Winning the Mind Game

The mind game consists of the tricks your mind plays on you
…fears
...judgments
...old habits
 
The most important thing I've learned as sports psychology coach is that:

Any trick of the mind
can be defeated by
becoming aware of the trick.

AWARENESS = POWER
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The AAA Approach to Awareness
Acknowledge
Accept
Action
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ACKNOWLEDGE your reaction to the situation.

When you face a challenge, mistake or setback, tell yourself:
"This is me reacting to the situation, the situation is a blank experience."

The situation has no meaning until you personalize it.
 
You can acknowledge what’s going on in the situation by
LABELING your experience as X, such as frustration, confusion or not being good enough, and say to yourself:

• I am experiencing X.

Then, ACCEPT.

When you accept without judgment, what happens?

...You become relaxed, centered and gain an open perspective.

The more centered and accepting we are,
the more positive energy we bring to the situation,
which eases the heaviness of a difficult moment
and boosts our performance.

After saying, "I am experiencing X", immediately say:

• It’s okay to experience X (e.g., frustration, confusion).

This gives you permission to experience the moment, with ease and without negative judgments.

Next, take ACTION.

In every moment, we have a choice.
The choice to embrace our power or to give it up.  

There is no BETTER WAY to
develop your awareness and
harness your power than to
redirect your attention to a better outcome for yourself in any situation.

Ultimately, the choice in how you react is YOURS.
...No one can carry your burden for you.

How do you want to move forward?

• I choose to _____________.

***THIS IS HOW WE WIN THE MIND GAME***

When you ACKNOWLEDGE and ACCEPT where you’re at and
CHOOSE an ACTION of where you want your story to go
...you are centered and engaged.
 
You are no longer wasting time
because you are experiencing being here
–nothing more –nothing less.
 
From this CENTERED PLACE
you’re positioned to
use your skills and strengths to the utmost
–as an athlete, parent or passionate professional.
 
And the POWER of PERFORMANCE is born.

Next time you’re mind tries to play tricks on you like,
"I'm not strong enough to do this" or
"My achievements aren't as good as others,"

PAUSE.
And WIN the mind game with 3 Short Statements...

1. I am experiencing X.
2. It’s okay to experience X.
3. I choose to ___________.

If you're looking for more tips, tools or tricks to win the mind game, I invite you share it with me in the comments below. I'd love to hear your story.