Chris Mance II - Mental Skills Coach

Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs, has recently embraced a mindset that might seem unexpected for someone who’s widely viewed as a role model. This approach sheds light on an intriguing aspect of athlete psychology – how to use mental skills to sustain self-motivation even after tasting the sweetness of multiple Super Bowl victories.

As Suzanne Halliburton highlights in a recent article, Mahomes is not content with merely being a hero on his home turf. He revels in playing the role of the villain during away games. His enthusiasm for adopting the ‘villain’ persona demonstrates a fresh perspective on self-motivation. It’s a lesson for athletes that the journey doesn’t end with championships. Instead, the journey continues as you seek to find self-motivation to sustain greatness year after year.

When Mahomes takes on the mindset of the villain in away games, he transforms potential adversity into a powerful source of self-motivation. Athletes can adopt a similar mindset by viewing challenges as opportunities to test their mettle. Rather than resting on past achievements, they can embrace each new obstacle as a chance to prove their resilience and commitment. The journey to find the next mountain to climb and continuously pushing the limits of their persona becomes a quest for self-discovery and growth.

Understanding How to Use Mental Skills for Self-Motivation

Patrick Mahomes’ unique embrace of the ‘villain’ mindset illustrates why the quest to achieve greatness goes beyond the physical. Instead, it’s a quest for mental growth. This mindset, embodied by Mahomes, holds a profound lesson for athletes: the real journey begins after the victory. This is when the mindset journey becomes an athlete’s greatest challenge.

In this spirit, understanding how to use the right mental skills for self-motivation becomes pivotal:

Reframing:

Reframing is a mental skill that helps athletes change their perception of a situation. When an athlete changes their perception of a situation, they can change their emotions. Correspondingly, the ultimate goal of reframing is to change emotions that have a negative impact to emotions that have a positive impact.

Mahomes’ adeptness at reframing away games as opportunities rather than challenges is a testament to the power of this mental skill. Athletes can adopt a similar perspective, turning unfamiliar grounds into platforms to showcase their skills and elevate their performance. Shifting their outlook on adversity can fuel determination and cultivate a resilient mindset.

Purpose:

Purpose is the motivation to achieve a goal with an impact bigger than just you. When an athlete applies purpose as a mental skill it prevents burnout and helps drive the will to maximize their potential. In addition, athletes who use purpose to fuel their motivation also learn how to increase their will to grind as challenges increase.

By embracing the ‘villain’ persona, Mahomes channels a renewed sense of purpose. Athletes can harmonize their endeavors with a grander purpose, recognizing that every trial they undertake contributes to their personal development and the enduring legacy they craft. A defined purpose bestows longevity to self-motivation, transforming it from transient enthusiasm to enduring dedication.

Positive Self-Talk:

All athletes talk to themselves. Sports psychologists call this internal dialogue “self-talk.” Some athletes use self-talk in a way that helps them, which is positive self-talk. Others use it in a way that hurts them, which is negative self-talk.

Mahomes’ declaration, “I like to be the villain,” underscores the potency of positive self-talk. Athletes can harness the potential of positive self-talk by crafting affirmations that ignite their drive. By incorporating positive and empowering self-dialogue, athletes can uphold a poised and focused mindset, even amidst adversity.

Process and Task Goal Orientation:

Process and task goal orientation is the skill of learning to set goals without the ego. When goals are set with the ego then those goals focus on comparing oneself to others instead of focusing on personal improvement and learning. Athletes must learn to orient their goals to focus on process and task goals that require proficient execution, effort, discipline, and persistence for success.

Mahomes’ yearning to conquer every stadium reflects a strong inclination towards process and task goal orientation. Athletes can construct objectives that transcend championships, encompassing growth, skill refinement, and the mastery of unexplored domains. These objectives guide them with a purpose, motivating a perpetual pursuit of excellence.

Cognitive Flexibility:

Cognitive flexibility is a fancy word that describes your ability to switch between thinking about multiple ideas as you figure out how to approach a new environment.

Mahomes’ fluid transition between roles – hero and villain – exemplifies cognitive flexibility. Athletes can nurture this skill by adapting to varied scenarios, opponents, and trials. Unquestionably, clinging to a rigid mindset stifles progress, whereas cognitive flexibility empowers athletes to respond resourcefully to evolving circumstances.

Having a Toolkit of Mental Skills

Patrick Mahomes’ sharing that he views himself as a ‘villain’ is a timely reminder for young athletes to lean on their mental skills more than ever after they win titles, trophies, and accolades. The toolkit of reframing, purpose, self-talk, goal orientation, and cognitive flexibility acts as a guiding compass, enabling young athletes to keep their enthusiasm alive, and extend their motivation beyond the pursuit of titles.