If you’re an athlete at a competitive level, then you know the constant pressures and demands to perform. You consistently want great results. A risk that comes with this, is associating your value with your outcomes. It is important that you know, first and foremost, that you are a human being who chooses to play a sport, compete and perform. You are not your results and your performances; they are merely an indication of how you went on any given day and a sign of where you can improve in the future.
Too often we get caught up in results and outcomes and then tie them into our self-worth as a human being. This keeps us from learning because if we acknowledge that we’ve failed, we feel like we are a personal failure. We are trained to associate ourselves with our performance. If we do poorly in a test or game, our inner critic tells us we are not smart, talented, or good enough. By separating yourself from your results, it frees you to relentlessly attack improvement. Because it isn’t you as a valuable human being who needs to improve, it’s your processes and skills. You are a valuable human being no matter what the outcome and there is so much more to you than just a result, score or grade.
You are no doubt aware that making mistakes is how we learn. It is important then, that you put yourself out there when you feel fear and discomfort and take action, as this is how you will grow. This builds confidence and the courage to take further action. Each attempt or setback provides valuable information about how you can improve. The more you avoid failing, the more you avoid reaching your true potential. If you are willing to make mistakes, to learn, to persevere and pursue improvement, you can access your full capabilities and go beyond what you ever imagined possible.
Discomfort helps us grow. We learn more from getting uncomfortable and finding a way through it. It takes mental training and consistent action to get to a place where you can be uncomfortable and appreciate the benefits. Just like in the gym, in order to get stronger, you need to lift the weight and mental training is no different, that’s why we need to get our mental reps in.
Awareness activates your abilities. If you are unaware, then you can’t take action. Mental training raises awareness, it helps you make better decisions and taps into your full abilities. Constantly ask yourself, “Am I fully locked into the present moment with a great attitude, maximum effort and laser-like focus?” If you lose your focus, and we all do, then you can bring it back faster when you become more aware.
All too often in life we find ourselves competing against others, when our greatest competition, is in fact, ourselves. Shift your mindset. Compete at getting better, at getting uncomfortable, at learning and growing from mistakes. Adopt a growth mindset to take on feedback and improve your processes. By doing this, then the only person who can stop you, is you.
