Sunday, February 8, 2015

Inside the Mind of a Champion



 
       “I think self-awareness is probably the most important thing towards being a champion”
                                                                                                                     ~ Billie Jean King
 Four characteristics of a Champion mindset
“It’s not the will to win that matters…everyone has that. It’s the will to prepare to win that matters.”                                                                                    
                                                                                                     ~  Paul “Bear” Bryant
• Motivated
• Confident in abilities, training, preparation
• Manages pressure well
• Uses well-drilled techniques to prepare

1. Motivation
“Motivation will almost always beat mere talent” ~Norman Ralph Augustine
• Goals define an athlete
• Goals setting (SMART PRINCIPLE)
Specific:  Define your goal in exact language.  This is where you turn a dream into reality.  This is the mental space that you begin to populate with the tangible stuff, “I will score a touchdown every game”… “I will score a goal every game”…”I will lose 1 Ib. per week”.
Measurable:  Set forth your goals and their intermediate benchmarks in a way that can be actually measured, both at the end and at every step of the way.  The measurement could be increased speed, increased bench press, or increased muscle mass.
Achievable:  Is it possible to reach your goal within the set period, given the resources that you will need?   Don’t hope that something will show up…make sure you have the resources, or at least access to the resources to make the goal achievable.   An unachievable goal will only lead to frustration…that will turn you off on the whole goal-setting process.
Realistic:  Is your goal based on reality, or is it a fantasy?  An unrealistic goal is unlikely to be met and can only lead to your disappointment. If it’s realistic, you can form a mental picture of your goal.  Once you have that mental picture, a picture you can really be a part of, your goal will have a real life.  A week after starting your program, I don’t suggest that your goal setting include “I will increase my bench by 20 pounds the first week”…or… “Im going to lose 30 lbs. in the first month”.
Timed:  It is crucial to place a time limit for achieving a goal… otherwise, it remains a dream. Timed goals lend themselves to personal journals and recorded performance records.  Think of hospital fundraising campaigns, which are often accompanied by a big bar chart right by the entrance.  Every week or month, or whatever period is appropriate, you can gauge the progress.

2. Self-confidence origins: 
“Self Confidence is the strength of the belief in your abilities to execute”  
• Global (your abilities and team)
• Task specific (ability, footwork, hit the goal)
• Experience (building on practice and past games)
• Modelling “Blueprint” (model a player…a role model)

3. Anxiety Management
“Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strength”
                                                                                                 ~Charles Spurgeon
Anxiety can undermine all performance. (In business, athletics, and personal goals)
- Relaxation techniques:
- Breathing
- Stretching
- Music
- Meditation

4. Self – Talk:
“Whether you think you can, or whether you think you can’t, you’re right”
Observation….
• Imagery…. (Visualize, Focus, Important cues)
• Self talk…. (Motivational ….”come on, you can do this”)
• Relaxation (ex. Calm, breath, relax)

Conclusion:
The Mind of Champion is developed. 
When things go badly for you (as they will), remember, you have a choice! You can shut down if you want...or… you can rise above with your newly acquired visualization techniques.  By changing the old paradigm of doubt, negativity, and lack of confidence…. into the motivated, focused, confident mindset that refuses to fail…creates the pathway to think and perform like a champion!
“There's always the motivation of wanting to win. Everybody has that. But a champion needs, in his attitude, a motivation above and beyond winning”
                                                                                                                                 ~Pat Riley
 
 
 

 
 

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