Playing sports requires physical ability as well as a mental toughness developed through dedication, hard work, and goal setting. Discovering your ability to be mentally tough allows you to unlock your true potential as an athlete. The mental side of the game determines how you will perform and how well you are able to play as a team or by yourself. Having an undying love for the game and constantly setting goals for yourself will make not only your game better, but the people playing with you or watching you excel at your specific sport.
This book gives a new perspective to the game and teaches you ways to become a better athlete mentally. The author includes many inspiring quotes from the most successful and hardworking athletes/coaches in all of sports. One of the quotes would include, "Champions aren't made in the gym. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them- a desire, a dream, a vision" (Afremow 10), said by Muhammed Ali. This explains that in order to become a champion, you need to have a dedication like no other that can get you through tough days knowing that you have goals and intending to meet them. There are always going to be days that you don't feel like going to the gym or practice, but you have to have the mental ability to release those thoughts and focus on hat really matters and what you are overall trying to accomplish. The author also gives his own examples of ways to become a better athlete and the things you should be thinking about to achieve your ultimate goals. Afremow explains, "To perform at a champion's level, you must have a winning off-field game plan that includes specific strategies- for instance, well-placed environmental cues that you can use to achieve excellence and remind yourself that you are working to win" (16). The author means that in order to become better, you need constant reminders of the goals present in your life and be able to work for them outside of practice or the gym. Being able to make yourself better off the court or field is the factor that can determine your growth as an athlete mentally and physically. Only you can decide what you do to try and accomplish your goals; the only thing that can hold you back is yourself.
Reading this book so far has taught me many new things and given me lots of ideas of how to achieve my greatest goals as a player. What are some ways that you are able remind yourself or keep in mind the goals you have set?
Book citation: Afremow, James A. The Champion's Mind: How Great Athletes Think, Train, and Thrive. Rodale Books, 2014.
Great question - I track progress towards the goals that I have set. I have been really into using something called a bullet journal recently to track health/fitness goals and financial goals. I find tracking my progress to be rewarding and motivational. This article about using a journal for tracking progress sums up the concept behind bullet journaling and health/fitness: https://www.verywell.com/bullet-journal-for-reaching-health-and-fitness-goals-4125256
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think? Would something like this be helpful for you?
Thanks! Yes, I agree and think that something like that could help track my activity as well as continue to motivate myself just as you described. Thanks for the article link!
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