Competition is 100% mental.
This means, your success in competition is 100% based on how you execute your mental game.
Stop looking at your scores or the execution of your skills as the measure of your success.
Instead, focus on your mental game.
Once you arrive at competition, your skills are already at the level they’re going to be, and no amount of cramming is going to change that.
As long as you focus on your mental game, you will be able to perform up to your full potential.
Focusing on your mental game helps you to keep your attention in your body.
If you get stuck in your head, all bets are off.
In other words, once you arrive at the competition, your technique is already set.
Your job is to get out of your own way and allow your body to execute it.
If you happen to make a mistake on an element that was consistent during practice, don’t blame your technique.
The real culprit is your mental game.
Mental Game
One important thing that I teach all of my athletes, is how to bring their focus back into their body when they’re mind starts to wander.
Remember, in order for your body to execute the technique that you’ve been honing for years in practice, you need to get out of its way.
Thinking undermines your muscle memory along with all of the practice you’ve put in.
It takes you out of your body and puts you into your head.
You want your focus to be on your body.
You want to be focused on your current action.
When you’re in this state, your muscle memory will be online, and you’ll be able to perform up to your full potential.
Of course, no one is able to focus on their current action all the time, so it’s important to learn how to refocus.
Whenever you notice your mind wandering, bring your focus back into your body.
Success
Your success in competition is 100% based on how you execute your mental game.
What does this mean?
Most athletes measure the success of a competition based on two factors, scores, and the execution of their skills.
Did they beat their personal best?
It was a good competition.
Did they land all of their jumps?
They were successful.
However, competition is 100% mental.
Which means, your mental game determines whether you land your jumps or not.
So, instead of measuring your success based on the results, measure your success based on how you execute your mental game.
Before we continue, let me get one thing straight.
I’m not a fan of athletes looking at their performances as “good” or “bad”.
This applies to scores and execution of skills, as well as mental game.
Instead, I want my athletes to look at their successes.
Big or small, it doesn’t matter.
Did you notice that you were distracted?
That’s a success.
Did you notice that you were in your head?
That’s a success.
Did you attempt to bring your focus back to your body when your mind was wandering?
That’s a success.
Did you bring your focus back to your current action when you were distracted?
Great, that’s a success.
Did you realize that you didn’t have all of the information and seek out an answer?
That’s a success.
Did you reframe after a mistake?
That’s also a success.
Being aware.
Refocusing yourself.
Looking for a solution.
Being successful.
All of these are successes.
Remember, there is no perfection in mental game, we’re all human after all.
Even athletes who have been working on their mental game for years aren’t perfect.
Success isn’t about never being distracted.
It’s about noticing when you’re making a mental mistake and working to refocus yourself.
Being aware and working on your mental game.
That is your success.
Base your success on your mental game
The competition mindset is 100% mental.
This means, how you perform is based 100% on your mental game.
Once you arrive at a competition, your technique is what it is.
Practice is done, so your execution is up to your mental game.
Your job is to realize when you’re stuck in your head then work to bring yourself back into your body.
Remember, there is no perfect.
You will make mistakes.
However, success isn’t about being perfect.
Success is about refocusing yourself and improving.
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.