01 Mar Wrestle the Beast
Top athletes are primarily focused on winning. They train and compete to get Gold. But lately, athletes have openly expressed how difficult the mental game is, and how they need to deal with their fear of rejection, unrealistic expectations, and the excruciating pressure when the whole world is watching. Mikaela Shiffrin, Michael Phelps and Simone Biles are prime examples of this albatross.
Judith Fein, travel writer and speaker, penned an article featuring Sports Psychologist Dr. Cindra Kamphoff and her studies in mental performance for athletes published in Psychology Today. Dr. Kamphoff’s insights (see below) align with many of Eloqui concepts for speakers.
Set clear goals with a plan to achieve them. Athletes cannot control outcomes like making it to the podium as a winner—but they can control effort, focus, attitude, and execution. When athletes become overly outcome-focused, motivation and confidence decline. Confidence grows when attention is placed on controllables.
Eloqui calls this Intention— to identify precisely what you want and then develop a plan with concrete steps to achieve it.
Ensure you’re always prepared. Preparation builds earned confidence and quiets doubt. Top athletes make consistent sacrifices, such as time, energy, and comfort, to ensure they are ready…
For speakers, preparation means working off an outline and then rehearsing your presentation out loud, making adjustments as you go.
High achievers often struggle with perfectionism. The ability to recover quickly from mistakes is one of the strongest predictors of sustained performance. Letting go is a trainable skill.
We concur. Past mistakes are mind clutter and noise. The idea of perfect is a sinkhole for speakers. Instead, focus on your audience and being compelling.
Know who you want to be and act accordingly. Top athletes have strong self-awareness and understand their strengths, tendencies, and triggers. They use mental tools they’ve learned to enter their peak performance zone.
Eloqui trains clients to look within and infuse their speaking with personal insights and experiences. Support and encouragement from those who know you will prove its efficacy.
Celebrate accomplishments. Many athletes just focus on what needs improvement. However, recognizing small wins reinforces progress and strengthens confidence.
For speakers, memories of past failures typically reside at the top of one’s memory queue. Bask in your success, no matter how small. This will allow you to approach new projects with confidence. Speaking is an odds game and know that one failure can lead to many successes.
Regulate emotional responses to setbacks. Every emotion has information. The best athletes allow emotions without being controlled by them. They learn to see opportunity within adversity. (We agree)
Seek support from mentors, coaches, and positive influences. Confidence is relational. Trust in coaches and support systems significantly impacts an athlete’s (and speaker’s) ability to perform under pressure.
Thank you, Judith for allowing us to share this article: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/life-is-a-trip/202602/tips-from-a-psychologist-who-trains-olympic-athletes
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