Mental training is about learning and practicing the skills that you need to be at your best. You can reach optimal performance when you focus on the right cues, maintain positive emotions and accept negative emotions, and get into ‘the zone’ consistently. To develop these skills, it is essential that you increase your awareness of yourself and the impact that your mental approach has in performance and in life. Your mental skills can improve with practice and make it easier to concentrate, accept and deal with adversity, see life with a more positive attitude, and control your mind and body. Mental training focuses on:
Managing emotions: Do you get too anxious or stressed in pressure situations? Can you get your body and mind in your optimal performance zone?
Discipline: Do you put your ultimate goals first? Are you guided by long-term priorities or your short-lived preferences?
Motivation: What drives you to play your heart out? Do you have passion for what you do? What can you do when you lack motivation?
Confidence: Self-belief is essential. Do you have an unshakable self-belief that you will succeed? Learn how to get it, keep it, and use it to bounce back from adversity.
Concentration: Are irrelevant thoughts winning the battle for your attention? Do you have trouble focusing on the right thing at the right time?
Goal setting: What do you want to achieve? How will you get there?
Mission: Who do you want to be? How will you be remembered? You must live to fulfill that destiny. Be a champion first, then go win championships.
Acceptance: When you experience unwanted feelings, can you accept them and move past them? How well do you separate yourself from your thoughts, feelings, sensations, or memories?
Focus: Your attention is a spotlight. What is it shining on? Are you distracted by irrelevant thoughts?
Imagery: See the future you want, then make it happen. Visualize to actualize.
Self-talk: What are you saying to yourself? Things you’d say to your best friend? Things you’d want to hear from them?
Emotional intelligence: We need others who help us achieve our goals. Our vibe determines our tribe.