How do professional Olympic athletes do it, anyway? They exercise day after day, sometimes even two or three times a day. What drives them to keep trying? I assume you, like me, are not a professional or Olympic athlete, nor do you have the desire to be one. It is hard enough to keep on a fitness routine for good health. How can you stay on track with your fitness and achieve a lifetime of fitness success? Here are 10 mental strategies athletes use, and will help you to a life-long journey of fitness success.
1. Decide on your goal. If you’re not sure what your athletes goal is, ask her “Why do want to take time to participate in a sport?” Is it because you “have to” or because you “want to”? Find a personal reason that rings an emotional bell.
2. Find an inspiration. Help your athlete find someone or something (A “PR” maybe?) they admire, it is much easier to stay on course. Keep picturing their success and follow their strategy. A successful person’s way of achieving success may be your key to success as well.
3. Visualize your objective. Encourage her to see her self yourself exactly as they want their outcome to be. Olympic athletes picture themselves on the podium with a medal every time they practice their sport.
4. Encourage yourself. Help your athlete encourage herself. Winners don’t talk down to themselves, but build themselves up. If you want her to be successful, give her the acknowledgment that her goal is not only possible, it’s inevitable. Many say that they will try to succeed at something only if obstacles, such as time or money, won’t get in their way. They’ve already given themselves a reason to fail. People who say they will succeed regardless of obstacles are the winners.
5. Don’t quit. Never allow them to consider quitting, Remind them that success doesn’t come to those who quit. Even if their training seems too routine, or maybe even too hard, adjust it. Time, place and activities can be changed, but once you quit, you lose your momentum, and it’s only that much harder to begin again.
6. Overcome your fear. Help her define her fears. Is it fear of failing? Fear of uncertainty? She can’t fail; unlessshe does nothing at all. Even a little effort means you’ve succeeded.
7. Get some feedback. If your athlete can measure success, whether in seconds ,minutes or hours, feet and inches and how she feels about it, you’re more likely to have an athlete that wants to continue the pursuit. Encourage her to journal her activities, and write how she feels both physically and mentally. Looking back in her journal will be an inspiration to keep with her routines and goals. It’s hard to see progress when you’re knee-deep in the trenches, but if you remember where you came from, you’ll be inspired by your own actions and results.
8. Have a support team. Be a great support to your youth athlete, show the possibilities in all sporting situations. Be a great cheerleader. A cheerleader’s purpose is to keep a team motivated, and can even make a big difference in a game or meet. You are your child’s special team support .Yours support is just what she needs to work through frustration or boredom.
9. Maximize your opportunities. It may take some thinking outside of the box, but look for ways to help your youth athlete fit in every day living situations not just sports competition . Walk or ride your bike whenever possible. Stretch while you’re watching television, (we do this at home and it works great) or buy a fitness ball to sit on while watching TV too! Help your athlete to look at the world as an opportunity to get stronger, and be creative. This will allow fitness to be a natural part of their day.
10. Knowledge + Action = Achievement. If you want your youth athlete to achieve a lifetime of fitness, you only need two things: teach her the clarity of mind to know she need to keep active and the get-up-and-go to “just do it”. One without the other will get you nowhere. And if you’re reading this article, you’re not the kind that is content with status quo for your special youth athlete.
Until next time,
TrackMom
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