15 | look back, but don't stare

My favorite lyric from Tom Petty’s BIG WEEKEND is one that doesn’t appear on the demo version of the track. In his first recording, which is included on the special edition of the HIGHWAY COMPANION album, he finishes the last verse with “And sometimes be worn out / As the boots I wear.” It is serviceable, but the words he swapped out on the album cut define the track for me:

I can work, I can travel, sleep anywhere
Cross every border with nothing to declare
You can look back babe, but it's best not to stare

tom petty BIG WEEKEND

Because I believe that everything has to do with everything, Petty’s exchange of the lyrics and the lyrics themselves turned my thoughts toward self-regulation, performance, and the relationship among being present, learning from the past, and planning for the future.

Regardless of the specific arena, self-regulated performers tend to engage in a similar process: plan, do, and reflect. They set specific intentions at both the macro (e.g., training session) and micro (e.g., this putt) levels. They direct their attention and act (e.g., they see the line and hit the putt). Then they reflect upon what they experienced, ideally with a non-judgmental lens (e.g., the putt stopped short). There is a fine line, however, between engaging with the past and remaining free to perform in the present.

To me, Petty’s “look back, but don’t stare” captures the ideal attitude toward reflection better than anything else. The image it brings to my mind is that of a catching a glimpse. It is enough to get the general idea without fixating on details that may distract from the task at hand. In working with athletes, those who use reflection most effectively seem to understand that, despite it being about the past, it is also present- or forward-thinking. It operates almost like a rear-view mirror in a car. You glimpse it periodically to gather intel on what is behind you, which then informs your decisions as things unfold in front of you. But you can’t drive very effectively by only looking at the rearview mirror!

Interestingly, the client who comes to my mind as being the most skilled at reflection couples it with the performance cue “keep moving forward” during (golf) competition. In our discussions, we have talked about using his capacity to reflect on the last shot as a means to feed himself whatever information will be most helpful in executing his next shot. He looks back, but he doesn’t stare!

I noticed a similar theme in a recent article about UCLA forward Lauren Betts. In the piece, Betts describes her own shift in thinking after a tough late season loss:

Since UCLA lost its final home game of the season to USC at the start of the month, Lauren Betts has changed her mindset. She decided nothing will get in her way.

"Just be aggressive no matter what and do whatever I need to do to help my team," she said.

In both examples, the athletes seem to understand that reflection is most useful when it informs a focus that they can take into the present to shift future outcomes. It requires a past but refuses to center it. Tom Petty seemed to understand this as well, ending each chorus in BIG WEEKEND with the lyric “If you don’t run, you rust.”

In short, look back, but just enough to help you keep moving forward.

Yingjie Feng and Mingda Wang. 2025. Effects of music therapy on emotional resilience, well-being, and employability: a quantitative investigation of mediation and moderation. BMC Psychology, 13, 47.

summary: In this study, 256 participants took part in an 8-week music therapy program consisting of weekly, 1-hour sessions. Activities focused on music listening, music creation, and music discussion. Session goals centered upon enhancing emotional regulation and stress management skills and were facilitated by certified music therapists. The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of music therapy on emotional resilience, well-being, and employability, so participants completed related questionnaires at the conclusion of each music therapy session. Analyses revealed that music therapy was associated with statistically significant improvements in emotional resilience, well-being, and employability. Effect sizes were large, moderately high, and moderately high, respectively. The authors suggested that music therapy enhanced emotional resilience by providing a means for emotional expression and release.

potential translations to sport: In the study, music therapy had the strongest effects on emotional resilience. Emotional resilience is defined as “an individual’s ability to adapt to stress and adversity” (p2) and is influenced by both internal resources (e.g., positive emotions and self-efficacy) and external resources (e.g., social support). In sport, we know how important resilience is, but also know that developing it is not always easy. This study suggests that music therapy may be a viable method of improving resilience, in part because it may boost self-efficacy, increase positive emotions, and enhance social support. Research like this makes me wonder if music therapy could be a powerful additive for athletes. In the case of this study, the overall goal was improving participant employability. It seems reasonable to assume that directing resilience training toward sport performance may be equally effective. It would take interested athletes and a qualified music therapist, but the payoff may be worth whatever extra effort is required to make such a program happen!

While watching the NCAA tournament, I noticed a Powerade commercial featuring LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson as both an athlete and an artist. In my effort to learn more about her musical career, I came across the interview below. In it, Flau’jae speaks of learning to “fall in love with the process” around basketball training and describes how music has helped her connect to her father, a musician who passed away before she was even born. It is a good listen and additional evidence that athletes don’t have to be only one thing!

This Flau’jae lyric felt a lot like Tom Petty’s “look back but don’t stare” advice featured in the issue spotlight. And perhaps it should come as no surprise that one of John Wooden’s famous lines - “be quick but don’t hurry” - had a similar lyrical quality; Wooden was well-known to love a good poem!

I'm a survivor
I'm forever straight
Stay patient
But don't ever wait

flau’jae LONE SURVIVOR

The great thing about art is that it doesn’t have to make sense and you don’t have to account for your tastes. These songs felt right to me for this issue, but you may not agree. If you have other suggestions, dump them in the comments. If you have criticisms, keep them to yourself!