in his head, Brown stuck to what works for him. He reacted to these negative comments in a recent interview, saying, “None of that really matters…I’m going to continue to be myself. I’m not pretending, it’s not a facade…Who cares who don’t like it.” Instead of allowing the opinions of others to shape his approach, Brown sticks to what works for him.
