Monday, April 25, 2011

Mindset Monday 4/25/11- Mental Reps for Success

Mental Reps for Success

David DeNotaris, a well renowned motivational speaker, always spoke of the importance of positive affirmations. Positive affirmations are short utterances we repeat to ourselves on a regular basis. They are like mental reps to build mental muscle. Some of his favorites were:

“I’m alert, I’m alive, I feel great!”
“I’m happy, I’m healthy, I feel terrific!”
“I’m getting better and better every day in every way!”
“I like myself, I like myself, I like myself, I like myself!”

It sounds ridiculously hilarious (or maybe hilariously ridiculous) at first, but the truth is that positive affirmations are a great way to train your brain.
You may never in your life use the above positive affirmations. The secret is to come up with positive affirmations that are suitable to YOU and YOUR particular goals.

The best example is Muhammad Ali- does the phrase, “I am the greatest” ring a bell?
Advertisements, movies, and songs implant ideas into your head all the time. Think about it…

“Frosted Flakes- theyre grrrrreat”
“Pokemon- gotta catch em all”
“Run Forest Run”

The more times you implant a phrase into your head, the more your unconscious mind will accept it as fact. Have you ever heard someone say, “He believes his own BS?” Are there any childhood stories that you tell where you deep down thin, “did this even happen?” When you tell a story over and over, you start to believe it is true. This is the same thing that happens with positive affirmations.

If you want to build confidence, tell yourself- “On a good day no one can beat me, on a bad day no one can beat me.”
If you want to stop worrying about other people’s judgments, tell yourself- “I compete for myself, I don’t care what anyone else thinks of me.”

Whatever thought you would like to have more regularly, write a quick sentence that you can personally relate to, then repeat it all the time.

As any weightlifter will tell you, you cannot begin training the day before a competition. You cannot expect to do bicep curls once and have arms like Arnold. Likewise, do not expect to repeat an affirmation to yourself once and feel any result. You must literally train your brain. You must not just repeat your affirmations to yourself, you must hammer them into your head. Beat the saying into your mind (figuratively, of course). Make the affirmation your own personal mantra. Repeat your affirmations many times throughout the day. Do this regularly and you will find that what you repeatedly tell yourself, you become.



Gene Zannetti
Peak Performance Specialist
One-on-One Consultation and Motivational Speaking
(908) 337-6143
genezannetti@gmail.com
Visit My Blog- http://genezannetti.blogspot.com/

Monday, April 18, 2011

Mindset Monday 4/18/11- How to Regain Control of your Energy

Think back to the moments leading up to a big competition or performance. Think about the atmosphere in the locker room. Think about how people moved around. Before a competition or performance you tend to see a lot of nervous energy.

People fidget and pace. They develop idiosyncratic quirks and twitches. They develop a tunnel vision and their mind becomes very literal. Think back. It was very difficult to joke around with someone about to take center stage. As the focus of the mind narrows, movement becomes stiff and mechanical. This is why you often see simple mistakes in the very beginning of a competition. The athlete is tense and tight.

In essence, the performer loses control of their energy OR they did not control their energy from the beginning. As the competition continues, the athlete often settles in and energy is regained (hence, the reason athletes often leave wishing they performed in the beginning as they did at the end). Has this ever happened to you?

I am sure this has happened to every athlete and performer at one time or another. Luckily, there is hope to regain control of you energy. The answer is Deep Breathing.

Deep breathing is a practice of taking deep breaths in the abdomen; in though your nose, out through your mouth. Many studies show the effectiveness of deep breathing in reducing anxiety in many different settings. The idea of deep breathing is not a new one. It has been learned and modified from Eastern cultures and meditation.
Once you regain control of your breath, you begin to regain control of your body. You feel in control of your own energy. You become centered. Your movement becomes more fluid and decisive.

As a college wrestler, I began deep breathing and have seen immediate results. The athletes that I work with have been taught deep breathing and they have seen immediate results. And if you learn how to deep breathe, I can guarantee that you will see immediate results.

How to do it:
Find a quiet place and begin taking deep breaths (in through your nose, out through your mouth) through your stomach. In the beginning, place a hand on your abdomen to make sure you feel only your stomach moving in and out. Think of nothing but breathing. At this point in time, there is nothing else in the world that exists but your breath.

How to do it even better:
Follow the above directions and add a cue or anchor to deep breathing. In other words, physically perform a certain behavior while you begin deep breathing. Ie. I would place my hands on my thighs throughout my deep breaths.

How to do this best: Follow the above directions and add a symbol of serenity associated with your cue or anchor. Ie. Mr. Miyagi from the Karate Kid (In the Karate Kid, Miyagi places his hands on his thighs before he meditates-> this was an image that my imagination could relate with). Find your symbols
Finally, you must pair your anchor and symbol to your cue regularly. You must practice deep breathing many times before a competition before an actual competition. Practice deep breathing at least twice a week. You will see results. You will relax and regain control of your energy.

Gene Zannetti
Peak Performance Specialist
One-on-One Consultation and Motivational Speaking
(908) 337-6143
genezannetti@gmail.com
Visit My Blog- http://genezannetti.blogspot.com/

Monday, April 11, 2011

Mindset Monday 4/11/11- Top 10 Worst Phrases for a Competition

10. “I have to…”
9. “I need to…”
8. “I ought to…”
7. “I should…”
6. “I must…”
5. “This is it OR This is everything..”
4. “Do or die”
3. “Make it or break it”
2. “It’s now or never”
1. “Don’t miss “OR “Don’t (anything)”

All competitions and practices are important, but nothing is “special.” When you make a particular competition “special,” you are most likely to put additional pressure on yourself, which can cause you to change your approach and deviate from the very actions that got you success up until this point in time.

Instead, use phrases like, “I will,” “I choose to…” “I want to,” “I’m going to.” Phrases about allude to a Jehovian command that simply cannot be supported by facts. Approach competition with a willful attitude, not an obligatory one.

Pep talks are Hollywood. Listen to Olympic and professional athletes interviews. They always speak about consistency. In the real world, great athletes stress “being myself,” “doing my own thing,” “Being me.”

In other words, great performers approach their sport with high intensity, confidence, and serenity each practice and each competition. They rarely change their approach, strategy, or mindset physically or mentally before one competition. Neither will you.

Gene Zannetti
Peak Performance Specialist
One-on-One Consultation and Motivational Speaking
(908) 337-6143
genezannetti@gmail.com
Visit My Blog- http://genezannetti.blogspot.com/

Monday, April 4, 2011

Mindset Monday 4/4/11- Personality Psychology 730 (Doctoral Level)

Psychology 730- Personality Psychology (Doctoral Level)

When is personality revealed?
Research shows that there are two key components to your personality (1) your way of seeing the world and (2) your way of coping in the world.

In regards to personality, psychologists are less concerned with how individuals cope with Low Demand Situations (situations where there is low stress and little meaning) ie. while you’re home alone watching television. Rather, psychologists are more concerned with how individuals cope with High Demand Situations (situations where there is high stress and great significance)ie. after losing a major competition.

These high demand situations seem to show us an important aspect of an individual. During these times, our emotions and thoughts may be high, and in many instances, working against each other. Difficult circumstances seem to tax us and affect every fiber of our being. Often times, our future depends on our reaction to these moments.

“Pressure causes some people to break, others to break records.”
Which kind of person are you?

How you cope with High Demand Situations is crucial for your happiness and success. Tough times cause many people to quit or let up. It is often during these times where they need to fight the hardest, if they want to achieve their goal.

There are many people around us who act tough and talk a big game. It is easy to be confident and have swagger when things are going well. Show me that same person when times are tough. I see a lot of people looking tough before they face an easy opponent. Some of these same people are timid and tentative before they face difficult competition. If you are going to have swagger, have it against everyone. Don’t be a tough guy only when times are good and things are easy.

Get tough DURING the hard work out, not just before it. Be just as fired up for your last few reps as you are the first. When times are tough and the chips are down and you feel like quitting, that is especially when you must step up and bring that swagger back. If you’re tough, be tough always, not just when it’s easy.
Either way, during the tough times, we will see who you really are.

Gene Zannetti
Peak Performance Specialist
One-on-One Consultation and Motivational Speaking
(908) 337-6143
genezannetti@gmail.com
Visit My Blog- http://genezannetti.blogspot.com/