5 ATTRIBUTES THAT THE MOST PROLIFIC IMPACT ATHLETES IN THE WORLD SHARE
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PROCESS ORIENTED
Process oriented means that you are focused on being the best at the process you have put in place that will produce the results you are looking to achieve on game day. This is not the same as RESULTS oriented. The best athletes in the world do not beat themselves up over game day results as they obviously do not control all aspects of the game. They hold themselves to the highest standards when it comes to putting in the right processes around their workouts, film study, nutrition, sleep, recovery, wellness ect. Because they know if they do all these things to the very best of their ability then their individual results will speak for themselves.
*Create a repeatable process that works and then go make yourself uncomfortable with how hard it is*
OWNERSHIP
Take ownership as a leader. Be committed. Be accountable in all aspects of your sport on and off the field. Live up to the standards that you have incorporated in your process oriented training. It’s easy to pass the blame or create excuses. Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, or Tom Brady never came to the microphone after a game to tell the press if other individuals on their team had played better they would have won. They always take ownership of their actions. They know through the right preparation that they were accountable to their teammates on game day. The greatest impact players always know what they are getting from each other every practice and every game. They can count on each other. Be responsible for your actions and accountable to the people around you all the time.
*You cant expect to earn respect if you don't take full ownership for who you are*
VISUALIZATION
See the invisible through the possible. Visualization is one of the most important mental attributes you can incorporate as an athlete today. Envision yourself doing it. You hear this all the time from coaches, teachers and parents. See yourself doing it and you can do it. Sounds good but we all know things don’t always happen the way we envision them in our head. Or do they? Well, it depends on what you are envisioning.
Some of the greatest athletes on the planet all had this same trait in common. When they were envisioning plays that might take place throughout a future game they would not envision a wide open shot or an easy catch in the back of the endzone. They would take each of these plays that they had practiced and prepared for that week and envision all the ways that this play could potentially unfold. What if I am getting fouled on the way to the basket, what if the defensive back is holding my arm as the ball is in the air.. what if, what if… Once you have mentally prepared yourself for all the things that might positively or negatively impact a play then you have already seen yourself create success in each of those instances. Hence making them all possible.
If you are envisioning a wide open net for the game winning shot or a hole big enough for a truck to drive through for your game winning touchdown then you are delusional and need to come back to reality.
Great athletes mentally prepare for the hardest plays which is why they often make it look so easy in the moment.
*If you have not visualized success you are not physically prepared to achieve it*
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SELF-TALK
It might sound silly but through numerous studies by some of the brightest minds in the world, self-talk helps athletes mentally work through the toughest tasks. Self-Talk has been scientifically proven over and over again to increase performance in motor tasks that predominantly require strength and endurance. Obviously as athletes this is right up our alley. The best athletes don’t just focus on positive self-talk either. They will work through all outcomes even if they are negative in an effort to help prepare their brain for the worst case scenarios.
We all know that all outcomes within sports week to week are not positive so it is important to talk through how to deal with a negative outcome. It’s extremely important to talk through the why and the how of these tasks presented before you.
Another key ingredient applied to self-talk is to remove negative judgement on yourself. Judging yourself or comparing yourself to other athletes takes away from focusing on the task at hand and finding a way to work through it. Removing judgement within your own self-talk helps you focus on each task with a positive and open mind.
*You are what you accept within your own brain*
Resilience
My favorite word in the world of athletes and sport is grit. How do you quantify an athlete’s grit? It’s not easy but when a coach is talking about an athlete and they use the word grit it's always a good thing.
More and more studies are being conducted around resiliency and grit in athletes and they are starting to unveil why some athletes are more resilient or grittier than others.
With young kids this often comes from creating goals and achieving them. Even if you fail or quit at a task but committed to a certain time to continue to work hard at that task you are more likely to create grit and resiliency as an athlete at a young age. Young athletes that committed a certain amount of time to a task and completed that time whether they finished their end goal or not seemed to create more resiliency and grit when completing future tasks. Commitment to completing a task vs. fear of failure.
*Don’t task yourself with unattainable things, rather create more resiliency and grit by accomplishing your short term goals you have committed to*