Are you performing to your potential?
Is your head is getting in the way of you performing to your potential?
You’d never think of competing without first preparing physically - so why leave your mental toughness preparation to chance?
What kind of a head do you have on your shoulders? Are you competing at the level that you’re capable of? Do you regularly perform better in practice than you do in important competitions? Are there particular opponents who consistently intimidate you? Do fears and self-doubts paralyze you and prevent you from performing to your potential?
If some of these questions bother you, then you probably already know how critically important the mental part of your sport is. If you want to take your performance to the next level, then you have to be willing to take your training far beyond where most people stop. Most serious athletes religiously work on the physical part of their sport. They’ll work on their strength, fitness, and proper technique. Is this stuff important? You betcha! You can’t become successful without paying your physical dues in this way. Hard work is definitely one of the main keys to your athletic success. Without it, you’ll quickly fall behind.
Concentration is THE key to your athletic excellence!
- You need to keep your pre- and during-performance focus on what YOU are doing.
- Focusing on how good the competition is or what others think of you will make you nervous.
- Be aware of when your focus drifts to others and quickly bring yourself back.
- Be prepared to “reset” your focus as many times as you drift.
- Train yourself to stay focused on the action, in the present, one moment at a time.
- When your focus drifts ahead to the future (winning or losing), or back to a mistake, immediately “reset.”
Go beyond hoping for your best performance!
Unfortunately, this is where most people stop. When they go into their competitions, they hope they’ll perform well; they hope that they’ll have their “A” game with them that day; they hope that they’ll win. You would never leave your strength, conditioning, or technique to chance. So why would you leave the most important part of your performance – the mental part – to chance?
Think about this: Getting good in practice is 95% physical and 5% mental. Translation: You have to work hard on your conditioning and physical technique to make it happen. However, once you get on the big stage and it really counts, the percentages flip-flop. Being successful is 95% mental and 5% physical. You have the conditioning and technique, and now you have to make sure that you stay calm under pressure and keep yourself focused on the right things.
You have to believe in yourself and have the self-confidence to focus on yourself and not your opponents when you’re under pressure. You have to be able to handle last-minute negativity and self-doubts. You have to be able to master your fears. We can help you do that.
Dr. Alan Goldberg is an internationally-recognized expert in sports performance, specializing in helping athletes overcome performance fears, slumps, and blocks. As a Sports Performance Consultant, Dr. G works with athletes across all sports at every level, helping them develop mental toughness, better handle competitive pressure, and perform to their potential. He has written on the subjects of peak performance and mental toughness for national and international publications and is the author of 20 books. Check out his most popular Mental Toughness Training Packages.
Resources
OVERCOMING PERFORMANCE FEARS AND BLOCKS Are you struggling with a seemingly mysterious performance problem? Have you or your athlete suddenly lost BASIC abilities? FINALLY understand where this FRUSTRATING problem comes from and what you can do about it!
THE MENTAL SIDE OF ATHLETIC INJURIES The mental pain caused by your injury and the temporary or permanent loss of your sport can be far more devastating than the strained or torn ligaments, pulled muscles, ripped cartilage, or broken bones. Unless this type of pain is directly addressed and treated, your overall recovery will be slow and incomplete.
