SPORTS MINDSET
Our review of “In Pursuit of Excellence” by Terry Orlik continues:
“Docisions” is a term penned by the author to indicate the ‘doing’ that you have to do to achieve the choices you make. Today’s article is a review of “Docisions and Choices”.
“Virtually everything you do or do not do in your life is ruled by choices you make and act on or fail to act on every day. You can choose to excel or choose not to excel. You can choose to bring a positive and fully connected focus into what you do or choose not to. You can choose to be negative or stressed out about things beyond your control or choose not to.
You can choose to let other people’s comments, actions, or inactions upset you or choose not to. You can choose to approach obstacles or challenges in positive ways or in negative ways. You can choose to dwell on the negatives, which drag you down or focus on the positives, which can lift your spirits and give you positive energy.
You can choose to embrace your dreams and pursue them with full focus or let them drift away without really trying. These are your choices, and your choices direct the quality and consistency of your performance and the joyfulness of your life. You ‘docide’ for better or worse.”
This became really relevant for those sports teams I mix with throughout the weeks. This week saw a short, quick two-minute mindset training before skill training become a matter of jokes and innuendos but there was one response that bothered me. “Hurry up, we have to go and train”.
Training is not only on-field skills, teamwork and process. As was said to me by a coach about our rowing program once, “Our mind is 85% of the job”. From a neuroscientific point of view, this is correct. If we have any negative thought patterns about ourselves, our abilities, our teamwork (or lack thereof) or anything that our brain tells us is a negative reason for not winning, if you have not trained your brain to stop that negative chatter, achieving our best becomes harder and harder, and the excuses as to why you won’t succeed or can’t succeed – will take over.
In my view, and I know in all the views of the coaches I mix with, you are all champions. Know that you just have to ‘docide’ that you can achieve ‘excellence’ in the way you play your sport. That ‘docision’ is yours though, not the coaches, they are already committed to your excellence and helping you win your choices. Now it is up to you.
What shall it be, negative choices or positive performances, for yourselves, your team, and those who are put around you by your College to support you in all your endeavours of excellence?
Rev Grace
College Sports Mindset Coach