The Art of Mental Training - A Guide to Performance Excellence

by D.C. Gonzalez

But it’s only those who set out to learn and practice performance mental training techniques that gain all the benefits and achieve the highest level of results.

“The reason is quite simple,” he said. “It’s because a good attitude, a positive attitude, creates optimism, positive energy.

“A champion teaches himself the skill of turning things around inside his head,”

remember that it was not just about vision and imagery, but also about feeling the emotions associated with success.

important to practice seeing yourself overcoming adversity and staying in control whatever might arise. This doesn’t make for arrogance—though it might sound like it. It creates confidence. Confidence is different from arrogance, and confidence is one of the keys to performing well.

methodical,

The rule is: don’t rush when the pressure’s on—smooth is fast. Breathe, pause, and learn to gather yourself—but

“He taught me to interrupt any negative self-talk the instant I noticed it and replace it by firing off positive self-talk. Things like: I’m fast, I’m focused, I’m good.

Shutting down negative self-talk begins by interrupting it, and then instantly replacing it.”

You’ve got to stay task-focused. You can’t let your opponent take that from you.”

Don’t sabotage your next performance by feeding your brain negative feelings about an event that is still out in the future.

entertain. In other words: you’ll get what you see in your mind’s eye.

is learning how to enter a competition mentally prepared to do your best

start doing this type of mental training as far ahead of the actual event as possible.”

time aside to practice some

that by using sports mental training techniques, you can overcome obstacles that might otherwise have stopped you from achieving goals that are important to you outside the realm of sports.

Mental warriors focus on what they can control, not on the “what ifs” or the “if only.”

perspective. They are able to accept responsibility and recognize the situation as a temporary setback nothing more, nothing less.

hatch. One of my roommates

How to stay cool