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October 16, 2016 - April 3, 2017
Whatever is going on inside your head has everything to do with how well you end up performing.
no matter what your game is, or what the challenge is, the difference between great performances and average performances is mostly mental.
working on keeping a positive attitude is what will help you work through this bad patch. A positive attitude helps create the opportunity for a great comeback or for a great performance—A positive attitude never works against you. But a negative attitude will always find a way to work against you. Even
“Never beat yourself up after a loss—there’s always something positive to be gained, something to be learned, even from a negative situation.”
Mental control starts with a decision.
The Warrior/Champion understands that a bad attitude can cost him everything. It affects not only how you feel, but also how you perform.
One must consistently practice mental skills and pre-game routines in order to tap one’s full potential.
don’t rush when the pressure’s on—smooth is fast. Breathe, pause, and learn to gather yourself—but never, ever, allow yourself to rush your game.”
Stay task-focused. Interrupt negative self-talk and images the moment they arise, shut them down on the spot. Replace them with positive self-talk and positive images. Concentrate on showing your brain exactly what it is that you want to achieve, never dwell on what you do not want to happen.
It’s self-belief that gets everything going.
It’s only when we are in a deep state of relaxation that the conscious mind quits acting as a filter for the inner mind.
“It always starts with a choice to not let it control you,”
If anger arises, make the decision to not let it control you. Use techniques to redirect the energy; use the energy to make your resolve stronger. Become like the smiling assassin that sees his mark.
You must choose to control anger through a decision. For if you lose control to anger—then the anger will surely control you.
Champions focus on what they can control. They know that while they can’t always control what takes place during an event, they can always control how they respond to an event. Within every setback lies the hidden opportunity for a great comeback.
Being afraid to fail actually helps create the conditions that make failure more likely!
Fear of failure is caused by not knowing how to fail constructively. The only way to accomplish anything great is to risk failing at it first. If you have a fear of failing, it’s more than just a bad thing. It can actually cripple your chances of success.
Fear can turn a competitor from someone trying to win, into someone trying not to lose. Once
Against fear, one can always win. Confront the fear and then engage a strategy to move forward despite the fear.
“To do this, momentarily pick a focus point in your immediate environment and fix your eyes on it as you continue your focused breathing. This will help shift the focus away from yourself and to refocus on the particular task at hand.
Performance choking is caused by an ego that is afraid of looking bad. You must learn to leave your ego outside of your event.
personal affirmations. (I’m good, I’m fast, I’m strong, This is my time, Believe, I dominate.) What they may be doesn’t matter as long as they help you take the pressure off yourself. Create three quick affirmations (positive statements) you can fire off to yourself to complement the breathing and relaxation techniques mentioned above.
to deal with pressure is simply thinking about something that relaxes them.
athletes talk about having experienced their greatest moment in sports through releasing themselves from any fear of failure.
Noticing the things that helped you deal with pressure in the past can make it possible for you to access those techniques again.
They learned that—especially when things are tough—it’s most important to listen only for the positive self-talk of a champion who is focused on working his way through adversity.”
good mental athlete learns early on at what level of intensity he plays his best game. On a scale of one to ten (with ten being at the most intense level) most top athletes report that they perform best at around levels seven or eight.
What’s your dream? Figure it out. That’s your assignment.
When an athlete complains of lacking motivation, you can be sure that it’s almost always caused by goals that fail to inspire him to action. Goals
While setting your own, private goals, be sure that they are both challenging and realistic. Slightly out-of-reach goals are best: inspiring hard work, yet still attainable with dedicated effort. Goals need to be set neither too high, nor too easy and low—which would defeat their very purpose. Goals should be written down and reviewed frequently. Goals should come in the forms of daily goals, monthly goals and annual goals, and remember that what you are striving for is progress rather than perfection. Believe me, as you begin to focus on meaningful, specific goals, the power of your
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Ask yourself what you want to accomplish over the next two or three years. Make these your long-term goals. Give them a completion date.”
“Then think of at least three things that you want to achieve within the next year. Make these your short-term goals.
“Then decide what it is that you can do every month to help you accomplish your short-term goals,” he said. “Write these down. These are your monthly goals. Give them a completion date too.”
“Set daily goals, that help you achieve monthly goals, that help you achieve your short-term goals, which in turn help you achieve your long-term goals.
Once you really make the commitment to work hard at becoming a champion, something powerful is set in motion—heart power.
Successful people have the self-discipline to do the things that have to be done, whether they enjoy them or not.
I’m strong, I’m fast, I dominate. I control the match, I never give in, I never give up. I’m powerful, I beat my opponent, I’m an unchained lethal gladiator, I conquer. I’m an unstoppable champion, a force of fury, my opponent submits.
Use all three critical elements and bring them together in order to change your state completely—The Self-talk of a Champion preparing to do battle, the Body Movements of a Champion preparing to do battle, and the Breathing of a Champion preparing to do battle. Then, allow yourself to become that Champion as you enter your competition.
“The two skills the Warrior/Champion must possess to help him reach his maximum potential are the ability to recognize when his mind is not focused on the Present, and the ability to bring it back into the Present. When your mind is racing, help bring it back by focusing on your breathing. This will help you to reach that place where we have a sure sense that we can do what we know we need to do, and that we can do it without having to try too hard, a place from where technique flows freely and accurately, a place from which right action springs forth.”
"To be totally in the Present, that is the key."
“You must trust yourself, Daniel-san. There must be no lack of commitment in your mind. Eliminate doubt. There’s no room for it. Have confidence and trust yourself as you prepare to win . . . Always take your training sessions seriously. Always concentrate. Remember:
“The past is gone my friend. You can look back on it but it’s only a reflection. The future lies ahead . . . but it's a future that has not yet been realized. So in reality, today is all we have. And today is here. Why don't you just start walking on your new path, one step at a time? Conjure up some new dreams, cast them out to the Universe, keep your head up, have faith, and discover what lies ahead. Life itself has put you on this path. Just trust what is and be with it.”
