We get what we repeat.

Can you think of habits that you do DAILY that make a difference in your life? For most of us, it’s things like..

Brushing our teeth
Showering 
Eating 

Or maybe…

Checking email and social media
Exercising 
Mindfulness/meditation
Reading

Sometimes we don’t think of our daily, small habits as making much of a difference. But as James Clear, author of Atomic Habits says:

“Your outcomes are a lagging measure of your habits. Your net worth is a lagging measure of your financial habits. Your weight is a lagging measure of your eating habits. Your knowledge is a lagging measure of your learning habits. Your clutter is a lagging measure of your cleaning habits. You get what you repeat.”

I’ll add…

“Your confidence is a lagging measure of your daily mindset habits”

It’s no different for our athletes that are trying to level up and improve their confidence and performance. 

To get results, these athletes need to train their minds daily (not every once in a while). 

Here’s three simple ways they can get started now:

#1: Practice Productive Self-Talk

We say over 50,000 things to ourselves daily! If we aren’t aware of what’s going on in our minds, these thoughts can easily become negative and limiting. 

Our self-talk is directly linked to confidence. For athletes, this means practicing self-talk that is productive – meaning it’s in line with their goals and the athlete that they want to be. 

Examples of negative self-talk include things like:

“I’m not good enough”
“I suck at defense”
“Everyone else is better than me!”

Left unchecked, these thoughts become reality! 

To work daily on more productive self-talk, athletes should be creating affirmations around the type of athlete they want to be. Affirmations are written, positive, first-person statements affirming something desirable to be true. 

Maybe they have goals of being a go-to hitter on their team. Or a connected leader that people look up to. Or a college-level athlete. 

Who do they need to be in order to achieve these things? Those become affirmations that athletes say to themselves daily. Bonus if they write them on sticky notes and place them in areas where they see them often! 

Examples: 

“I am a connected and energetic leader.”
“I am a college-level athlete.”
“I am a strong and explosive outside-hitter.”

Athletes – create affirmations that are in line with your goals that you can repeat, read, and see daily!

#2: Visualize

Visualization as part of a daily mindset routine is something every athlete can do daily. Visualization is an extremely powerful way for athletes to connect with the athlete they want to be, how they want to play, and how they want to show up. 

To do this, athletes should carve out 2-3 minutes a day of uninterrupted time. During this time, athletes will take a few grounding breaths. Then, they will say their affirmations to themselves one at a time. 

After each affirmation, athletes will spend 10-15 seconds visualizing the affirmation with as much detail as possible. Recruit all five senses: what does this image look like, feel like, sound like, smell like, and taste like? How does the athlete feel when bringing it to mind?

Repeat for all three affirmations! Visualization helps the mind align thoughts, habits, and actions to allow athletes to literally become and perform what they are visualizing. 

Check out podcast episode #5 to learn the all the ins and outs of visualization so that it becomes your athlete’s superpower!

#3: Do something challenging every day!

Here’s a great way to build confidence daily: give yourself proof of how strong and powerful you are! Find something challenging to do daily to allow yourself to see what you’re capable of and apply that to your sport and life. 

Some examples: 

• Do a tough workout
• Have that conversation you’ve been avoiding
• Try a new skill
• Meditate 
• Do something you’re not good at (work on your weakness)

Build up that confidence muscle one challenging task at a time!

There you have it. Athletes that want to build confidence need to be working on it daily, just like any other skill! 

Helpful Links: 

• Download the free resources we’ve created for you
• Join us inside our FREE Facebook Group – The Elite Competitor Society – for weekly Q&A, periodic trainings and challenges, and the support of an amazing community of moms, coaches, and the men who partner with us!
• Looking for simple, actionable mental training for your daughter? Our Confidence Boost Membership is just the thing! With this membership, athletes receive weekly confidence and mindset strategies, tips, and exercises straight to her phone Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays! Easy to access, effective, and at a price that is less than what you likely spend in coffee in a week!