Mentally Train for Your Next Challenge
4 Tips to Help You Mentally Train for Your Next Challenge
Most of the world’s best didn't get to the top by luck. It took many years of hard work, preparation, commitment, and focus. It took working on both the mental side of performance and the physical, technical, and tactical. It took sacrifice, vision, resilience, grit, and purpose.
Roger Federer, one of tennis’ greats said, “There’s no way around hard work. Embrace it. You have to put in the hours because there is always something you can improve on”.
With this mindset, you too can achieve your goals, master your craft, and work hard with purpose to improve. You too can rebound from your next disappointment, overcome your next setback, and crush your next challenge.
Here are a few tips to add to your training regiment:
1. Do frequent mental dress rehearsals: Whether you've already competed in this race, played at this venue, played against this team, or been in this situation before, visualize yourself achieving your goals. Picture how you want to perform at each phase. Include deliberate breathing practice, purposeful self-talk, and a plan to help you stay positive for each step of the way. Doing this will create a feeling of "been there, done that", so when the day comes, you'll be ready!
2. Have a Plan B…and even Plan C: Our preparation is usually focused on what we want to happen. While that is a great idea, it’s also important to plan for the unexpected so you're always ready for what lies ahead. For example, be aware of what distracts you and have a few purposeful cue words and phrases ready to go to help keep you on task. Rehearse different scenarios that may occur so you're never caught off guard. Prepare for mistakes, so when they happen, they have less of an impact on your focus and mindset.
3. Set and track your goals: Set training goals to help you track your progress and achieve your overall goal. Remember, keep them specific, measurable, adjustable, realistic, and time based. Set check in dates to monitor progress, make adjustments, and stay motivated!
4. Remember your why: Remember why you do what you do! When your training, preparation, or rehearsal gets old, tiring, or tough, remember why you started - because you love the activity so much, because you love a good challenge, or because you love working towards a goal. Listen to your favorite songs, wear a fun outfit one day, try out a new training technique or routine, or take a step back and breathe can help you reconnect with your why and have fun. Remember the powerful words of Mia Hamm, “Somewhere behind the athlete you’ve become and the hours of practice and the coaches who have pushed you is a little girl who fell in love with the game and never looked back… play for her.”
Preparation, training, and rehearsal can all have their challenges, but are vital to fulfilling your performance vision. Having performance vision is like following directions in google maps. There’s a starting point, many turns along the way, sometimes a few detours or setbacks, but ultimately, you arrive at your destination. Adding mindset training into your training regimen can have positive impacts on your performance vision by providing direction and redirection, supporting motivation, and keeping you accountable!
“Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months and years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely the demonstration of their championship character”.
-T Alan Armstrong
If you want to learn more tips to help you prepare with purpose, let’s connect! I’m confident that Mind Fit Performance can help you on your journey!
