It is difficult enough to perform your best when you have all your ducks in a row…but imagine when things are not going as planned. I recently had this happen and it made me think about the elite athletes I have worked with and how they have become really good at PERFORMING THEIR BEST DESPITE HOW THEY ARE FEELING.
You can’t control all the factors in your environment that affect your performance. For example, how busy the ice is, the temperature in the arena, the noise or distractions, your physical health (injury, pain or sickness), travel and jet leg, etc.
The only thing you CAN CONTROL is how you perceive these factors. Whether you choose to see them as barriers to your success or not and how you communicate with your self during the experience.
So…
- focus on what you CAN CONTROL,
- see these factors not as barriers but as CHALLENGES that will push your comfort zone and prepare you for future success,
- notice how your CRITICAL VOICE is speaking to you and ignore, shut up or completely disregard what it is saying.
Elite athletes have honed this skill of being able to perform their best despite the uncontrollable that present themselves. Remember, through the challenges come the greatest lessons. Let’s see them as this.