What would your best self do?
Mar 20, 2021 1:22 am
Hi
Lack of motivation and choking under pressure are easily the two biggest challenges my clients overcome on their road to success. I have two resources for you below.
If you want a more personalized approach to reach your goals faster, individual consultations are available.
Enjoy!
Dr Eddie
When You Don't Feel Like It
Obstacle:
You don’t feel like doing it: the workout, the diet, the “extra.” Sometimes, it is a character issue and you don’t feel like doing “the right thing” because you are angry, it’s unfair, or you are afraid. The lack of motivation, or the wrong motivation, can move us away from who we want to be in an instant.
How to Overcome:
We have to be intentional and consider our reaction to these emotions carefully. Ask “What would my best self do?” In other words, what is your identity?
Your identity guides your behaviors. Vegans don’t struggle to not eat meat. Their identity as “vegan” informs their beliefs and thoughts and ultimately their actions.
If you want to be a “champion”, what would a champion do in your situation? Then do that, no matter what you feel. Because that’s what champions do.
Another example, “Athletes work out hard. I’m an athlete, so I will attack this entire practice even though I’m tired.”
And the cool thing is, once you do that behavior (especially when you don’t feel like it), your best self identity is strengthened, making it easier and more likely you will make that best choice again tomorrow.
From Choking to Clutch
Obstacle:
Choking. You can do it in practice, but under pressure you lose the skill, make a mistake, and cost your team the game. Even worse, it is now becoming pattern and avoiding mistakes consumes your mind. The pressure under pressure becomes overwhelming.
Two focus distractions lead to choking.
1. Over-focus on what we are doing. Paying too much attention to skilled movements that are automatic. This slows movement down and prevents smooth execution.
2. Under-focus on what we are doing. Instead, we are paying attention to things that don’t contribute to our best skill execution. Things like our emotions, opinions of others, past mistakes and future worries about the outcome are all distractions because they don’t have anything to do with our physical skills.
How to Overcome:
Be a “clutch performer” instead:
1. Recognize which aspects of your performance you have control over.
2. Focus on what you are doing while you do it with trust.
3. Reinterpret the distracting “nervous” energy as fuel directed toward #1 and #2 above.
Check out “The Psychology of Performance: How to Be Your Best in Life” at www.thegreatcourses.com/dreddieoconnor for the 14th lesson, “Performance Anxiety and Choking” and 23 other sport psychology topics that will enhance your performance!
Dr. Eddie O’Connor
