Choose to Care Not to Worry

Volleyball legend, entrepreneur, and wellness advocate Gabby Reece has spent a career at the highest levels of performance and public life. She’s faced the heavy expectations of being Nike's first female spokesperson, battled back from injuries, and transitioned from elite athlete to successful businesswoman. As she shared on the Finding Mastery Podcast, I care about people's feelings, but it's not worrying. It’s not worrying, because I can't control it. Through her journey, she learned a fundamental principle of mental performance: the difference between worry and care.

Everyone knows the feeling of worry. The big game. The big sales pitch. The big test. The pressure is a physical weight. Everything feels scrutinized or risky. Will you let others down? Yourself down? What will people say? That's the constant tug of worry. It’s paralyzing, distracting, and ultimately, unproductive.

For Gabby, the temptation to worry was ever-present. Would she live up to the hype? Would her body hold up? What would the critics say? But she discovered worry is a self-centered, passive, and externally focused state.  It consumes energy, pulling you into what you can't control—outcomes, opinions, worst-case scenarios. It’s a mental loop of anxiety, detaching you from the present and the task at hand. 

Care, on the other hand, is action-oriented, internally driven, and deeply principled. When Gabby chooses to care, her energy is channeled into what she can control: her meticulous preparation, her relentless effort, her attitude, her integrity, and her response to every challenge. It means focusing on her values and what she believes is truly important, regardless of the immediate result or external judgment. It's about showing up fully and authentically, trusting her process, and embracing discomfort. As she’s conveyed, it's about asking: What is within my sphere of influence, and how can I bring my best to that? She wanted to master her internal state.

Shifting from Worry to Care

For any athlete this distinction is critical.

• When you worry about your performance  Shift to caring about consistent effort in practice, contributing positively to team dynamics, and refining your skills. Your internal commitment fuels your actions.
• When you worry about external criticism: Shift to caring about your internal standards, your unwavering commitment to your teammates, and whether you are staying true to your own values as a player.
• When you worry about the game's outcome: Shift to caring about executing the game plan, supporting your teammates, and giving maximum effort on every single play, irrespective of the scoreboard.
• When you worry about what others think of your leadership: Shift to caring about demonstrating integrity, leading by example, and actively listening to and empowering your teammates.

Gabby Reece lives by this principle by living authentically, focusing on her well-being, and building businesses like Laird Superfoods and XPT Life that align with her values. She doesn't worry about public perception; she cares about living with purpose and by her principles.

For athletes, choosing care over worry will reclaim your mental energy and joy. It will transform you from a passive, anxious state to an active, confident one. It frees you up to perform not out of fear, but out of genuine purpose and passion, knowing that you've done everything within your control.