Mental Toughness Tools

This message is simple and to the point.

Every competition has a winner. It doesn’t matter the weather, officiators, rules, regulations or any other condition. Someone is going to stand on top of the podium; it might as well be you.

It would be nice to have it all come together to create the perfect scene. A football team would love to have the home team advantage and play the top athletes who are all free of injuries and in perfect game shape. A golfer would welcome a course with fast greens and zero wind for the entire tournament. An Alpine ski racer might prefer a specific course set, snow conditions and starting position to help them compete.

It doesn’t matter what conditions you want. What matters is how you’re going to react to the conditions you get.

Muhammad Ali’s boxing trainer, Angelo Dundee, said “there are positive and negative thoughts and hey, it doesn’t cost you a cent more to think positively.”

Choosing to think positively will gain you a competitive edge. When your opponents are complaining about the adverse competitive conditions, you can identify the factors that can help you perform.

Positive thoughts lead to positive actions. Positive actions lead to a positive performance. A positive performance leads to a gold medal around your neck.

Call to action

The next time you practice and compete, take the time you spend suiting up and getting ready to also think positively. Think about the factors that will help you perform to the best of your ability. If nothing else, think about this: someone’s going to win today; it might as well be you!

ps. remember to leave a comment and share your thoughts and suggestions