Many people doubt themselves. They sabotage their own efforts by telling themselves they can’t do something, before even trying to do it. Why does this happen? Is it a learned habit? Something that’s been passed down from parents, friends, coaches, or teachers?
There have been over thirty independent studies performed on how self-talk affects the way in which one performs in athletics. The results show that if you speak negative thoughts or beliefs on yourself, it will have a negative effect on performance. When positive thoughts were spoken, it was correlated directly with better performance.
The reasoning is simple–what you believe about yourself, you will work towards. This, making it a reality. The words we use are an indication of what is going on in our minds, consciously and subconsciously. If we mentally give ourselves the opportunity to be successful, we have a greater chance of doing so. Muhammed Ali said, “I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was.” He told himself that he was the greatest, before he himself even believed it. This pushed him through training–growing the belief, until he had zero doubt that he was the greatest. Ali then went on to make the whole world believe.
The takeaway is this. Be cautious about the words you use. Replace negative thoughts and sayings, with positive ones. You may not believe it at first, but continue to let it grow until those thoughts and beliefs overtake the negative ones you have. This will propel you toward giving yourself your best chance of success. Contact us now, if you are ready to take the next step in your competition.
Sincerely,
Donny Mateaki
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