Execution vs. Expectation

A Mindset Lesson from the Wrestling Mat

This past weekend, my son competed in a wrestling tournament. He placed second, and most people would be thrilled with that achievement. But as a dad who’s all about life lessons, I saw an opportunity for growth. Let me back up a little. My son is 16, and throughout his life, he’s dealt with a fair amount of anxiety—though he refuses to admit it. Wrestling has been my way of helping him channel that nervous energy, teaching him to face pressure head-on.

At the tournament, he wrestled well. He won match after match, but something felt off. He wasn’t wrestling to win; he was wrestling not to lose. That mindset—a fear of making mistakes—followed him to the final match. His opponent wasn’t a ranked wrestler, but the stakes felt high: this match would decide first place.

My son lost. And while I wasn’t upset about the loss itself, I was disappointed in his approach to the tournament. He’d been so focused on wanting to place first that he lost sight of what truly mattered: the process.

It’s a lesson we all need to learn, whether wrestling on a mat or managing the chaos of daily life. Anxiety and pressure can make any challenge seem overwhelming, but the truth is that the key to overcoming these feelings lies in shifting our focus.

The RACE Process: A Method for Success

During moments of stress or pressure, I believe in following a process I call RACE—Recognize, Affirm, Commit, and Execute. It’s a simple yet powerful way to regain control, refocus, and take action. Here’s how it works:

Recognize – Start by identifying how you’re feeling and the situation or problem you’re in. Self-awareness is the first step toward clarity.

Affirm – Use positive affirmations to shift your mindset. Self-talk is a powerful tool to pull yourself out of negative thought patterns. Tell yourself, “I’ve got this,” or, “I’m in control of the process.” Pair this with slow, deep breaths to ground yourself.

Commit – Commit fully to the process or plan you know will work. This is where you lock in your focus and block out distractions or doubts.

Execute – Finally, take action. Stick to the process and trust that by focusing on execution, the results will take care of themselves.

Execution vs. expectation is as simple as this: stop worrying about the outcome. Instead, focus on the steps you can take right now. Even if the challenge feels overwhelming, following RACE will help you stay grounded and move forward.

The Turnaround

After the tournament, my son and I had a talk. I asked him how he thought he did, and he admitted that he’d been fixated on placing first. That’s when we dove into the RACE process and how focusing on execution can shift your mindset and performance.

Fast-forward to his next tournament, something had shifted. He wasn’t focused on the bracket or the pressure of taking first. He told me, “Dad, I’m stepping on the mat, looking at my opponent, and wrestling until the whistle.”

And you know what? It worked. He defeated the #1 seed, dominated the #3 seed with a 20-4 technical fall, and walked away as the champion. The next morning, I walked into his room, gave him a hug, and called him a champion. His response? “Dad, I was a champion yesterday. Today, I have to go prove myself again.”

The Bigger Picture

That’s the power of execution over expectation. Too often, we let our minds spiral into doubt and negativity. Did you know that humans can have up to 65,000 thoughts a day, and 80% of them are negative? Worse yet, 95% of those negative thoughts run on a loop.

The only way to break free from this cycle is to become self-aware. When you are overwhelmed or stuck in a loop, follow the RACE process: Recognize the situation and your feelings. Affirm your ability to handle it through positive self-talk. Commit to focusing on the process. Execute your plan with confidence. Life will always throw challenges our way—it’s part of being human. The question isn’t whether you’ll face obstacles; it’s how quickly you can recover and take action.

Whether stepping onto a wrestling mat, managing your finances, or tackling a tough project at work, the lesson is the same: focus on the process, trust the execution, and let the results follow. Execution vs. expectation—it’s the mindset shift that turns anxiety into achievement.