Everyone makes mistakes, even professionals at the top of their game. Yet, everyone seeks perfection.
But, perfection is a myth. A number that is impossible to achieve.
When we say, “____ jump isn’t perfect,” what we really mean is, “I’m not landing ____ jump 100% of the time.”
In mental game, there is no perfection. Only mastery. And, mastery isn’t perfection, because even masters aren’t perfect.
What is mastery?
Let’s start by defining mastery. In mental game, mastery is considered to be 85%. This means, if you can land a jump 85% of the time in competition, you’ve mastered it.
Yes, 85% is a long way from 100%, but in mental game terms 85% is good enough.
But, why does this matter? Why even bother defining a percentage for mastery?
Because, it helps to give us perspective. It allows us to look at mistakes in a more objective light, instead of getting frustrated and panicking at every little hiccup.
How do you react?
Let’s look at two ways to react to the same situation.
You’ve had a string of great competitions. You’ve been nailing your elements, and as a result you’ve been standing on top of the podium a fair amount.
Then out of nowhere, you make a mistake. You fall on a triple toeloop at the end of your long program, a jump you “never” miss.
First, we have the athlete chasing perfection.
You start to panic. You question your technique, and decide to rework parts of it. You add a ton or repetitions to your training routine, hoping to bullet proof it before the next competition.
Second, we have the athlete who understands mastery.
You look at your statistics. How many triple toeloops have you missed this year in competition, and how many have you landed.
Using that knowledge, you can take an objective look at what happened. No frustration, panic, or drama required.
Was it a fluke? Was it totally out of your control? Maybe a hole in the ice? Or a crystal on the ice?
Was it caused by a lapse in your mental game? Did you get distracted? Did you lose focus?
Or, is it your technique? Do you need to make some changes so it doesn’t happen again?
Remember, everyone makes mistakes. If you are landing the jump at least 85% of the time, you have mastered it.
This approach will save you time in the long run, because you won’t spend precious training time fixing a problem that doesn’t exist.
Mastery is 85%
Mastery is different from perfection.
No one is perfect. Even professional athletes are not 100 percent consistent.
Instead, focus on achieving mastery. A much more attainable goal.
Focusing on mastery will allow you to quickly move on after an error, and view your mistakes in an objective light. Next time you mess up, instead of going straight to panic mode, remember the 85 percent mastery rule, and evaluate it accordingly.
If skaters took Mental skills training as seriously as they do their on ice technical skills, they would find that their technical skills would improve exponentially.
Start here. Download “Confidence Myth Busters,” a complimentary eBook and make a change.