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Sustaining Productive Habits
“Are you aware of your strength in the four pillars of your game: mechanics, athleticism, mental, and emotional? Review those superpowers. Visualize yourself performing those tasks brilliantly. These build confidence in your game, so add to your new list of superpowers every week.”
Frank Giampaolo
For you youngsters, your future college career will comprise habits that you’ve acquired during your junior career. Now is the time to delve into the art of sustaining productive habits to ensure a spectacular college athletic career.
1 Handling Setbacks and Relapses
Setbacks and relapses are a natural part of habit change. They do not define you; they simply offer valuable growth opportunities. When faced with setbacks:
- Analyze what led to the setback without self-judgment.
- Adjust your approach based on lessons learned.
- Revisit your commitment and motivation.
- Seek support and accountability to regain momentum.
Remember that the path to productivity is not linear; it’s a winding road with detours and obstacles. The key is to repair the problem and restore your positive mindset quickly.
2 Fix It and Forget It
Staying in a good mental state is challenging in competition. A key to remaining focused is to remember this statement: “Where your focus goes…your energy flows.” So, avoid focusing on the problem. Get into a mindset of fixing it and forgetting it. Repeat this mantra after an error throughout your performances: fix it and forget it.
3 Cancelling Out the Noise
Cancel out the external noise around your practice and game day environment. Your brain spends cognitive resources listening to what’s going on around you. Distractions in your environment will likely pull your attention away from your task of mindfulness-staying present.
4 Not Yet
Focus is your ability to resist the urge to indulge in reckless, spontaneous behavior in competition. Say “Not Yet!” whenever you want to attempt a reckless shot. By applying situational awareness, you’ll instead hit the correct shot the moment demands. Be aware of thoughtless, spontaneous actions that don’t contribute to your new habits.
5 Taking Full Responsibility
Accountability is what bonds commitment to results and breeds responsibility. At the end of the day, you are accountable to yourself. Ultimately, your success is a result of your choices and habits.
Sustaining productive habits is not a one-time endeavor. It’s a lifelong journey of personal growth and improvement. By applying the strategies outlined in this playbook, you can ensure that your productive habits continue to serve you well, providing the foundation to maximize success on the competitive trail.
YOUR TAKEAWAY CHALLENGE
Grow your superpowers. On your cell phone, create an athletic folder in your notes section. List your strengths in mechanics, athleticism, and mental and emotional components. Review these superpowers weekly and plan on adding them to your list. While most intermediate athletes focus on cleaning up their weaknesses, top athletes set aside time to continually improve their strengths.
