Chris Herzog:
Chris Herzog: Skill+Preperation+Right Mind Set = Success. PT.3
In the final installment of the Equation for Competitive Success, we
are going look at a few exercises to help establish the right mind set
for competition.
There are several methods and exercises to help develop the Right
Mind Set. Finding what works best for you is the key. I’ve found a good
blend of concepts from psychology of combat and sports psychology that
works best for myself and my students. Three exercises that I like
include: Goal setting, positive attitude, and visualization.
Goal Setting: plays a large roll in establishing the right mind set. Goal setting is divided into 3 tiers:
Long term goals: are those that are the hardest to obtain. For many
competitors long term goals are the driving force behind their
motivation for competitive training. These are largely considered the
“dreams” of a competitor. Such aspirations as competing in ADCC,
winning Mundials or PanAms, etc would be considered a long-term goal.
If these seem extremely difficult to accomplish, they should be, its
the reason to wake up every morning and get out of bed and train after
you’ve been beaten up the night before. Aim high!
Mid level goals: are very difficult to accomplish, but with hard
work and dedication can be achieved. These are the goals that should be
the mid waypoint to achieving your long-term goal. You should have to
work hard to succeed with mid level goals, but they should be
obtainable. If not adjustments may be necessary. Some reasonable mid
level goals would be medaling in local and regional level tournaments,
qualifiers etc. The main focus should be to take steps towards your
long term goal.
Short term goals: should be the meat and potatoes of your goals
setting. These are the daily and weekly goals you set for yourself.
They work best for your daily conditioning, flexibility, technical
training. Setting short term goals such as number of technical
repetitions, beating certain times for conditioning routines, etc. are
ideal short term goals. Succeeding in your short term goals builds a
foundation for the right mind set.
Write down your goals and share them with your trainers and teammates, its holds you accountable.
Positive Attitude: may sound simplistic, but developing inner
strength and appropriate confidence is essential for a successful
competitor. Keeping a positive attitude should be centered around
things you have control over. Using things like positive statements and
keeping a positive attitude when mistakes are made is essential. When
mistakes are made, use them as learning tools and an opportunity to
make corrections. Keep the positive attitude “I can do that”, or “Next
time I’m in that situation, I will succeed”. Developing a positive
attitude is hard work, accept the challenge, and work at it daily.
Visualization: is my favorite development tool, its extremely
powerful and assists in accomplishing goals and for developing the
right mind set.
Visualization is drawing a mental picture or scenario that you play
out in your mind. It may be difficult at first but like everything
else, the more you practice the better and more vivid it becomes.
The two types of scenarios I stress the most are; the sensation of
winning (success) and the execution of your Personal Attacking System
against an opponent.<
