#5 – They get superstitious
There are rural tribes who believe sickness is due to a curse from a witch. And, if someone is lying, you can find the truth by poisoning a chicken. If the chicken lives, it wasn’t a lie and if it dies, it was. Seems crazy, but what about thinking that walking under a ladder brings bad luck? Or breaking a mirror? Or having a black cat cross your path? All these things have been desperate attempts to explain why things happen when we don’t actually know why. And we all have beliefs like these:
- I can’t clean my boots until the end of the season.
- I can’t have sex the night before competition.
- It’s unlucky to touch the banner when I run out.
- It’s bad luck to bounce the ball more than three times before a shot.
The truth is, by believing these things and similar ones, you are allowing yourself to be distracted. Every one of these beliefs creates a mental minefield which detonates negative thoughts.
These things do not have the power you thin they do. Keep focused on the things which influence your performance.
#4 – They decide the finishing order before they compete
A few years ago, I was talking to a member of the Australian Women’s Basketball Team about her season. She said she had just come back from a game against New Zealand. Although they led all game, they were unlucky to lose in the dying minutes. I understood what she meant, but suggested they probably lost weeks earlier. I suggested they probably always saw the other team as being better than them and were surprised to be in front with minutes to go. Thus in the dying minutes their intensity dropped a little, their opponent’s intensity went up a little, and although it looked unlucky, really, everything ended up as both teams thought it would.
Instead, constantly update the way you see yourself and your team. An easy way to do this is to always play with a curiosity of ‘Let’s find out what we are really capable of.’
#3 – They pretend to be positive rather than admit their real feelings
There is a common saying in all sorts of books of wisdom. That saying is “The truth will set you free”. It’s like when someone has some food in the corner of their mouth, you can’t hear a word they say until someone tells them to wipe their mouth and you sigh with relief. You can concentrate again.
It is the same in sport. If you are worried about something, it’s ok. Don’t pretend you are not worried. The truth is, that opponent really is huge! That girl has won just about everything! You are ten goals down! That’s the truth! Admit it and then work out what your response will be. What is your attitude? Goal? Strategy? Response? You can be both worried and determined at the same time. When you pretend that there is not a problem, your brain and your support crew don’t know they need to help you.
Some people will try not to let you say negative things, and there is merit in controlling your language, yet it is ok to speak the truth so you can work out a strategy to get positive.
Admit the truth and get good advice to address it.
#2 – They point their frustration at the wrong people
When you do poorly, or get scared you might be about to produce a bad performance, it’s easy for tempers to fly. We become extra sensitive to transport that runs late, coaches who aren’t fully available, or opponents who seem to have more resources than us. Instead, at those times of pain, do not protect yourself by blaming and being mean to others. Look at your training, your skill and your focus. I am not saying you did not train hard enough or are not skilled enough. I am saying that it is by developing these areas that will get you what you want. Yelling at family and throwing a tantrum is pointless. Get back to the drawing board and re-asses everything.
#1 – They fail to make the decision to win
When there are eight swimmers on the blocks, not all of them are trying to win. Most want to do well, are happy to be in the final or are hoping to place. Only two or three are really trying to win… and only one or maybe two have decided that there is no other option but to win.
Can you comprehend that? A decision that there is no other option but to get to the ball first; to land that serve in; to row in time; to block everything at the net; to deliver the perfect performance.
That is the number one mistake – not deciding there is just no other option, but deliver on the outcome you choose.