What are you focusing on right now in light of the corona-virus and suspension of sports? I have noticed there are 3 categories of athletes and coaches:
“Poor me! My sport has been taken away from me”. Then there are those thinking “Yeah me! Whew I get some time off and can be a sloth for a while. And then there are the “OH YEAH me! I get time to work on my craft and use this time to separate myself”.
This article is for the latter. We can’t control the obstacles in front of us but we can learn to control our focus for optimal outcomes. My goal is to help you turn your focus to what you can do to improve during this time.
What we focus on grows. If focusing on poor you, it creates more poor you thoughts. If you focus on what is good about a situation then you will find more good.
*Find the “This is Good”- What is good about your sport being suspended?
There was an African king who had a best friend with whom he kept close to him. The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that occurred in his life (positive or negative) and remarking, “This is good!” Because of this, the king took his friend with him wherever he went.
One day the king and his friend were out on a hunting expedition. The friend loaded the rifle for the king and when the king fired it, it backfired and blew off his thumb. The friend as usual said, “This is good!” to which the king replied, “No, this is NOT good!” and angrily sent his friend to jail.All the way to jail, the friend said, “this is good”. Once in jail, every day the friend continued to say, “this is good”. The other people in jail would reply, “you’re crazy. Your best friend threw you in jail. This isn’t good”. But the friend would smile and again say, “this is good.”
To make a long story short, after a year and a half the friend was still in jail. In the meantime, the king goes on another hunting party, and they are captured by a band of cannibals. The cannibals began to kill and eat the hunting party one by one. However, the cannibals were extremely superstitious and would not kill nor eat anything that wasn’t whole. When they got to the king, and saw he was missing a thumb they immediately let him go.
The king rushed to the jail where his friend was imprisoned, got on his knees and said, “please forgive me. You saved my life! Thank you, thank you”. To which his friend replied, “This is good!”. “Yes, this is good for me, but I’ve wasted a year and half of your life. I am so sorry.” Replied the king. “No,” his friend replied, “This is good for me to!”“What do you mean?” asked the king. “How is it good that I sent you to jail for a year?” “If I had NOT been in jail, I would have been with you and been eaten by the cannibals.” (Author unknown, taken from “The Confident Athlete: 4 Easy Steps to Build and Maintain Confidence).
Although the story is a bit dramatic compared to what most of us face on a daily basis, “this is good” illustrates the point that regardless of what happens in life, we have the opportunity to choose our perspective. We can prevent ourselves from enduring worse or allow something better to occur. Having a “this is good” mindset doesn’t mean you won’t have challenges. It means you’ll use those challenges to make you better.
*Have a daily routine- The only bad routine is not having one. Routines are especially helpful when we are stressed or challenged. Routines help us keep our minds in check rather than running wild.
Athletes are used to having routine so don’t change now. Have a consistent time to wake up in the morning, to do schoolwork, a for fun, to work out, etc. People that stick to routines tend to be more productive and successful.
*Be an athlete- A lot of our identities are tied into our roles as athletes. You still are one. Your identity hasn’t changed. At the same time, use this period to further your identity beyond being an athlete.
*Have a game plan
Mental- use this time to start working on your mental game. Read a book. Start working with a Mental Performance Coach. Implement visualization into your daily routine. Visualization can be used to get in reps during this downtime, so your skills at least remain where they are. Studies have shown that 3 mental reps are equivalent to 1 physical rep. Drew Brees, one of the best quarterbacks to ever play shares that during his off week, he plays an entire football game in his mind. He visualizes each play as vividly as possible in his mind. He maintains that this keeps him mentally sharp and ready.
Physical- use this time to get in better shape or to heal from injuries. Talk to a coach or strength and conditioning coach for a workout you can do at home. Or talk to a therapist for exercises. In addition, improve your diet and sleep habits.
Technical– work on your skills and knowledge of your game. Watch game film. Watch reruns on tv or videos of others playing at a high level. Learn by watching them. Read about your sport. The options are endless.
Emotional- make sure you are practicing self-care. This can be a stressful time for all of us. Take time for you and your mental and physical health.
*Stay in touch with teammates- In today’s world we have so many opportunities to connect with others without being in person. Make it a priority. Get creative and make sure you are connecting with all teammates not just your best buds. Doing so can make your team that much stronger.
*Focus on others- We can’t help out anyone else in life without also helping out ourselves. When we help someone else out, someone less fortunate, then we change our focus from dwelling on our own problems to focusing on others. If I can focus on others, then the person I am really coaching up is myself!
*Gratitude- Start focusing on all the things you have to be grateful for. Use this time to start a gratitude habit (a journal, a walk of gratitude, sending thank you texts, etc.).
Instead of focusing on fear and uncertainties that lie ahead, start thinking about who you want to be when all of this is over. And start becoming that person in the now.
Focus Activities: https://r2lc.com/2020/03/16/focus-exercises/
Confidence Resources: https://r2lc.com/2020/03/03/marchs-confidence-calendar/ and https://r2lc.com/2020/03/15/march-april-blank-confidence-calendar/
“The Confident Athlete” and “The Confidence Journal” are available for group discounts. Contact tami@r2l.mysites.io
Tami Matheny is a Mental Game Coach and Author of “The Confident Athlete: 4 Easy Steps to Build and Maintain Confidence” https://r2lc.com/the-confident-athlete-4-easy-steps-to-build-and-maintain-confidence/ and “The Confidence Journal”. Both books can be purchased online at Amazon.Tami owns and runs, Refuse2LoseCoaching which provides mental coaching for athletes and teams at all levels. For more information on mental training contact tami@r2l.mysites.io, follow us on twitter @tamimatheny and @r2lcoaching and visit our website: https://r2lc.com.
For daily confidence tips, sign up for the monthly confidence calendar: https://r2lc.com/monthly-confidence-calendar-newsletter/. If you are on Facebook join the group Parents and the Mental Game for daily advice, tips, and motivation: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1491446574332599/.