Goal setting can either elevate your performance or drown you in stress—your approach determines which. When you tie your self-worth to outcome goals, pressure mounts and stress overwhelms you. Conversely, designing goals that guide your effort without burdening you with what you can’t control keeps your focus sharp and prevents stress from spiraling out of […]
Life as an athlete can often feel like a pressure cooker. As athletes, you confront stress daily, from the challenges of rigorous training to the high-stakes environment of competition. Today let me provide you with guidance to find wisdom from a somewhat unexpected place: the wisdom of Vice Admiral James Stockdale, a decorated U.S. Navy […]
To prevent choking under pressure, athletes must train 8 mental skills. These mental skills are: 1) acceptance, 2) mindfulness, 3) reframing, 4) visualization, 5) focus, 6) neutral thinking, 7) inhibitory control, and 8) goal orientation. 1) Acceptance One of the most misunderstood mental failures in sports is the act of choking. There is nothing more […]