This is something that I learned while in grad school to become a therapist. We learn tid bits of information along the way that, in the moment don’t seem too big of a deal but as you begin to work with others, it suddenly becomes a growing problem in one’s mindset and inability to face adversity effectively mentally and emotionally.

Without going into great detail on the post, in the book, i explain the importance of having the internal athlete (mental, emotional) and external or physical athlete to be on the game page. In therapy we find best success when the mind and body are in sync with one another. All that to say, depending on who you are and how you process your experiences, your thoughts or your emotions control how you behave , and for athletes, how you perform.

In this post, I am going to share two phases you can begin to implement now, to help your body connect with your brain, and grow with confidence in your ability to perform and face adversity.

We want to avoid using the phrases:

“I must…”

“I have to…”

As these phrases, will cause an athlete to overthink and put them in a sense of having more pressure on them than is needed. Instead, we want to use more phrases that follow these:

“I can…”

“I will…”

These phrases not only eliminate any unneeded pressure to meet adversity stricken goals, but still allow you the vision to complete those goals calmly and collected. It keeps you as close to the “zone” as possible and no matter the adversity level, keeps you in a state of optimism, all things needed to be at your best.

Share this with those who you think might need it and subscribe to be alerted when more posts come!

-Malique Taylor