Kobe Bryant was once asked if he loved to win or hated to lose.

His answer surprises most people: "I’m neither. I play to figure things out."

He realized that playing for the win or to avoid the loss both introduce fear. They both pull you out of the moment. His aim? Stay "dead center."

As Bryant explained: "If you play with the fear of failing you’ll have the pressure on yourself to capitulate to that fear. If you play with “I want to win” then you have the fear of what happens if you don’t. But if you find common ground in the middle, in the center, then it doesn’t matter."

Both are weaknesses because they focus on the uncertain future. Kobe focused on the center to stay connected to the action, feeling nothing but what was right in front of him.