Coaching Life Skills - Taking Control When Struggle Comes

Seize the Moment to Finish

Ever wonder what the key to success is or why some succeed and others fall by the wayside? Luck, skill, and circumstance play a role, but the difference lies between the ears.  

An athlete's most discouraging line is, “I didn’t finish.”

The mind games one plays when adversity arrives must shape the experience. First, one must believe in oneself to move on with hope and determination. Conversely, if you beat yourself up every time you fail, your motivation will be short-lived. The key is to realize that decline can make you stronger, but only when you wholeheartedly believe that.

Tips for coaching life skills on dealing with struggle:

1.      Realize adversity will appear; it’s inevitable for anything that challenges you. Remember, anything worth going for will not be easy, so embrace the low points as best you can with a mindset of “Bring it on.”

2.      Learn each day, vow not to make the same mistakes again, and review why you initially wanted to reach the goal.

3.      Keep people around you who keep you positive; discard those who do not believe in you or further your goals.

4.      Recollect times when you overcame and times when you didn’t, so you can use both to get further than before.

5.      Picture the result you want!  Picture the result you want! And again.

Finally, struggle and frustration are part of every journey. The secret to finishing is responding proactively to them and growing from the experience.  

Positively shaping your athlete’s mind