Do you find that you under-perform in competition? This can be a very frustrating situation. All the hard work you put into training only to find that when competition comes, you can’t quite get the same performance. What could be going on? It is not as if you forgot how to run, bike and/or swim. You are not under-performing because of your physical state. You are under-performing because of your mental state. Where your mind goes the body always follows. Under-performing is one of the key signs to seeking mental coaching.
So, what is really going on? Odds are your reduction in performance is based upon your fear of failure, potentially on a sub-conscious level. There is something under the surface that is holding you back based upon some level of fear. Maybe you are afraid your times will not be good enough. Maybe you feel your peers will look at you as a failure or as not good. This could include disappointing people by letting them down. This could include friends, family, others in the game and even sponsors. Maybe you want the respect of others and you are afraid your results will not be enough. You could also fear that you are putting in all the training and the payoff will not be there in competition. This is a relentless cycle. We know that what we focus on we create. In this situation, we focus on not getting the results we want therefore, in focusing on it, we create the results we don’t want.
When you worry about what others think you end up being conservative. Playing it safe keeps you from trusting in your training and leads you to “avoid” mistakes because in order to gain acceptance, you may feel you must be perfect. Does this ring a bell?
In looking at this differently, your fears could be based on how much you care. I say this to everyone, if you are not having fun, why are you doing it? Your mental state should be enjoying the race. If you care too much about the outcome of competition to the point you focus on it, bad things usually arise. Focus instead on the processes in training; your training should be to a point where you race on autopilot. This allows your mind to truly take in the moment and enjoy it. Have fun and allow the outcomes to take care of themselves.
If you struggle to remediate this on your own, give me a call at 502-771-0721 or signup for a session here . We will get you back to your peak performance!