Bonus Track: Visualize Success
Your thoughts lead to feelings, your feeling to actions. The brain messes up more than the body does and today you are going to practice being the boss of your brain and telling it exactly what you want to see happen in your sport.
You have to practice mindfulness in order to build your abilities to imagine the different senses with vividness and to hold them all within your mind! Take this as seriously as you would the drills your run in practice and concentrate as carefully as you would lifting a hard weight or learning a new skill.
Do this 10min exercise or one like it every single day and start to see more accuracy in your execution and more confidence in your skills. Every sport will have slight different nuances like whether you visualize holding a ball or not, take what works best for your sport from this exercise.
First, sit in a comfortable position. You may find it easiest to sit against a wall or in a chair.
Do a few shoulder rolls, couple twists and a few arm stretches to signal to your physical body that it’s time to let go and settle down.
Close your eyes.
As the breath goes, so goes the body. Bring your awareness to the tip of your nose.
Take a breath in two three four and out two three four. 5 times.
Pick a key aspect of your sport to perform in your mind.
Look down at your hands. If your sport involves a ball. I want you to notice it and hold it with a relaxed grip as you take in your surroundings. Notice the gym around you. Do you see other people. Start by scanning directly to your right and then to your left. Are there other athletes around you? Then begin to span out and look around. How bright or dark is the space you are in? How big is the area you are in? Is there a crowd?
What sounds do you hear? Start with your own steady controlled breath, then imagine what sounds are on either side of you…then farther away. Is there music playing? An announcer? People talking? Crowds cheering? Focus in on the tiny sounds…like birds chirping or splash of the pool or swoosh of a ball going through the hoops as people run drills etc.
What do you smell? Sweat, chlorine, the concessions, crisp fall air…What do you smell?
What does earth beneath you feel like? The uniform on your skin? Are you sweating? Is your body warmed and stretched? Is there a breeze? What does the ball feel like in your hands? The texture is __________?
What taste is in your mouth?
Now you have set yourself in the scene. You are fully there and stand in complete control. ready.
You breathe confidence in and exhale doubt. You are prepared for this moment. And a smile comes to your face. You get to compete. You get to play. Today is your day.
8. You are ready to perform the task at hand. What signals your start? A whistle, a horn, a teammate passing you the ball? Imagine yourself physically going through the motions.
What do the muscles in your arms feel like? Your legs? Effortlessly, your body knows exactly what to do and your brain is knows exactly where you want the ball to go or you want your body to move.
9. Stay with your task. See it through to the end. You have all the time you need. Go through it all as slowly or as quickly as you want to. Feel the rush and the joy and relief as you complete your performance exactly as you hoped you would. Can you feel your heart pumping? What emotion do you feel? What sounds do you hear?
Breathe in joy and exhale satisfaction. Success is yours.
