Are you in your happy place?

Listen to the Audio version here.

Not the first question you’d expect if you are a high level competitive skater. Especially not before you start your off ice warm up on competition day.

I have worked with countless athletes, researched excellence, and am a student of life. It is true, being happy allows you to do your best work. Every day I teach athletes strategies that help them to get to their “happy place”.

That is why I was so blown away when a coach told me that he asked this of his skater.

Earlier in the day I recommended “get a little happier” to this skater because I could see he had the “tense game face” on.

Unfortunately, the skater didn’t think this was important at the time. It was too late for that program. That night the program was mediocre, the jumps were off.

The next day, it was a priority to get to his “happy place.” That night the skater performed the best program he’d skated in a very long time.

This wasn’t something new. This skater has been doing his mental game work daily, but the skater was finally ready to see the importance. To take it seriously. No, the coach and I didn’t plan this, it was just great timing.

As crazy as it sounds, skaters, parents and coaches need to understand that happiness is essential to a great performance. Understanding this will allow more skaters to skate up to their full potential.

I work with skaters on: confidence, focus, presence, zone, flow, mistakes, comparisons, self doubt and other mental game tools. These are things they need to manage to get to their happy place.

When you are a happy skater, you will be able to do your job with excellence and passion.

Exercise:

Think back to some of your past competitions.

Have you ever had the experience of being tense on one event day, then more “happy” on the next.

How did you skate on each day? Is there any connection between your mood (before you started) and how you skated?

I don’t have to convince you that if you are nervous, you will skate tight, if you are anxious you will skate tentatively.

Many of you have had the experience of being tight the whole day, then in the program your jumps were off. Or you woke up with a feeling you were going to nail your program, and did.

Do what you love.

Do what you love, if you can’t then love what you do.

Do you have these common worries?

• Will I land this jump?
• Will I remember my program?
• Will I remember to smile, frown or look anguished at the right time?
• Can I beat Nancy?
• Will I remember to do what the judge at the critique told me to?

When you are happy, these little worries will be gone. They will take care of themselves.

When you are happy, you will perform better. You will be in the right mindset to do your job, and be present in the moment.

Happiness is not a substitute for preparation

Keep in mind that being happy will not help you skate a clean program if you are not prepared. You must practice your mindset, on ice skills, performance and conditioning.

Being “in your happy place” is not magic, but it will allow you to skate the best you can skate as sure as being tense will make it harder for you to execute your elements.

There is no substitute for doing your work.

Being happy is huge.

Action Plan:

1) Take notice. Is there a connection between the way you feel and how you skate. Do this during competitions and practice sessions.

• How did you skate that day you were mad at your teacher from school?
• What about that day you had a huge test in Math?
• How did you feel before you skated that amazing runthrough.

2) Write your observations down. Is there a pattern?
3) Work your mental game to improve your chances of being in your “happy place” when it counts.
4) Practice and prepare on and off the ice to improve your skating.

We have answers:
You work hard getting your jumps consistent. But, the only thing that is consistent is your disappointment in your performance.

Mental skills training can help to keep your emotions on an even keel so that you can practice and compete your best. Start here; download “Confidence Myth Busters,” a complimentary eBook and make a change.