Be intentional with the time you have before you head into the storm of a competition. Hopefully, (hope is not a plan, Ha) you have developed and trained the proper mindset and worked out HOW you want to think. HOW to think is more important than WHAT to think because, simply, it comes first.
In the Mayhem Mindset Process, If you are properly prepared for the opportunity and adversity you're going to face, then you will have done the work to know who you BE (Identity/Values/Routine), and you will have developed the mindset necessary to control your emotions and get present and clear your mind.
Who you BE is all you can guarantee before the storm. Who you BE is the position of strength you operate from or the way you re-aim consistently. How you come out the other side of the storm isn’t written, that’s what competing is supposed to be all about. Winning or success will be the byproduct of where your talents, values, preparation, and execution intersect.
Competing and Training are obviously connected, but they are very different in mindset.
Training is the Routine part of who you BE. Setting goals, creating habits and systems, staying motivated are all components of a great Routine. In training, working on your holes and cracks, remembering the past and fixing your mistakes then thinking about the future is essential. Planning, knowing your competition, daily analyzing what you're doing and making adjustments, are all important in a Strategic training mindset.
Competing needs to be a very Tactical Mindset. You can’t think about the big picture. You have to intentionally narrow your focus from one moment to the next. Your focus must be on performance and executing, nothing more. Anything that keeps you from being task-oriented, operating to your maximum potential isn’t useful. In competition, place extreme value in living moment to moment. Knowing what is happening with and to your body is what is valuable. What do you need to recover? Performing and performance are the focus of your mindset.
Worrying about the outcome, worrying about what other athletes are doing is a waste of your energy. It does not matter what anybody else thinks; take that entirely out of your mindset unless it is someone like a coach or teammate you have made yourself accountable to. No comparisons; that’s not valuable in the present moment. From a performance perspective, what is optimal for you? There are only two things you can totally control in the storm of competition, your attitude and your effort; only think about what you can control.
Compete!
Keep Coming Forward!
Strength and Honor!”
Jim Hensel
