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If you want to become the kind
of athlete that people always talk about in terms of
“potential” rather than results, following the
following formula:
1. Focus on that which you
are scared of
In the world outside of
sports, a common principle is that we get results
according to that which we decide to focus on. The same is
true in the sports world. In any given moment, your
emotions are directly linked to that which you are
deciding to think about (or, focus on). Take two examples:
- You are a wrestler, and
you are about to have a match with a guy that you have
never beaten before, having been pinned every time.
During your warmup, you focus on the fact that you
have been training hard all season long for this
match. You tell yourself that you deserve to beat this
guy, as you have learned from your previous mistakes.
You also realize that everybody is “beatable,”
including your opponent. You feel ready, have a plan
of attack, are in great condition, and feel ready to
“get it on.”
- You are a wrestler, and
you are about to have a match with a guy that you have
never beaten before, having been pinned every time.
During your warmup, you focus on the fact that this
guy has pinned you, and quite easily. You remember how
embarrassed you were, and how you don’t want to be
embarrassed again. You focus on how to avoid getting
pinned-maybe you will take less shots, stay away from
him more. That way he can’t pin you. You feel tense,
worried, and tight. You are cautious when the match
begins.
Which scenario would equate
to a better match for this wrestler? Obviously scenario A.
This wrestler focuses on everything that will help him
compete. He focuses on his long hours of training, he uses
positive self-talk to stay confident, and he feels ready
for the fight. The wrestler in scenario B does the
opposite. He focuses on what he DOESN”T want to happen.
He doesn’t want to get pinned, so he comes up with a
plan to avoid doing that. He recalls feelings of
embarrassment, and as a result, is tight during his match.
He will, of course, most likely get pinned. Why? Because
if you focus on that which you don’t want, you will get
it!
2. Engage in
problem-focused thinking (instead of solution-focused
thinking)
Mediocre competitors spend
most of their time focusing on the problem instead of the
solution. They focus on everything that is going wrong, or
how they can never seem to win, or how they can never seem
to score points on this certain wrestler, etc...The result
is that they become entangled in their problems and fears,
never to escape and find a solution. They become so caught
up in their issues that they never stop and solve that
which caused it!
Top competitors, on the
other hand, still make mistakes. However, they try to
learn from their mistakes so that they will not repeat
them. They still get pinned, lose big matches, miss key
free throws, miss wide open shots on goal, etc. However,
they bounce back quicker, and stronger, as they put their
energy into finding a solution to their problem. They
focus on ways to get in better condition, how to get out
from bottom quicker as a wrestler, how to concentrate
better when shooting free throws, how to relax when put in
big game situations, etc...
3. Hesitate
Hesitation destroys our
ability to compete. This is particularly true with
fast-paced sports, such as football, basketball, baseball,
lacrosse, wrestling, etc, where there is less down-time. A
common theme among sport psychologists is that hesitation
equals “paralyzation by analyzation.” If you try to
stop and think about how you are going to block that 240
lb linebacker, you will soon see the world from on your
back. If you stop and think about where you want to shoot
on the goalie in hockey or lacrosse, the defense will soon
be upon you, and you’ll never get that shot off. And if
you do, it will be a hesitant, unconfident shot. Get the
picture? The time to think is when play is stopped, not
during. Those times are different for different sports:
- Football-between plays,
quarters, halftime, etc
- basketball-play
stoppages, timeouts, foul shots, etc
- lacrosse-play stoppages,
between quarters, etc
- tennis-between points,
changeovers
- golf-before and after
taking your shot, while walking to your next shot, etc
- wrestling-before your
match, between periods
- baseball-prior to your
at-bat, between pitches, between innings.
You get the picture. The
time to think in sports is when play is prior to
competition and during play stoppages. Come up with a game
plan, then execute. If it doesn’t prove effective,
change your plan, and execute. Try this exercise: sign
your name on a piece of paper. Now, I want you to
duplicate it exactly. EXACTLY. Try it. What happens? Most
people slow down and think about it when they are
duplicating their signature. The result is a signature
that is not close to being similar. You’re better served
by not thinking and just signing. And this is merely one
small example of the way that your mind can interfere with
performance, if you let it. Don’t be one of those
athletes.
Copyright (2004) Leif H.
Smith, Psy.D. All rights reserved.
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About
The Author
Dr.
Leif H. Smith is the president of Personal
Best Consulting, a performance consulting
firm located in Columbus, OH. He has
worked with hundreds of athletes, coaches,
teams, and executives to improve
performance and increase on-the-job
effectiveness.
Copyright (2004) Leif H. Smith. All rights
reserved.
http://personalbestconsulting.com
Leif@personalbestconsulting.com |
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