“Congrats, on landing your first triple flip,” Skatercoach says. “High five.”
Skatergirl smiles and smacks her Skatercoach’s hand. Finally, her years of hard work paid off.
“Starting tomorrow,” Skatercoach says, “we’ll start working on triple lutz.”
“Great,” Skatergirl says. “I can’t wait.”
One month later.
“I’m so frustrated,” Skatergirl says. “It doesn’t feel like I’ve improved at all!”
“Wait a second,” Mentalgamecoach says. “Stop right there. Didn’t you just start landing your triple flip last month?”
“Oh…right,” Skatergirl says. “That seems like it was so long ago.”
“And, haven’t you gotten more consistent with it?”
“Yes.”
“So, even if you aren’t landing your triple lutz yet, wouldn’t you say you’ve made a lot of progress?”
“I suppose…”
“Ok,” Mentalgamecoach says. “Let me ask you this.
“Did you take time to celebrate landing your triple flip?”
“I mean… I gave Skatercoach a high five.”
“I see. Anything else?”
“Not really? Not that I can think of.”
“Listen,” Mentalgamecoach says. “You have to celebrate your successes. Especially the big ones, like landing your triple flip for the first time.
“In skating, big milestones like that one don’t come around very often. Don’t let yourself gloss over them.”
“I guess that’s true,” Skatergirl says.
“Skatercoach will probably gloss over them, and that’s fine. After all, it’s a coach’s job to push you to improve. But, that doesn’t mean you should follow her example. Does that make sense?”
“Yeah.”
“So. Here’s what I want you to do. Go out and celebrate landing your triple flip. Go out to eat. Buy yourself a gift. Eat some cake. Allow yourself to bask in the glow of your achievement. Then and only then, are you allowed to continue on with your training.”
Mentalgamecoach’s Tips
Do you remember back when you started skating? Back then, there were a lot of firsts.
The first time you:
- Fell down and stood up.
- Marched across the rink on your own.
- Did a one foot glide.
- Did a crossover.
As you progressed, the successes became more spaced out. Each one coming weeks, months, or even years apart.
The first time you:
- Landed a waltz jump.
- Landed a single toeloop.
- Did a backspin.
- Landed an axel.
- Landed a double flip.
- Landed a triple loop.
This isn’t unique to figure skating. The higher level you are in any sport, the rarer firsts become.
So, make sure you celebrate all of your achievements. Not just the large ones. The small ones (e.g. getting a bit more rotation or two footing a jump) as well.
Don’t just pat yourself on the back and move on. Actually take some time to celebrate them.
Yes, I know. You want to start working on the next jump. But before you do, take a moment to acknowledge your achievements.
Celebrating your achievements will help you to stay motivated and improve your longevity in the sport. By acknowledging the small successes, you will be able to keep your momentum moving forward on the long and windy road towards major milestones.
Finally, many coaches gloss over the successes of their athletes. They’ll acknowledge it briefly, but the next day it’s on to the next objective.
This is normal. It’s a coach’s job to help their students improve, and the only way to improve is to keep pushing forward.
Remember, it’s your job to celebrate your achievements, both big and small. Not your coach’s.
Mental skills training can make a difference because it can help you access what is already there during competition and practice.
Start here: download “Confidence Myth Busters,” a complimentary eBook and make a change.