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Three Ways to Destroy Your
Ability To Compete - Quickly!
Dr. Leif H. Smith
If you want to become the kind of athlete that people always
talk about in terms of "potential" rather than results, following
the following formula:
1. Focus on that which you are scared of
In the world outside of sports, a common principle is that
we get results according to that which we decide to focus
on. The same is true in the sports world. In any given moment,
your emotions are directly linked to that which you are deciding
to think about (or, focus on). Take two examples:
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A.
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You are a wrestler, and you are about to have a match
with a guy that you have never beaten before, having
been pinned every time. During your warmup, you focus
on the fact that you have been training hard all season
long for this match. You tell yourself that you deserve
to beat this guy, as you have learned from your previous
mistakes. You also realize that everybody is "beatable,"
including your opponent. You feel ready, have a plan
of attack, are in great condition, and feel ready to
"get it on."
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B.
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You are a wrestler, and you are about to have a match
with a guy that you have never beaten before, having
been pinned every time. During your warmup, you focus
on the fact that this guy has pinned you, and quite
easily. You remember how embarrassed you were, and how
you don't want to be embarrassed again. You focus on
how to avoid getting pinned-maybe you will take less
shots, stay away from him more. That way he can't pin
you. You feel tense, worried, and tight. You are cautious
when the match begins.
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Which scenario would equate to a better match for this wrestler?
Obviously scenario A. This wrestler focuses on everything
that will help him compete. He focuses on his long hours of
training, he uses positive self-talk to stay confident, and
he feels ready for the fight. The wrestler in scenario B does
the opposite. He focuses on what he DOESN"T want to happen.
He doesn't want to get pinned, so he comes up with a plan
to avoid doing that. He recalls feelings of embarrassment,
and as a result, is tight during his match. He will, of course,
most likely get pinned. Why? Because if you focus on that
which you don't want, you will get it!
2. Engage in problem-focused thinking (instead of solution-focused
thinking)
Mediocre competitors spend most of their time focusing on
the problem instead of the solution. They focus on everything
that is going wrong, or how they can never seem to win, or
how they can never seem to score points on this certain wrestler,
etc...The result is that they become entangled in their problems
and fears, never to escape and find a solution. They become
so caught up in their issues that they never stop and solve
that which caused it!
Top competitors, on the other hand, still make mistakes. However,
they try to learn from their mistakes so that they will not
repeat them. They still get pinned, lose big matches, miss
key free throws, miss wide open shots on goal, etc. However,
they bounce back quicker, and stronger, as they put their
energy into finding a solution to their problem. They focus
on ways to get in better condition, how to get out from bottom
quicker as a wrestler, how to concentrate better when shooting
free throws, how to relax when put in big game situations,
etc...
3. Hesitate
Hesitation destroys our ability to compete. This is particularly
true with fast-paced sports, such as football, basketball,
baseball, lacrosse, wrestling, etc, where there is less down-time.
A common theme among sport psychologists is that hesitation
equals "paralyzation by analyzation." If you try to stop and
think about how you are going to block that 240 lb linebacker,
you will soon see the world from on your back. If you stop
and think about where you want to shoot on the goalie in hockey
or lacrosse, the defense will soon be upon you, and you'll
never get that shot off. And if you do, it will be a hesitant,
unconfident shot. Get the picture? The time to think is when
play is stopped, not during. Those times are different for
different sports:
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a.
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Football-between plays, quarters, halftime, etc.
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b.
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basketball-play stoppages, timeouts, foul shots, etc.
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c.
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lacrosse-play stoppages, between quarters, etc.
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d.
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tennis-between points, changeovers
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e.
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golf-before and after taking your shot, while walking
to your next shot, etc.
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f.
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wrestling-before your match, between periods
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g.
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baseball-prior to your at-bat, between pitches, between
innings
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You get the picture. The time to think in sports is when play
is prior to competition and during play stoppages. Come up
with a game plan, then execute. If it doesn't prove effective,
change your plan, and execute. Try this exercise: sign your
name on a piece of paper. Now, I want you to duplicate it
exactly. EXACTLY. Try it. What happens? Most people slow down
and think about it when they are duplicating their signature.
The result is a signature that is not close to being similar.
You're better served by not thinking and just signing. And
this is merely one small example of the way that your mind
can interfere with performance, if you let it. Don't be one
of those athletes.
Copyright © 2004 Leif H. Smith, Psy.D. All rights reserved.
Dr. Leif H. Smith is the president of Personal Best
Consulting, a performance consulting firm located in Columbus,
OH. He has worked with hundreds of athletes, coaches, teams,
and executives to improve performance and increase on-the-job
effectiveness.
http://personalbestconsulting.com
Leif@personalbestconsulting.com
Article Source: http://www.hotlib.com/articles
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