The most frequent answer to my question of coaches and athletes when I ask what would make the biggest difference in performance is positive self-talk. When I press a little further, the diamond underneath is give myself the benefit of the doubt.
It’s a phrase that comes from my two decades of swim officiating. A swim official motto is: the swimmer always gets the benefit of the doubt. If you have to think about what you observed on a turn or stroke, then it didn’t happen. If you cannot raise your hand immediately to indicate a potential disqualification, if you hesitate or wait, then it didn’t happen. The swimmer always gets the benefit of the doubt.
I suggest to coaches and athletes, what would it look like if you gave yourself the benefit of the doubt?
When things don’t go well in a race or competition, go easy on yourself. Give yourself the benefit of the doubt. What does that mean in practical terms?
- Step up on failure. Failure in an event or game doesn’t equate to you being a failure. When failure becomes personal or we think it’s permanent (“This always happens!”), then failure becomes who we are rather than what happened.
Failure is intended to be a teacher, not judge, jury, and executioner. We stretch, and try, fail and learn so that we can stretch our comfort zone. This is the pathway of elite performers.
- Be a beginner. Give yourself permission to be a beginner when you try something new. As a beginner, you wouldn’t expect to do it correctly. Go easy on yourself. Ask for help. No one is supposed to know it all…that’s why athletes have coaches.
I compete in Master’s swimming. I normally practice by myself, but I also check in with several coaches I know for tips and suggestions. Something around arm speed or kick perhaps, and I try it and fail miserably. I either don’t keep it up the entire set or I tire out and because my body and brain are having to work overtime as I train to do something different. I’m a beginner, but I’m not a failure.
- Process first. What I mean is, concentrate on the process that it takes to get to your goal. Pick one thing each practice or each week of practice on which to concentrate: foot position, hand position, turns, release…the list could be endless depending on your sport. Whatever will help you reach your goal of faster, stronger, longer, higher. Achieve that for the day or week and call it successful.
Seek to only be faster and you are more likely to not get faster. Concentrate on the things that will make you faster (stronger, higher, longer), and the end will take care of itself. The process is the focus.
I compete as a Masters Swimmer. I train to stay in shape. I compete to give myself a goal. This past April I was at Y Masters Nationals, seeking to swim a 100 freestyle in 55 seconds because I’m 55 this year. I failed at that goal, going a :56.4. But I won the 200 freestyle, surprising myself. The 100 was the last event. The 200 was the second event of the weekend. The competition was not a failure. I learned valuable lessons, the biggest of which (I think) is to find a meet where I only swim the 100 because I am not able to train enough, consistently enough, to swim multiple events across multiple days.
How will you give yourself the benefit of the doubt? It’s a major difference between average and elite. Embrace who you are and find the gateway to your next level.
The Level Up Process:
My sports clients include: Mason Manta Rays (8th best swim team in U.S.), SwimMAC Carolina (2nd best swim team in the U.S.), University of South Carolina swim teams, Xavier University swim teams, Eastern Michigan University swim team, Denison University swim teams (2019 men’s national champions), Denison University Track & Field/Cross Country, Toledo University swim team, Florida Gulf Coast swim team, Gardner Webb University athletic department (multiple teams, including March Madness qualifier Men’s Basketball), Hudson HEAT swim team, Upper Arlington Swim Club, Dayton Raider Swim Club, Northern Kentucky Women’s Basketball, Countryside YMCA swim team, and…..I can’t wait to tell you who else once they sign on. Let’s get in touch about taking your leadership and performance to a new level.
Jeff@levelupleadershipcoach.com