I was listening to the CD program "Psychology of Winning" by Denis Waitley and I became inspired to write about the importance of Self-Image.
One of the most, if not thee most important element of success is having a positive and empowering Self-Image. Successful people see themselves as winners, go-getters, high achievers, worthy of glory, etc etc. And their mental images of themselves usually manifest themselves in the individuals behaviors.
This is the Heart of Sport Psychology. Everything else is more of a band-aid fix (it helps, but it will not solve the problem). 1st order change.
1st Order Change vs. 2nd Order Change- 2nd order change is systems oriented. Attacking your Self-Image is a 2nd order change (which is always most desirable).
No other factor is as crucial to your success as your Self-Image. -Coach Mike Tulley
Self-Efficacy is an individuals belief that he/she can successfully complete a specific task.
To a high degree, the greater Self-Efficacy (or Confidence) a person has, the more likely a person is to achieve that which they set out for.
A prerequisite for this confidence or self-efficacy is a belief that one is capable of doing big things. This is tied into a person's Self-Image.
In Sport-Performance Psychology, I believe the first step to success is to see exactly how you view yourself.
Successful people know that life is a self-fulfilling prophecy- If you believe something is true, you tend to act in a way to make it exactly so.
This is THE SECRET.
The steps to Sport-Performance Psychology
Step 1: Determine your Self-Image (As detailed and honestly as possible)
Step 2: Determine your Goal(s)
Step 3: Determine the Self-Image you will need to have in order to achieve your Goal(s).
(Ask someone who has achieved those goals already, if your stuck)
Step 4: Determine the all the blocks (both internal & external, but mainly, internal) to getting to the empowering Self-Image.
Step 5: Work daily on instilling the empowering Self-Image, and removing the negative parts of your original Self-Image.
How to improve your Self-Image-
*Make a List of your Empowering Self-Image (Not necessarily how you see yourself, but rather how you WANT to see yourself).
*Make another List next to this list and title it "Evidence." Every time you act in accordance to this new Self-Image, you need to document it on this paper(s). You refer to this list often, to remind yourself that YOU ARE the way you want to be. YOU EMBODY this empowering Self-Image.
I was asked before how do you improve your Self-Image of you really don't feel good about yourself.
The answer may come as a shocker, but you need to begin with BLIND FAITH.
This may be a very difficult thing to have right away, but it is the first step on the ladder of success.
You have to begin believing simply because you choose to.
[This in a sense, mirrors Albert Ellis, father of Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy in psychology, and his idea of Unconditionally Accepting yourself, simply because you choose to.
If this is hard, I would recommend turning to a Higher Power. Your religion can be just the catalyst you are looking for because it so well rooted in us since birth and usually just accepted as fact, without question.
It's no surprise that most of the highly successful people have a strong belief in God, and they'll openly thank Him after accomplishing their goals.
These people have TRUE CONFIDENCE that their faith will overcome all. Whether their success is due to the Self-Fulfilling Prophecy or Divine Intervention goes beyond the scope of this blog.
What IS certain is FAITH can help a person compete fearlessly, confidently, and with a sense of serenity unlike any other.
For more information on Spiritual Motivation from Christianity and Judaism (Hebrew Scripture or Old Testament), see my Spiritual Blog: GZ-God and Church, under Motivational words from God.
http://www.gzchristian.blogspot.com/
Question of the day: If your Self-Image is based on your very beliefs about the world at large, how easy will it be to shake it?
Answer: Not easy at all!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
More good information...
It's important to surround yourself with positive people who will keep your mindset optimal. The people we surround ourselves with have a very powerful effect on our minds and thus our lives. Like it or not, the words that you hear program your subconscious mind. This is why I always say to avoid negative people and small time thinkers. You need to get around people who will empower, motivate, and inspire you. If you do not have people like this in your life, you may need to find some. If there aren't any around, here are a few resources you can tap into. I call these phone numbers on a daily basis. They are very informative and an excellent pick-me-up. The first two numbers are other Sport Psychology experts messages of the day. You call the number and it goes straight to the message. My number is my cell phone number, but also contains a quote of the day if I am not available to answer your call. Enjoy! And make use of the information. These are the type of positive people I was talking about before to listen to and have in your head on a daily basis.
Success Hotline - Dr. Rob Gilbert's Daily Message - (973) 743-4690
and his website - http://gilbertsuccesshotline.blogspot.com/
Power Thoughts - Ed Agresta's Daily Message - (609) 660-8156
Quote of the Day - Gene Zannetti (Voicemail) - (908) 337-6143
Don Greene
Coach Tully
7 Principles of Huna - Urban Shamanism
Motivational Sayings
Coach John Wooden's Website - Greatest Coach of All-time
Peaceful Warrior Website
I ALSO STRONGLY RECOMMEND WACHING THE MOVIE "PEACEFUL WARRIOR"
[This is a mandatory Life Perspective and Sport Psychology Movie!]
Success Hotline - Dr. Rob Gilbert's Daily Message - (973) 743-4690
and his website - http://gilbertsuccesshotline.blogspot.com/
Power Thoughts - Ed Agresta's Daily Message - (609) 660-8156
Quote of the Day - Gene Zannetti (Voicemail) - (908) 337-6143
Don Greene
Coach Tully
7 Principles of Huna - Urban Shamanism
Motivational Sayings
Coach John Wooden's Website - Greatest Coach of All-time
Peaceful Warrior Website
I ALSO STRONGLY RECOMMEND WACHING THE MOVIE "PEACEFUL WARRIOR"
[This is a mandatory Life Perspective and Sport Psychology Movie!]
Friday, January 9, 2009
STATE CHAMPS-BIRTHDAY RESEARCH RESULTS
I just finished reading an excellent book called "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell (author of The Tipping Point and Blink- Both excellent books). In Chapter 1 he writes about the importance of being a little bit older for your grade. He uses examples of soccer, hockey, and baseball to illustrate this point. I hypothesized that Wrestling State Champs were probably also older for their grade. There are obvious advantages that go along with this. Physical and mental maturity will likely present themselves disguised as talent.A person who is older for their grade will generally be seen by others and themselves as better than those around them. As a result, older children will be seen as having more talent than their peers. The older children will be then treated by coaches and peers differently (as someone with talent). This could lead concrete advantages such as nomination to compete and/or practice in special leagues, tournaments, and divisions. This special treatment would give the older child a special opportunity to improve. As a result of this special treatment, added practice, comparison to younger peers, and praise from peers, coaches, and adults, older children could grow to have higher self-confidence. Notice this success cycle that is in place for such individuals.
MY Study
100 State Champs
I compared everyone as if they were in the same grade-
Graduation Year:Year Born
1997:1979, 1998:1980, 1999:1981, 2000:1982, 2001:1983, 2002:1984, 2003:1985, 2004:1986, 2005:1987, 2006:1988, 2007:1989, 2008:1990, 2009:1991, 2010:1992, 2011:1993
Results:
Month Born - Number of State Champs born in that time period
October or before of previous year - 30
November of previous year - 10
December of previous year - 9
January - 8
February - 8
March - 7
April - 5
May - 5
June - 8
July - 2
August - 4
September - 4
October or After - 0
INTERPRETATION
Do you see the pattern? Most state champs are born in the previous year or in the earlier months of their year. In other words, they tend to be older for their grade. These results are a researchers dream. They are clear cut, with no statistical analysis needed, you can just look at it and see the pattern.
30% of the state champs were born in October or before of the previous year.
57% of the state champs were born before February.
77% of state champs were born before May.
92% were born before August.
The results speak for themselves! An important thing to realize here is that many of the state champions won the title a few times. Though they may have been young (not a senior) that year, they still have been socialized in the above mentioned success cycle of older children, thereby reaping the benefits that are associated with it.
Before entering a state champions pool this year for the NJSIAA Tournament, perhaps you should find the contenders birthdays...
*NOTE- No one is born to become a state champion on ability alone. I have seen and trained with many of the state champs I polled and know personally that they are some of the most dedicated wrestlers out there. Most train all year long, almost exclusively on wrestling. I also know many people who are old for their grade that have not amounted to anything in their wrestling career. This shows that birthdays and age are not everything. But, they may have more to do with success than we may realize.
MY Study
100 State Champs
I compared everyone as if they were in the same grade-
Graduation Year:Year Born
1997:1979, 1998:1980, 1999:1981, 2000:1982, 2001:1983, 2002:1984, 2003:1985, 2004:1986, 2005:1987, 2006:1988, 2007:1989, 2008:1990, 2009:1991, 2010:1992, 2011:1993
Results:
Month Born - Number of State Champs born in that time period
October or before of previous year - 30
November of previous year - 10
December of previous year - 9
January - 8
February - 8
March - 7
April - 5
May - 5
June - 8
July - 2
August - 4
September - 4
October or After - 0
INTERPRETATION
Do you see the pattern? Most state champs are born in the previous year or in the earlier months of their year. In other words, they tend to be older for their grade. These results are a researchers dream. They are clear cut, with no statistical analysis needed, you can just look at it and see the pattern.
30% of the state champs were born in October or before of the previous year.
57% of the state champs were born before February.
77% of state champs were born before May.
92% were born before August.
The results speak for themselves! An important thing to realize here is that many of the state champions won the title a few times. Though they may have been young (not a senior) that year, they still have been socialized in the above mentioned success cycle of older children, thereby reaping the benefits that are associated with it.
Before entering a state champions pool this year for the NJSIAA Tournament, perhaps you should find the contenders birthdays...
*NOTE- No one is born to become a state champion on ability alone. I have seen and trained with many of the state champs I polled and know personally that they are some of the most dedicated wrestlers out there. Most train all year long, almost exclusively on wrestling. I also know many people who are old for their grade that have not amounted to anything in their wrestling career. This shows that birthdays and age are not everything. But, they may have more to do with success than we may realize.
The 4 Optimal Mindsets (Mandatory to be a Champion)
Pre-Competition
1. I don't care who I go against, I want everyone. I go after the tougher opponent. I live for the challenge.
The best defense is a good offense right? Same thing with your mindset. If you seek the challenge and look for tougher opponents, you're not worried about competing against someone good. You want them!
2. I'm good enough to beat this person, or anyone else for that matter.
Confidence Plus is a Must.
3. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world right now. I live for this. I love it!
Present, In the moment. Devoted 100% to the experience you're having.
Post-Competition
4. This is the best thing that could have ever happened to me.
Learn from everything- wins and losses. Learn lesson regardless and move on.
Note- If you are missing ANY of these mindsets, it is important to rethink your mental game and take the steps necessary to change them to the ones above.
1. I don't care who I go against, I want everyone. I go after the tougher opponent. I live for the challenge.
The best defense is a good offense right? Same thing with your mindset. If you seek the challenge and look for tougher opponents, you're not worried about competing against someone good. You want them!
2. I'm good enough to beat this person, or anyone else for that matter.
Confidence Plus is a Must.
3. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world right now. I live for this. I love it!
Present, In the moment. Devoted 100% to the experience you're having.
Post-Competition
4. This is the best thing that could have ever happened to me.
Learn from everything- wins and losses. Learn lesson regardless and move on.
Note- If you are missing ANY of these mindsets, it is important to rethink your mental game and take the steps necessary to change them to the ones above.
Energy Management Workshop
LOWER ANXIETY BEFORE COMPETITION
Competitions differ from practice primarily because athletes get more nervous.
You want you energy level not to be too high or too low.
Anything you want to accomplish in life will take energy. –Tony Robbins
Inverted U Theory of Anxiety
Arousal will steadily improve your performance until a certain point. Your performance will then just as steadily decline with more anxiety. Draw an upside down U for a visual.
Deep Breathing-
The Antidote for stress and anxiety
- Essential for both physical and mental health
- #1 way to increase your energy
- decreases depression, irritability, muscle tension, and fatigue
When an insufficient amount of fresh air reaches your lungs, your blood isn’t properly purified or oxygenated. Waste products that should have been removed are kept in circulation, slowly poisoning your system. Lack of oxygen and waste products cause poorer complexion, undernourished and deteriorating organs and tissue, anxiety states, depression, fatigue.
Breathing: Separate yourself from everyone else around you
Start in a comfortable position (off your feet)
In Nose, Out Mouth
Abdominal breathing (not chest)
Long, slow, deep breaths
Focus entirely on your breath (nothing else in the world exists)
Practice- 10 minutes 2x a day
OR
10 deep breaths 3x a day
(practice especially when you feel tense or anxious)
Remember- If you don’t practice it on your own, you will not be able to do it as effectively when under stress. In times of peace, prepare for war.
Exercise 1:
List 3 things drain you (physically, emotionally, or mentally) in practice.
List 3 things that charge you in practice.
List 3 things that drain you in competition.
List 3 things that charge you in competition.
Can you control any of these things? Add as many charges, eliminate as many drains.
Exercise 2:
Remember a performance you were too energized. Describe in detail how you felt.
-Under energized.
-Just right. (That’s the place we want you to get back to)
To increase energy- Use energizing music.
-Have a high energy cue or trigger
To lower your energy or anxiety (much more common for competitions)
Centering (Taken from Aikido)
To go from left brain (thinking) to right brain (feeling)
Proven successful with high stress groups like the SWAT team, Green Berets, Athletes
Learn proper deep breathing first
1st realize that it is effortless to relax. It takes no energy or effort.
Step 1: State your intent.
I’m going to_____
Never use don’t. always frame positively.
Step 2: Pick a focal point
Below eye level, some distance away
Where you will release
Step3: Deep Breathing
Done until that’s your only focus.
Step 4: Release tension
While deep breathing, scan your body for tension top to bottom. Check one area per inhale. On exhale shake it loose and relax that area. Neck, shoulders, arms, midsection, legs.
Step 5: Find your Center of Gravity.
About 2 inches below your navel and 2 inches below the surface
Your Center helps you feel rooted, grounded, stabilized, and in control of your energy.
Take 5 breaths once there.
Step 6: Process Cue of Confidence
Step 7: Release tension at your focal point.
Pull all tension and anxiety from your body to your center.
Bring it straight up your body to your eyes
Shoot it out of your eyes onto your focal point
At this point you release and let it all go and trust your instincts.
Competitions differ from practice primarily because athletes get more nervous.
You want you energy level not to be too high or too low.
Anything you want to accomplish in life will take energy. –Tony Robbins
Inverted U Theory of Anxiety
Arousal will steadily improve your performance until a certain point. Your performance will then just as steadily decline with more anxiety. Draw an upside down U for a visual.
Deep Breathing-
The Antidote for stress and anxiety
- Essential for both physical and mental health
- #1 way to increase your energy
- decreases depression, irritability, muscle tension, and fatigue
When an insufficient amount of fresh air reaches your lungs, your blood isn’t properly purified or oxygenated. Waste products that should have been removed are kept in circulation, slowly poisoning your system. Lack of oxygen and waste products cause poorer complexion, undernourished and deteriorating organs and tissue, anxiety states, depression, fatigue.
Breathing: Separate yourself from everyone else around you
Start in a comfortable position (off your feet)
In Nose, Out Mouth
Abdominal breathing (not chest)
Long, slow, deep breaths
Focus entirely on your breath (nothing else in the world exists)
Practice- 10 minutes 2x a day
OR
10 deep breaths 3x a day
(practice especially when you feel tense or anxious)
Remember- If you don’t practice it on your own, you will not be able to do it as effectively when under stress. In times of peace, prepare for war.
Exercise 1:
List 3 things drain you (physically, emotionally, or mentally) in practice.
List 3 things that charge you in practice.
List 3 things that drain you in competition.
List 3 things that charge you in competition.
Can you control any of these things? Add as many charges, eliminate as many drains.
Exercise 2:
Remember a performance you were too energized. Describe in detail how you felt.
-Under energized.
-Just right. (That’s the place we want you to get back to)
To increase energy- Use energizing music.
-Have a high energy cue or trigger
To lower your energy or anxiety (much more common for competitions)
Centering (Taken from Aikido)
To go from left brain (thinking) to right brain (feeling)
Proven successful with high stress groups like the SWAT team, Green Berets, Athletes
Learn proper deep breathing first
1st realize that it is effortless to relax. It takes no energy or effort.
Step 1: State your intent.
I’m going to_____
Never use don’t. always frame positively.
Step 2: Pick a focal point
Below eye level, some distance away
Where you will release
Step3: Deep Breathing
Done until that’s your only focus.
Step 4: Release tension
While deep breathing, scan your body for tension top to bottom. Check one area per inhale. On exhale shake it loose and relax that area. Neck, shoulders, arms, midsection, legs.
Step 5: Find your Center of Gravity.
About 2 inches below your navel and 2 inches below the surface
Your Center helps you feel rooted, grounded, stabilized, and in control of your energy.
Take 5 breaths once there.
Step 6: Process Cue of Confidence
Step 7: Release tension at your focal point.
Pull all tension and anxiety from your body to your center.
Bring it straight up your body to your eyes
Shoot it out of your eyes onto your focal point
At this point you release and let it all go and trust your instincts.
Focus Workshop
Focus-concentrating at the right thing at the right moment.
What we focus on affects the way we feel, how we feel determines how we act.
* What did you think during your best performance? Most people say something like, "I dunno, I just." This means when we focus on the process, we can lose ourselves, and attain the coveted flow state.
You need to get out of your own way. You need to shift from left brain (thinking) to right brain (feeling). Clear your mind of thoughts.
May sound opposite of self-talk. But we use our self-talk mainly outside of competition to program our subconscious for competition. It cannot wait until game day to be learned. Same with technique. Technique is mastered in practice.
Humans by nature are poor multi-taskers.
Concentrate Intensely on ONE THING AT A TIME
You will get more out of studying 30 minutes with full concentration than 3 hours with half attention.
McGuffey’s Primer
Work while you work,
Play while you play;
One thing each time,
That is the way.
All that you do,
Do with your might;
Things done by halves
Are not done right!
Present Moment- Satori (Buddhist philosophy)
-Take out the Trash- The Trash is anything that is keeping you from the only thing that matters- this moment. This is Not saying future or past doesn’t matter. But, we learn from the past to do things right in the present and we do things in the present to improve our future. Either way the only time we have control over is the present. Only time that’s a gift is the present.
NOW IS THE MOMENT OF POWER
There is no power that exists at any other period of time
Use Deep Breathing to clear mind and refocus.
-Where are you? Here
-What time is it? Now
-What are you? This moment
Focus only on what you can control, not what you can’t. Others reactions and outcomes are not directly within your control. You affect the outcome by focusing on the present.
Remember also that the crowd, fans, friends, coaches, and parents are unarmed and they will remain in the stands throughout the entire duration of the competition. They’ll have no impact on the match whatsoever. They are irrelevant and they will mess with your mind if you let them. They aren’t part of the equation. They aren’t to be trusted at all. Let them mess up your opponents. Not you.
After a mistake, refocus. Great athletes forgive themselves and let go of their mistakes much faster than amateurs. And they have much less reason to. Accept your mistakes and move on. Don’t make one mistake cause another. Drop it.
Have an interrupt cue to let it go and move on. ie. You gotta love it etc.
In competition- there’s a time and place for evaluation and it’s NEVER during a competition.
Know at what points you need to focus.
When could you focus better.
Use process cues to narrow your attention focus (make it simple, avoid overwhelming)
Training vs. Trusting
Training- practicing techniques and learning
Trusting- practicing letting go and relying on instincts
Some experts recommend 70% Practice should be Trusting- To practice staying in the moment and trusting your instincts.
Decisiveness
When you do a technique or movement you go all the way with it. Don’t second guess yourself or move halfheartedly.
People with worse technique but greater decisiveness often beat the athlete who has better technique but are less decisive. Technique is only half the equation, decisiveness is the other half.
Directive Focus-
Our subconscious, brain, nervous system, and muscles respond best to the smallest possible target. Don’t aim for the hole, aim for a specific part of the hole. Don't say-I wanna be rich. Instead say- I wanna have 1 million in 5 yrs
Perspective and Focusing-
Close eyes, brown vs green
Controlling our emotions-
Probably the quickest way we can control and direct our mental and emotional state is to control and direct the focus of you mind.
2 things that affect your state (1) how your feeling (2) what you focus on
Headache story, distracted mind altered your focus. Worked like a Tylenol.
There are so many things going on at once so we become forced to choose what we focus on. Focus is a choice. Either you consciously decide what you will focus on or your subconscious will make that decision for you. Since we cant focus on everything we become deletion creatures. Card example. We magnify what we want to see and delete the things we don’t. There are so many things we could choose to focus on, so what we focus on is what we choose to focus on. This is why negative thinking is like a disease. Its contagious to others (especially bad when we spread this to the people closest to us, then they reinforce it back to us, until were surrounded by negative stinking thinking). So, we need to consciously focus on the things that we want.
Life is a self-fulfilling prophesy- we get what we expect. We get back the image that we project to the world.
Focus is a choice!
Ex: Write down things that distract you when you compete.
Write down things that distract you when you train.
Tools- attentional boundaries
Visualize a barrier that separates you from the rest of the world.
Peaks and Valleys graph.
You cant peak if you don’t drop to valleys.
Take advantage of times where there’s a break in the action to unwind and recharge.
Your focus is your future.
Success is no hocus pocus, its focus focus.
What we focus on affects the way we feel, how we feel determines how we act.
* What did you think during your best performance? Most people say something like, "I dunno, I just." This means when we focus on the process, we can lose ourselves, and attain the coveted flow state.
You need to get out of your own way. You need to shift from left brain (thinking) to right brain (feeling). Clear your mind of thoughts.
May sound opposite of self-talk. But we use our self-talk mainly outside of competition to program our subconscious for competition. It cannot wait until game day to be learned. Same with technique. Technique is mastered in practice.
Humans by nature are poor multi-taskers.
Concentrate Intensely on ONE THING AT A TIME
You will get more out of studying 30 minutes with full concentration than 3 hours with half attention.
McGuffey’s Primer
Work while you work,
Play while you play;
One thing each time,
That is the way.
All that you do,
Do with your might;
Things done by halves
Are not done right!
Present Moment- Satori (Buddhist philosophy)
-Take out the Trash- The Trash is anything that is keeping you from the only thing that matters- this moment. This is Not saying future or past doesn’t matter. But, we learn from the past to do things right in the present and we do things in the present to improve our future. Either way the only time we have control over is the present. Only time that’s a gift is the present.
NOW IS THE MOMENT OF POWER
There is no power that exists at any other period of time
Use Deep Breathing to clear mind and refocus.
-Where are you? Here
-What time is it? Now
-What are you? This moment
Focus only on what you can control, not what you can’t. Others reactions and outcomes are not directly within your control. You affect the outcome by focusing on the present.
Remember also that the crowd, fans, friends, coaches, and parents are unarmed and they will remain in the stands throughout the entire duration of the competition. They’ll have no impact on the match whatsoever. They are irrelevant and they will mess with your mind if you let them. They aren’t part of the equation. They aren’t to be trusted at all. Let them mess up your opponents. Not you.
After a mistake, refocus. Great athletes forgive themselves and let go of their mistakes much faster than amateurs. And they have much less reason to. Accept your mistakes and move on. Don’t make one mistake cause another. Drop it.
Have an interrupt cue to let it go and move on. ie. You gotta love it etc.
In competition- there’s a time and place for evaluation and it’s NEVER during a competition.
Know at what points you need to focus.
When could you focus better.
Use process cues to narrow your attention focus (make it simple, avoid overwhelming)
Training vs. Trusting
Training- practicing techniques and learning
Trusting- practicing letting go and relying on instincts
Some experts recommend 70% Practice should be Trusting- To practice staying in the moment and trusting your instincts.
Decisiveness
When you do a technique or movement you go all the way with it. Don’t second guess yourself or move halfheartedly.
People with worse technique but greater decisiveness often beat the athlete who has better technique but are less decisive. Technique is only half the equation, decisiveness is the other half.
Directive Focus-
Our subconscious, brain, nervous system, and muscles respond best to the smallest possible target. Don’t aim for the hole, aim for a specific part of the hole. Don't say-I wanna be rich. Instead say- I wanna have 1 million in 5 yrs
Perspective and Focusing-
Close eyes, brown vs green
Controlling our emotions-
Probably the quickest way we can control and direct our mental and emotional state is to control and direct the focus of you mind.
2 things that affect your state (1) how your feeling (2) what you focus on
Headache story, distracted mind altered your focus. Worked like a Tylenol.
There are so many things going on at once so we become forced to choose what we focus on. Focus is a choice. Either you consciously decide what you will focus on or your subconscious will make that decision for you. Since we cant focus on everything we become deletion creatures. Card example. We magnify what we want to see and delete the things we don’t. There are so many things we could choose to focus on, so what we focus on is what we choose to focus on. This is why negative thinking is like a disease. Its contagious to others (especially bad when we spread this to the people closest to us, then they reinforce it back to us, until were surrounded by negative stinking thinking). So, we need to consciously focus on the things that we want.
Life is a self-fulfilling prophesy- we get what we expect. We get back the image that we project to the world.
Focus is a choice!
Ex: Write down things that distract you when you compete.
Write down things that distract you when you train.
Tools- attentional boundaries
Visualize a barrier that separates you from the rest of the world.
Peaks and Valleys graph.
You cant peak if you don’t drop to valleys.
Take advantage of times where there’s a break in the action to unwind and recharge.
Your focus is your future.
Success is no hocus pocus, its focus focus.
Self-Talk Workshop
What you say to yourself and how you say it will determine how you perform under pressure. – Dr. Don Greene
All great athletes talk to themselves. –Wali Muhhammad
You are what you say to yourself most of the time. – William James
The Power of the Subconscious Mind
Conscious Mind- Judge (conscious level of thinking. takes in information and makes rational? Decisions)
Subconscious Mind- Robot (unconscious level of thinking. Storage of information and automatic reactions like emotions)
Robot autopilot, aircraft, homing torpedo programmed in advance to seek a target making on board corrections along the way (like the brain) .
The human system is goal seeking by design. It uses environmental information to make decisions. You get this environmental information is processed by your mind, usually unconsciously. In fact 95% of what we do or think is automated. So we need to control how we process information
Relationship of judge and robot (taken from Dr. Denis Waitley)
Judge cant make a decision without the robot
Robot checks the memory bank including words, mental images, and self-image and plays available data to judge for action
Judge controls the robot? No, incredibly often the reverse is true. Often the robot controls the judge in a master slave relationship (addictions, cravings, etc) Action often takes place without any consultation of the judge, but no decision is made without reference to the robot.
So your Robot is programmed with or without you. This happens all the time. It’s how your mind makes sense of the environment.
You may have some outdated and negative neuroassociations inside your robot.
These uselessly negative neuroassociations will predictably and continually mess you up when it matters most.
Under stress and anxiety, the body reacts with that which it knows best ie. highlight reels or doomsday videos, positive language or negative language, confidently or timidly. If you do not reprogram yourself you will suffer.
You cannot wait until your under stress to change your neuroassociations and reprogram your robot.
This needs to be done in advance.
You need to reprogram them now.
How?
Change Self-talk, Imagery, and Confidence building. Here we focus on self-talk.
Everything you say to yourself should be framed with positive language. Don’t use don’ts.
Golf example-
Don’t hit the ball into the water---subconscious hears---hit the ball into the water
Instead say- Hit the ball straight
Substitute- Can’t à Can
Try à Will
Need to/ Should/Have to/Must à I want OR I choose to
Change all helpless Why questions to positive empowering How questions
Write 5 examples
Eliminate extreme language which puts unnecessary pressure on yourself, others, and the world- Need, Must (musterbating –Dr. Albert Ellis), Should (don’t should on me –Teacher Ken Himber). You don’t need to do anything but die, you don’t even have to pay taxes, you can go to jail instead. Such strong language puts you in a slave mindset.
A freedom mindset says I want to, I choose to, it will be good for me to.., I will improve if I..
Awfulizing-à We tell ourselves things are awful, terrible, completely bad. Nothing is 100% bad. Don’t deny reality. Just tell it like it is. Instead of telling ourselves things are awful and terrible, tell yourself it’s unpleasant and inconvenient, but that’s tough, that’s life, that’s the way the world works, nothing to get particularly upset or bent out of shape about.
Directly after a mistake just say- you gotta love it or that’s what its all about
(shake it off and move on, stay positive with yourself)
Quickly get over your mistakes by saying à I should have known
Then simply chalk it up to experience and forget about it.
Forget the feeling and experience, simply learn the lesson.
Your subconscious mind (robot) has no sense of humor.
Self-effacing jokes and sarcasm can be deadly, as they too register in the subconscious.
The questions we ask ourselves often determine what we focus on and how.
Our brain will answer ANY question you ask it. “Ask and you shall receive.”
It will make up things if it has to.
If you ask yourself Why am I a Schmuck? Your brain will tell you why you’re a schmuck. If you ask yourself why am I so lucky? Your brain will tell you why you’re lucky.
Turn your Why Questions into How Questions.
Why implies helplessness
How implies power and control
Why asks about the past, while How asks what to do in the present to have a better future.
Ex- Why am I so fat? -à How can I reach my target of losing 20lbs.
Remember that self-talk is a primary cause of low self-esteem, quitting, and reluctance to pursue goals.
If you continue telling yourself something you’ll believe it (hypnosis and subliminal messages)
Negative self-talk will create a life of its own making more negative self-talk.
Be a good coach to yourself.
Would you pay a coach or caddie to talk to you negatively? Of course not!
Would you speak to a kid who really looked up to you negatively? NO!
you would be supportive, encouraging, and positive. Be that way to yourself.
Send yourself emails.
Post positive notes.
All great athletes talk to themselves. –Wali Muhhammad
You are what you say to yourself most of the time. – William James
The Power of the Subconscious Mind
Conscious Mind- Judge (conscious level of thinking. takes in information and makes rational? Decisions)
Subconscious Mind- Robot (unconscious level of thinking. Storage of information and automatic reactions like emotions)
Robot autopilot, aircraft, homing torpedo programmed in advance to seek a target making on board corrections along the way (like the brain) .
The human system is goal seeking by design. It uses environmental information to make decisions. You get this environmental information is processed by your mind, usually unconsciously. In fact 95% of what we do or think is automated. So we need to control how we process information
Relationship of judge and robot (taken from Dr. Denis Waitley)
Judge cant make a decision without the robot
Robot checks the memory bank including words, mental images, and self-image and plays available data to judge for action
Judge controls the robot? No, incredibly often the reverse is true. Often the robot controls the judge in a master slave relationship (addictions, cravings, etc) Action often takes place without any consultation of the judge, but no decision is made without reference to the robot.
So your Robot is programmed with or without you. This happens all the time. It’s how your mind makes sense of the environment.
You may have some outdated and negative neuroassociations inside your robot.
These uselessly negative neuroassociations will predictably and continually mess you up when it matters most.
Under stress and anxiety, the body reacts with that which it knows best ie. highlight reels or doomsday videos, positive language or negative language, confidently or timidly. If you do not reprogram yourself you will suffer.
You cannot wait until your under stress to change your neuroassociations and reprogram your robot.
This needs to be done in advance.
You need to reprogram them now.
How?
Change Self-talk, Imagery, and Confidence building. Here we focus on self-talk.
Everything you say to yourself should be framed with positive language. Don’t use don’ts.
Golf example-
Don’t hit the ball into the water---subconscious hears---hit the ball into the water
Instead say- Hit the ball straight
Substitute- Can’t à Can
Try à Will
Need to/ Should/Have to/Must à I want OR I choose to
Change all helpless Why questions to positive empowering How questions
Write 5 examples
Eliminate extreme language which puts unnecessary pressure on yourself, others, and the world- Need, Must (musterbating –Dr. Albert Ellis), Should (don’t should on me –Teacher Ken Himber). You don’t need to do anything but die, you don’t even have to pay taxes, you can go to jail instead. Such strong language puts you in a slave mindset.
A freedom mindset says I want to, I choose to, it will be good for me to.., I will improve if I..
Awfulizing-à We tell ourselves things are awful, terrible, completely bad. Nothing is 100% bad. Don’t deny reality. Just tell it like it is. Instead of telling ourselves things are awful and terrible, tell yourself it’s unpleasant and inconvenient, but that’s tough, that’s life, that’s the way the world works, nothing to get particularly upset or bent out of shape about.
Directly after a mistake just say- you gotta love it or that’s what its all about
(shake it off and move on, stay positive with yourself)
Quickly get over your mistakes by saying à I should have known
Then simply chalk it up to experience and forget about it.
Forget the feeling and experience, simply learn the lesson.
Your subconscious mind (robot) has no sense of humor.
Self-effacing jokes and sarcasm can be deadly, as they too register in the subconscious.
The questions we ask ourselves often determine what we focus on and how.
Our brain will answer ANY question you ask it. “Ask and you shall receive.”
It will make up things if it has to.
If you ask yourself Why am I a Schmuck? Your brain will tell you why you’re a schmuck. If you ask yourself why am I so lucky? Your brain will tell you why you’re lucky.
Turn your Why Questions into How Questions.
Why implies helplessness
How implies power and control
Why asks about the past, while How asks what to do in the present to have a better future.
Ex- Why am I so fat? -à How can I reach my target of losing 20lbs.
Remember that self-talk is a primary cause of low self-esteem, quitting, and reluctance to pursue goals.
If you continue telling yourself something you’ll believe it (hypnosis and subliminal messages)
Negative self-talk will create a life of its own making more negative self-talk.
Be a good coach to yourself.
Would you pay a coach or caddie to talk to you negatively? Of course not!
Would you speak to a kid who really looked up to you negatively? NO!
you would be supportive, encouraging, and positive. Be that way to yourself.
Send yourself emails.
Post positive notes.
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