The Power of NOW
One of the biggest things that pulls tennis players out of the zone is thinking outside the moment. It's easy to ruminate on a missed break-point opportunity, or worry about losing the next game. It is not productive to spend time in either of these mental spaces.
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People who dwell too much on the past are depressed.
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Those who obsess about the future are obsessives.
Instead of living in the past or future, play in the now. There's nothing that can be done about the past. Nor do you have any control over the future. The only power you possess is over your actions in the moment.
When I find my mind wander, I like to shock myself back into the moment by saying outloud to myself,
"It's okay! This point! Right here! Right now! We got this!"
Spiritual Application
My favorite word to emphasize in the LDS children's hymn, Have I Done Any Good in the World Today, is the word "today." Sometimes, I feel overwhelmed by how much need there is in the world today. I wonder what impact I can have. Then I narrow my focus to what I can do, today, and I feel the witness of the Holy Ghost tell me that that is enough.