THREE SIMPLE STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVED ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE

1. Keep A Journal. Journaling is a relatively simple habit. With hundreds of different methods in which to journal, there are four key areas you need to focus on to optimize your athletic performance.
   1. Positivity. Confidence is a choice. Use your journal to keep a record of your accomplishments. Everything from the smallest, seemingly insignificant wins to your biggest achievements of which you’re most proud. If you wish to TRULY be a champion, you must learn to only celebrate and remember these positive experiences, while learning from and letting go of the negative ones. Brick by brick, these accomplishments will help to build a solid foundation of confidence. While there’s no perfect correlation between optimism and success, there is an almost perfect correlation between pessimism and failure.
   2. Gratitude. It’s no secret that gratitude is a game-changer when it comes to improving mood, but it’s also been tied to improved outcomes in sports as well. A good way to start is with the “three good things” exercise. Simply write down three good things that happen to you each day, however big or small, and what your part was in making them happen. Each week, review and compile the three best things that happened to you that week, then repeat this review each month and each year.
   3. Goals. Focus on your big picture goals. Write them down every day. Strategize on the small things you can do every day to move you closer to your goals, whether it’s improving your water intake, or improving your footwork. Cultivate habits that move you closer to these big picture goals each day and aim to eliminate those that don’t serve, or are in conflict with, the bigger picture of what you want to achieve.
   4. Self-Reflection. What did you learn in the past 24-hours that can move you closer to where you want to be? Are there things you could have done differently with a better outcome? Now is the time to reflect on, learn from, and let go of these things.

2. Mindfulness/Meditation Practice. Everyone has a very different way of discovering and expressing mindfulness. Such examples include prayer, music, or even meditation apps like Calmor Headspace. It’s important that you take time to step out of daily life and look inward. Once this process is a habit, it becomes a powerful tool which enhances your athletic performance and life experiences.

3. Our mind cannot differentiate between that which we experience and that which we vividly focus on. Take a moment to DEEPLY imagine your favorite food, how it smells, looks, tastes. You’ll likely find yourself starting to salivate based on your imagination. By mentally rehearsing yourself performing at your absolute peak, we can reduce anxiety, build confidence, and enhance your performance. There are many models of visualization from self-guided to coach-led where examples are: mental rehearsal, smell, touch, feel, look, and sound. The more vivid the visualization, the more visceral and real it is, the better is serves your purpose. Think about where are you competing? What can you see? What can you feel? What can you hear? What can you smell and touch? What’s the outcome that you want from this situation? How will it feel? The more consistent you can be with visualization work, the better the results you can achieve. This consistency teaches your brain to adapt to real experiences more easily as the mind feels it has already been there, done that, and feels no pressure or anxiety.

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