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Mental Preparation - 7
Belief
"One-quarter to one-third of patients will improve if they merely believe they are taking effective medication." - Bernie Siegel M.D.
Do you believe?
You can call it self-fulfilling prophecy or the Placebo Effect or The Power of Positive Thinking. This phenomenon has been and is still researched extensively. Varying numbers are reported about its effects. The bottom-line, it is consistently found that - as we think, so too shall we be. Well, most of the time.
So, what do we do to take advantage of this? In sports, in business or in our personal lives the key is to practice desired outcomes and thought patterns. Let me lead you to some of those patterns. Answer the following questions. Be honest with yourself... hey, I won’t tell anyone.
• When approaching a tough race or sales call, “difficult” person or the like, what thoughts go through your head?
• Do you fear failing? Rejection?
• Do you see in your mind’s eye positive or negative outcomes? Do you even think about it or just go in blindly?
• Do you believe that everything happens for the “best”?
• Do you believe that everything happens for a reason?
• What exactly do you say to yourself? Are the comments affirmative (i.e. I can do this! One step closer to my goal!)? Or, self-defeating (i.e. I hate doing this. I’ll never make it.)
Try these things:
• Set yourself up for success. Prepare.
• Practice in your head what you would like to happen. Do actors go into a role without getting into the character? Never.
• Curb the negative comments and re-frame into a positive statement. Instead of “I can’t do this” or, “This is too tough for me” or, “I’m going to fail again”; use “Yes, I can”, “I can handle anything that comes my way” or, “This is a challenge that will make me stronger and I can learn from it.”
• “Fake it till you make it.” The beliefs lead the outcomes. It isn’t the reverse. So, train your brain to take on a different view. It may feel artificial at first. Make it a habit.
In my journey to regain race-like conditioning, it has not been smooth. I don’t “objectively” feel like I would like to. I do not race like I want. However, my daily routine includes mental conditioning. “I am coming back.” “Every step is one step closer to my goal.” “I’m closer today than yesterday.” “I am getting stronger and faster.” Do these statements change my running times? No. Do they keep me going? Do they get me through the next workout that eventually WILL get me to my goals? Absolutely, yes!
Semantics? Pollyanna views? Call it what you want. The research shows that the effect of changing our views is powerful. It does not change the objective occurrence. It is a change in how we treat ourselves in response to the occurrence.
And remember, “nobody, but NOBODY, beats us in the last mile!”
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