Tight Mind Monday: Countdown to Competition: Pt. 5, Trust Yourself
Jan 1, 2018
Tight Mind Monday: Countdown to Competition: Pt. 5, Trust Yourself!
We hear it all the time: “Trust yourself, you’ll be fine.”
But how do you do that? How do you trust yourself in competition? Trust is not a given. Trust is painstakingly earned through consistency and repetition.
Think about friendships in which you have lost trust. How did you regain trust in the relationship? It probably happened with consistent behaviors over time through various circumstances. The keys to building trust — whether it be in friendships or competition — is repetition and consistency.
Here Are Your Tight Mind Tools
You have just been given a “Trust Fund!” Hooray! Every routine you do is either a deposit or withdrawal in that fund. Remember, the key is consistency in three main areas.
Consistent mind: Keep your mind tight and consistent before the routine and during the routine. Say the same cue words or mental choreography every time. If your mind goes off into negative or doubtful thinking, bring it back fast.
Consistent body: Make sure each turn is done technically correct and with excellence. The more you train with technical consistency, the more you'll trust yourself and your performance. If you do a skill or a routine with a bad habit or mistake, repeat that element again after the routine.
Consistent under pressure: Learning to trust yourself means having success across a variety of situations and circumstances. Do as many pressure sets as you can. Train routines in ways that force you out of your comfort zones. Cold sets, routines on non-preferential equipment, or with distraction are all helpful in building consistency and trust.
Remember, every turn is a deposit or withdrawal in your Trust Fund. When you have a withdrawal, counteract it by making one to three positive deposits in your Fund. When you earn the right to trust yourself, you will be able to hit anytime, anywhere, and under any situation!
Alison Arnold, Ph.D. has been a peak performance consultant to USA Gymnastics since 1997. For more information on Doc Ali and her work, go to www.headgameswebcamp.com or www.headgamesworld.com
