MENTAL PERFORMANCE Flashcards
What is mental performance coaching?
In the same way you can train a client or athlete to become stronger or faster, you can also train them to become more focused, aware, motivated, and disciplined. 
At all levels, athletes and clients who don’t possess the mental skill set will…
Struggle to reach their goals and achieve their full performance potential
The top for mental skills coaches and trainers need to be able to teach
(1) Elite mindset
(2) motivation and commitment
(3) focus and awareness
(4) self-control and discipline
The top for mental skills coaches and trainers need to be able to teach will help them become…
A better, more complete coach so that you can grow your business and get better results for your clients and athletes
What are the two different mindsets people used to think about change?
Growth mindset and fixed mindset
Growth mindset
Believes that one can grow and change with practice and training
Fixed mindset
Believe that you just or how you are and there’s nothing you can do about it
What does the word “mindset” mean? (2)
(1) Your perspective of how you see yourself in different situations.
(2) It will determine what you will do or won’t do; whether you stick with it when things get hard or if you give up.
Building an elite mindset (3)
(1) Many people struggle with negative self–talk.
(2) Part of developing an elite mindset requires that you stop listening to yourself and start talking to yourself.
(3) With the right mindset you can overcome negative self-talk by developing the skill of positive self-talk.
Changing your mindset comes down to a three-step process:
(1) Awareness
(2) strategy
(3) action
Elite mindset strategies (4)
(1) BFS: Body language, focus, self-talk
(2) Self-talk test
(3) Visual reminders
(4) One–word focus
Motivation and commitment
(1) Motivation is what gets you started.
(2) Commitment is what keeps you going.
Why are motivation and commitment important?
Your levels of motivation and commitment will ultimately determine whether or not you do what you need to do, at the level you need to do it at, to reach your goals
What are the two types of motivation?
Intrinsic and extrinsic
Intrinsic motivation
Motivated by personal reward; performing an activity for its own sake rather than to earn a reward or avoid a punishment
Extrinsic motivation
Motivated to earn a reward or avoid punishment
Regarding motivation, what is important in order to help clients and athletes be successful?
You have to help them develop intrinsic motivation
Evaluating motivation and commitment (2)
(1) This is done by asking targeted questions, and then listening.
(2) Self motivation is the best detriment of exercise adherence
When asking targeted questions to evaluate motivation and commitment what should you look for?
Through these questions, look for clarity and depth in their answers, whether their why is intrinsically or extreme based, how often they are on time for workouts, how often they miss workouts, what they have tried in the past etc.
What are seven strategies for creating motivation and commitment?
(1) telescope and microscope goals
(2) Daily + weekly success list
(3) WOOP plans (Wish, outcome, obstacle, plan)
(4) SMART goals (Specific, measurable, accountability, relentless, time specific)
(5) Measurement = motivation
(6) Dopamine release (exercise, meditation, checklist, avoid addictions)
(7) Smart, stop, continue weekly evaluations
FOCUS
Is your ability to keep your mind on a task
AWARENESS
Your ability to know what’s happening around you, to you, and inside you so that you can judge if you are on or off course towards your goals so that you can adjust accordingly.
Why are focus and awareness are important? (4)
(1) The more focused you are the better your training
(2) The better your training the better your results
(3) The better your results, the more you like it
(4) The more you like it, the more you want to train
Evaluation Strategies (5)
(1) Eye contact in communication
(2) Observation ( are they “in the moment”)
(3) Concentration grid - time to complete
(4) Ask them about their signal lights and BFS (what is body language, focus, self talk like when at their best vs. Worst?)
(5) Ask these questions:
- How often do you randomly catch yourself on your phone?
- Do you do any type of focus and awareness training? (Meditation, yoga, swimming)
STRATEGIES TO CREATE BETTER FOCUS & AWARENESS (7)
(1) CONCENTRATION grid
(2) 6-2-8 breathing
(3) Signal light awareness
(4) Rubber bands awareness
(5) Start, stop, continue
(6) The peak performance journal
Self-control & discipline (2)
(1) Motivation gets you going, commitment keeps you going.
(2) Self-control and discipline keep you on the right course and allows you to say no!
Self-control
Your ability to be in control of your emotions, your decision making, and your behaviours.
Discipline
Your ability to make a decision and put off what you want in the moment for what you want most (think: delayed gratification)
Why do you need self–control and discipline? (2)
(1) Without it, you won’t maximize the benefits of exercise.
(2) Results essentially come down to how consistently you can do what you need to do to reach your goals – and without self–control and discipline, you won’t be able to do that.
Evaluation strategies for self-control and discipline (3)
(1) Tractor food and workout performance – are they able to do this consistently?
(2) Keep them accountable are they doing the homework you assigned them?
(3) Ask questions:
- What are you having the most difficulty stopping yourself from doing?
- Why do you keep doing that?
- What do you do on a daily basis to build self-discipline?
What are some strategies for building self-control and discipline? (5)
(1) Make your bed
(2) Identify people, places and things + strategize (what people, places and things will negatively affect your goals? Positively? What strategies can you put into place to remove the negative and get more of the positive?)
(3) Clarify her goals + track your progress
(4) Clarifier start, stop, and continue
(5) IFTTT Plans - If this happens, then that is what I will do
