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Shift the Odds In Your Favor
Some professional athletes earn astounding amounts of money, tens of millions of dollars a year. Some high school basketball players forego college and go directly into professional basketball.
Physical gifts and skills can only take them so far. There is a psychological component of performance that they cannot ignore. Most of these athletes have an armada of advisers: business managers, financial planners, strength and conditioning coaches, flexibility advisers, and now, the sports psychologist. So, what can we learn about the stress of life from athletes who adhere to some principles from the sports psychology community?
Have a mental image of success. Almost every professional athlete visualizes his or her effort. They can "see" the ball go through the net, the golf ball drop into the cup, or the football go through the goal posts.
A predictable pre-event routine, whether it's meals or sleep, music or prayer. Likewise, when we are under stress or duress or faced with a challenging situation, we are well advised to have a predictable routine in terms of sleep, the foods that we eat, nurturing our spiritual connection, and taking care of ourselves.
Once a decision or a commitment is made, do not hesitate, do not look back. A general manager of a baseball team had to choose between two players — a grizzled veteran with a proven track record but his best years behind him or a younger player with more promise and potential then production. The manager chose the younger player and the result was a disaster. When challenged by the sporting press, the manager said that to second-guess himself would be a complete waste of energy and he would focus on the present.
Embracing the outcome and acknowledging that there is uncertainty and ambiguity in life. We give it our best shot, we prepare for various scenarios, but we need to recognize that none of us are prophets and can predict the future. However, we can clearly shift the odds in our favor by adhering to these general guidelines.
So, do these things make sense to you? Are there any other dimensions of mental imagery and visualization from which we can each profit?
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