Article from Healthy Habits!
The decision to munch on a cookie while watching tv at night instead
of sipping on a protein shake after going for a jog is driven by your
unconscious habits.
And those habits are controlled by the Basal Ganglia region of your brain.
For more info on your basal ganglia and all the how, why and what can I do about it….check out The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg.
It gets a little wordy at times, but it covers a lot of the science as
well as offering a plan for modifying the habits you want to modify.
Monday, 23 April 2012
Elite Athletes Successfully Conquer Distractions
Article comes from Expert Performance!
This article also has a great video, please click here to view!
Most athletes who train to compete spend most of their time preparing for ideal situations. Well if you have been competing long enough you know that eventually you will hit a perfect storm. I’m not talking about where everything works out just as you expected. What I mean is you are going to experience the unexpected, challenging your ability to maintain focus during your event.
It is during these tough challenges when the best athlete truly wins. Let’s face it, optimal performance is easier during ideal conditions. When events begin to unravel, that is when all your skills need to come into play. The athlete with the strongest mental game skills will prevail when faced with adversity. So what do you need to do now in order to strengthen your mindset?
What distractions do you face in your sport?
Before you can correct something, it is important to understand what throws you off. Awareness of distractions is a good starting point. Once you recognize where you become unnerved, lose focus and feel distracted then we can begin to make corrections.
Research has proven maintaining focus, regardless of the distractions, is a proven indicator of success. Train your mental game for a strong mindset, along with your physical training program for maximum results. Your hardiness, the ability to withstand unexpected challenges, is measurable. A strong commitment, self-control and optimal challenge combine to strengthen your mental toughness.
Challenge: Which of these distractions do you struggle with most? Choose to turn things around. Awareness of the distractions you face when competing is the first step. What were the thoughts, sights, sounds or other conditions which distract you the most?
Highlight the top 3, rank from 1 to 3. Beginning with #1, what are all the ways you can overcome that distraction? Pick the strategy which is easiest and will give results, even if it just moves the needle slightly in your favor that is a beginning. When will you begin? Set a date to try it out. Work your way down the list from 1 to 3.
Are distractions interfering with your performance? You have tried to tough it out, but found the results are not long lasting. You are working hard to overcome the obstacles, but the building frustration has taken a toll on your confidence.
The Expert Sports Performance System is an easy step-by-step process helping you to focus your energy on high performance, building your confidence to give you a winning edge. Winners act with speed. If you are reading this and it feels true for you, then get in touch with Loren for a FREE Discovery Session at info@expertsportsperformance.com
This article also has a great video, please click here to view!
Most athletes who train to compete spend most of their time preparing for ideal situations. Well if you have been competing long enough you know that eventually you will hit a perfect storm. I’m not talking about where everything works out just as you expected. What I mean is you are going to experience the unexpected, challenging your ability to maintain focus during your event.
It is during these tough challenges when the best athlete truly wins. Let’s face it, optimal performance is easier during ideal conditions. When events begin to unravel, that is when all your skills need to come into play. The athlete with the strongest mental game skills will prevail when faced with adversity. So what do you need to do now in order to strengthen your mindset?
What distractions do you face in your sport?
- Delayed starts due to weather conditions
- Playing against strong competitors
- Cheering from the sidelines
- A bad call from the referee
Before you can correct something, it is important to understand what throws you off. Awareness of distractions is a good starting point. Once you recognize where you become unnerved, lose focus and feel distracted then we can begin to make corrections.
- Mechanics – Some moves are so familiar you can do them in your sleep. Over-concentrating on the mechanical movements you already know actually slows you down. Your mind can’t think as quickly as your body can move. Thinking about the movements you’re familiar with is an indicator of low confidence.
- Fatigue – Our body continually sends signals of pain and fatigue. If you are actually injured then pay attention and don’t do anything to cause further injury. Fatigue, however, is something else. Focusing on how tired you feel only magnifies the feeling of fatigue. So check in and decide if you are having a good pain from exerting yourself or a bad pain from injury. Pushing through fatigue builds confidence, expanding your potential.
- Inner critic – Often the toughest competitor happens to be the critical thoughts going through your head. Battling the inner critic is energy draining. If you knew how much time you spent on negativity each day, you would be amazed.
- Past, present or future – Dwelling on the past or anticipating the future are distractions. It is impossible to undo what has already been done. Trying to be a fortuneteller often works against you. How often have you worried about something in the future? Either it led to a self-fulfilling prophecy or it was a lot of angst for something which never happened. Remaining in the present is the primary state of mind for optimal results.
- Sight and sound – Visual distractions are powerful. Your eyes are hard at work taking in an overwhelming amount of information. Much of what you see distracts you from being in the moment. Then there is the noise. The crowd or a passing comment can easily distract your focus from the task at hand.
Research has proven maintaining focus, regardless of the distractions, is a proven indicator of success. Train your mental game for a strong mindset, along with your physical training program for maximum results. Your hardiness, the ability to withstand unexpected challenges, is measurable. A strong commitment, self-control and optimal challenge combine to strengthen your mental toughness.
Challenge: Which of these distractions do you struggle with most? Choose to turn things around. Awareness of the distractions you face when competing is the first step. What were the thoughts, sights, sounds or other conditions which distract you the most?
Highlight the top 3, rank from 1 to 3. Beginning with #1, what are all the ways you can overcome that distraction? Pick the strategy which is easiest and will give results, even if it just moves the needle slightly in your favor that is a beginning. When will you begin? Set a date to try it out. Work your way down the list from 1 to 3.
Are distractions interfering with your performance? You have tried to tough it out, but found the results are not long lasting. You are working hard to overcome the obstacles, but the building frustration has taken a toll on your confidence.
The Expert Sports Performance System is an easy step-by-step process helping you to focus your energy on high performance, building your confidence to give you a winning edge. Winners act with speed. If you are reading this and it feels true for you, then get in touch with Loren for a FREE Discovery Session at info@expertsportsperformance.com
12 Tips for Taking a Faceoff
This article is from Grow The Game!
Yanic Perreault made millions of dollars during a brilliant NHL career because he was one of the league’s premier faceoff guys. NHL GMs value these guys the way they value goal scorers—because the more faceoffs your team wins, the more puck possessions the team has, creating a winning environment. After you check out these 12 tips, see my entire faceoff story.
Yanic Perreault made millions of dollars during a brilliant NHL career because he was one of the league’s premier faceoff guys. NHL GMs value these guys the way they value goal scorers—because the more faceoffs your team wins, the more puck possessions the team has, creating a winning environment. After you check out these 12 tips, see my entire faceoff story.
- Great knee bend.
- Grip the stick with one hand on top of the shaft and the other hand really low on the shaft for leverage.
- Watch the referee’s hand and try to bat the puck out of the air as he’s dropping it.
- If you’re having trouble winning faceoffs in a particular game, at least neutralize your opponent by tying his stick up and having your winger come get the puck.
- Believe you can win every faceoff and take tremendous pride in it.
- All forwards should be aware of how to take faceoffs in case the center gets bumped out.
- Develop hand and wrist strength and quickness. Purchase a wrist gripper and use it in the car. Also practicing dribbling a golf ball and work on hand-eye coordination drills.
- Communicate with your linemates to make sure you’re all on the same page.
- Read and react to the situation of the game. Are you down a goal? Up a goal? Short-handed, Power play? Last minute of game?
- Practice taking faceoffs on the pond, at the end of practice or in your garage.
- Prepare! Many coaches implement trick plays in all three zones. These are fun—and sometimes a lot of work! Coaches should practice faceoff alignment on a routine basis so that, at crunch time, all players know what to do whether the team is down a goal, up a goal or has pulled the goalie. Preparation is very important and can be the difference between winning and losing.
- Make sure you and your linemates are ready for the hurry-up puck drop referees are instituting now.
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