Last night, I had a phone session with a client from the Midwest. College athlete. Very successful in high school sports and travel. Had confidence going in to play college ball however now that’s he’s playing at the college level, everyone is “equal” (his words). He said he’s not the super star anymore. And now he’s suddenly in his head because he is focusing on his failure during the fall scrimmages. He has had some success but the failure and fear has taken over his mind. He’s not used to this feeling.
So why does Failure Stick in Our Heads More than Our Successes?
As an athlete, (really in life) do you dwell on you last bad performance? Your last strike out? Your last error? Your last loss? Do you find it hard to let go of your failures or mistakes? Overthinking and ruminating about what you did wrong?
You’re not alone!
Our minds are actually wired to focus more on the negative over the positive. But can we switch the way we think about things? Of course we can…but it takes consistent, daily, deliberate mind work.
Research shows that there is proof that thinking about things in a neutral to positive way takes work, but it results in a dramatic boost in your success, your happiness, your self esteem, your wellbeing and even your health.
How do we reframe the negative thoughts? Focus on what happened that was good and learning (without judgement) from what happened that maybe wasn’t so good.
By taking a moment to focus on the upside, ask the question, “What happened today that was good?”. By focusing on the positives and how we feel about our performance, we can change our course to success. Reframe your thoughts along with these tools below, and you’ll be empowered…naturally!
Positive self talk➕
Visualization, Imagery, Reframing 👀🖼️
Prayer🙏🏽 (everyone needs more of this)
Deep 😮💨 Breathing
Gratitude for what DID go right🤗
Sports Confidence Inner Mind Work🧠
Failures tend to stick with us more than triumphs or successes due to the combination of negativity bias, emotional impact, self-evaluation, social comparison, and learning opportunities. So it is even more important to recognize and celebrate your successes since they contribute hugely to your growth and well-being.
Be the BEST version of YOU!
Comments