Psyche Up to Win Your Week with these 3 Steps

Sports Mentality You Need

I know I’ve been here before, but that doesn’t make it any easier. I am about a month away from beginning training for my 17th marathon. Considering the many months of training, it’s exciting but daunting to think of doing it again. My past has taught me that it’s never too early to get the mind right before beginning a new challenge. Although it’s been at the back of my mind, it’s time to put it front and center.

As with any new passionate undertaking, my excitement level will be “over the moon” but tempered by the other side of my brain, which says, “I can’t believe what it’s going to take to do this.” That duality is the essence of the sports mind — an “I got this” attitude offset by the thoughts of “Do I have what it takes?” Of course, remaining healthy is in my daily prayers, as it is never “a given” for the athlete or non-one. I give praise each day for health and the opportunity to compete.

The following mind games help me find that “Eye of the Tiger” mentality, knowing it will take more than just an eye but the whole tiger persona to do this. It’s time to attack!

How to Master the Start Mentally

1. Never succumb to pessimism

When the Los Angeles Dodgers drafted me in the 16th round of the 1976 draft, they informed me that I was the first player they ever drafted as a second baseman. It was customary for them to move players with stronger arms to second base from other positions, as a second baseman’s arm in college would not be good enough to make it to the majors. I could have looked at that proclamation in two ways. One, as a death knell because, admittedly, I had a weak arm. Or two, as someone has to be first, so why not me? I chose the second option.

I know one must fight like hell to handle pessimism. So, how does one go about that? It begins with an optimistic life perspective, critical to overcoming skepticism and completing the mission. It isn’t good enough to hope you can do something; it takes a profoundly rooted belief in a positive outcome. In my first life, no matter how much sacrifice and failure, I believed that the big leagues would be the result. With distance running, reservations about finishing come as the body and mind wither, but I keep trusting that I have the dedication to finish another marathon, and the day that trust is lost is the day I call it a career.

However, although I begin self-assured, the big test will be maintaining an enthusiastic demeanor as the miles grow. The basis for that maintenance is knowing I am becoming a fine-tuned-athletic machine as each week passes. A pick-me-up, daily pep talk goes like this, “I know I can succeed on any given day, and today is that day. So, I will keep negative thoughts away and trust my effort and expertise will provide tunnel vision to the finish line.”

2. Have an Undying Trust in Self

As a sports coach, I say this often to my students - “There will be times that your coaches, teammates, and even your parents will not believe you will come through. However, you must never stop believing in yourself; that is who matters, period!”

Uncertainty is natural, but how you deal with it makes the difference. My winning mindset says I must outrun the hesitancy and lack of confidence that always arrives. I plan to use my insecurity and others’ past questioning of whether I should still be doing this as inspiration. So, if you have a second, send me a quick note saying you don’t think I can do this. That is the help I need to do it. Thanks in advance. Thoughts of failure are boosts, not detriments. Furthermore, admitting to others that I did not accomplish what I set out to do is a situation I abhor.

So, I will dig deep within myself. First, I review my past for the occasions I achieved despite the odds against me. Knowing I had done the unlikely before and overcame reservations from others is the extra incentive to do it now. Secondly, I write some new mantras for this run:
 
A. “I trust the months of extreme devotion will pay off.”

B. “Pushing beyond the ordinary helps me realize my destiny.”

C. “I will not accept “average” because it creates a regret I choose not to have.

D. “I believe in me!”

And from outside of me, inspiration comes:

“It always seems impossible until it is done.” Nelson Mandela
“It’s always too soon to quit.” Norman Vincent Peale
“Winners never quit, and quitters never win.” Vince Lombardi

3. Expect to Win

In my final professional season, 1987, in Triple-A baseball, our team, the Albuquerque Dukes, was completely outmanned in the finals. So, what happened? Of course, we won for no reason other than we expected to.

Winning is a variable for everyone, and each must determine their desired outcome.  For me, having done it many times, winning is making it to the marathon starting line and completing the run. Although age is not my friend regarding training and running 26.2 miles, experience is in my corner. So, although I will not win the race, I will declare victory if I reach a level that makes me proud afterward, which is finishing it.

I often write about how one can win without crossing the tape first or reaching the desired end, but that doesn’t mean one should begin with excuses and lowered expectations. My only thought now is that I must finish to win – period. My mindset for doing it goes like this, “Fail is the most offensive four-letter word I know and certainly not an option.”

Here's the thing, winners expect and see themselves crossing that finish line. With seeing it first, the likelihood of doing it increases. So even though expectations can weigh you down, they open the door to getting there. It’s another of those duplicitous sports mentalities – staying within one’s capabilities but stretching them without “breaking.”

I plan to push beyond the ordinary. Ah, sounds so easy.  However, I can do it by playing to my strengths, minimizing weaknesses, anticipating obstacles, and trusting my instincts.

So, it’s about that time - I must climb that wall. As mentioned, it’s never easy, but, as I often say, nothing truly worthwhile comes from easy. Mostly, I know that it will all be possible if the mind starts in the right place. Happy Trails  

eBook coming this year