Apatheia: Old Secret To Get Into The Zone

REFLECTIONS IN MOTION

Talking getting into the zone through the lens of purpose

If you like to challenge yourself physically and mentally in games or races, you’ve probably experienced this:

One day, you feel strong, focused, and in the right mindset. Everything goes as planned. You perform better than expected.

Another day, you feel weak, unfocused, and frustrated. Nothing goes the way you want. Same body. Same preparation. Different outcome. You’re left asking: What actually gets me into the zone?

The Stoics had a word for the inner state that clears the way for peak performance — the mindset that sets the conditions for getting into the zone.

They called it Apatheia.

Why should you care about Apatheia?

For the Stoics, being in a state of Apatheia meant that you are free of negative emotions or passions. This doesn’t mean suppressing them. It means that you develop a rational outside perspective of them and don’t let them control you.

During a game or race, this means that you still feel the pressure, nerves, or frustrations. You don’t fight them. You acknowledge them and then let them be. You form no judgment about them. You keep being in the present moment. You change your focus to the task in front of you.

Why most athletes struggle with getting into the zone

If you struggle with getting into the zone while performing, there is a big chance you are focusing on the wrong goal. In sport psychology, there are three types of goals athletes tend to set when it’s time to perform:

1. Outcome goals – You focus solely on the result: winning, becoming a champion, standing on the podium.

2. Performance goals – You focus on specific numbers: the time you need to beat, the number of goals to score.

3. Process goals – You focus on executing the task in front of you, as well as you can: the next rep, the next play, the next breath.

Most athletes who struggle to get into the zone are focused on outcome or performance goals, both of which are outside of their control.

When you chase what you can’t control, you get frustrated.
That frustration pulls you out of the present and even farther away from Apatheia.

THIS WEEK’S STOIC INSIGHT

A moment this week that taught me something

Live from Eindhoven, Netherlands

This week, I found myself reflecting on my why. I was on a call with someone, and he held up a mirror to me. Then came the question:
"Who are you, really?"

I didn’t know. I was looking for the right words, but I didn’t even know what I was supposed to be saying.

I always thought I knew who I was. In my head, it sounded clear. But when I had to speak it out loud, there were no words. Just silence. And that said more than I could ever say.

That moment stayed with me. To know who I am, I have to go back to the basics — using the Find Your Why method from Simon Sinek. It’s simple but challenging: what is it that truly drives me?

The Stoics didn’t talk about “finding your why” in those words, but they pointed at the same idea again and again — live in alignment with your nature. Know what you’re here to do.

As Marcus Aurelius wrote:

"Man is made for action; his nature is to act in accordance with reason and the interest of the community."
— Meditations 9.42

This week, I couldn’t answer the question. But now I know: that’s exactly where the real work begins.

How do you get into the zone?

You can’t force it. But you can shift the odds in your favor.

You do that by focusing on process goals.

Performance and outcome goals are about how others see your progress. Process goals are about how you see yourself showing up.

They’re fully in your control. No external influences. Your responsibility. If you don’t hit them, that’s on you. When you do, that’s yours, too.

And when your mind senses that control, it becomes calm.
That calm is the first step into Apatheia.
The mental state that sets the stage for getting into the zone and performing at your best.

If I could use only one tactic to focus on process goals, it would be this

“Focus on process goals — that’s the first step.” Sounds straight to the point, but you’re probably wondering: how do I do that?

The one thing that helps me most? Changing how I talk to myself during a moment when I have to perform at my best. I focus only on the task in front of me.

For example, if I’m running a race, I won’t use lines like “push through,” “ignore the pain,” or “you can do this.” That doesn’t work for me. Those lines take my mind away from the present moment. I shift back into focusing on the end goal.

The lines that do work for me are: “step for step,” “focus on your pace,” or “more upright posture.” They focus on what I need to do in that exact moment. I focus on running the best I can.

I know, in the back of my mind, that if I keep running, I’ll reach the finish. By staying in the present moment, I become calm.
I’m shifting the odds — and that’s all I can do.

END ON PURPOSE

One question to ask yourself today…

Am I dedicated to my sport?

When you are fully dedicated, you are immersed in your sport, and you want to master it. You will focus, almost automatically, on process goals. Being good at the process is your goal. As a byproduct, your results will also improve, at the moment when you lose focus on them.

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