Mental Conditioning Monday: Set For Success

In sports, as in life, many athletes and people set themselves up for failure. They don’t have any goals and aren’t sure what they’re doing. They don’t know how to focus on what’s most important in their daily lives. They don’t build up their self-esteem and self-confidence. They don’t motivate themselves to give their best effort. They don’t keep learning to grow as an athlete and person.

As a basketball player, you want to do whatever you can to set yourself up for success on and off the court. Think of getting a ladder and putting it up. If you are going to use that ladder to fix something, then you are going to use those five or six steps to reach the top of the ladder and get the job done.

If you want to become a better basketball player, and set yourself up to be more successful in the future, then I would encourage you to take these 3 steps to start walking up your own ladder:

1. Set a few goals for the coming year and identify the steps to reach those goals. Make sure that you choose goals that you have complete control over and that are important to you. Don’t pick goals like – “I am going to be the best player in my town or state”, “I am going to make sure that my team wins all of its game this season” or “I am going to convince the coach to play me the whole game”. You want to pick goals like – “I am going to get to team practices 30 minutes early and work on my foul shots”, I am going to improve my diet and eat healthier” or “I am going to study harder and improve my grades”.

2. Create a compelling story about your sports life. Think about what you love about the game and why you love playing. Think about the people who have encouraged and supported you along the way. Think about several challenges and obstacles that you have been able to overcome to become a better player. Think about different things (music, movies, books, etc.) that have inspired and motivated you to give your best effort.

3. Ask questions that put you in a positive, productive and proactive state of mind. You don’t want to ask questions like – “Why do I make so many mistakes?”, “Why am I a failure in many of my teams?” or “Why doesn’t my team have better players?. They will only make you feel frustrated, angry and probably overwhelmed. You want to ask questions like – “What can I do today to strengthen my legs for rebounding?”, “How can I use certain mental skills to keep my composure in a game?” or “What can I do to stay focused in a game and not let any negative feelings distract me?”

-Tony Lanzillo is the founder of Mental Peak and is a mental skills coach.  As a mental health professional for over 20 years, Anthony “Tone” Lanzillo has often used the theme of sports to engage and educate his clients about the importance of mental skills in everyday life. It was when his younger son was in the 6th grade, and playing three different sports, that he began exploring how athletes could use mental skills in their practices and games. Since then, Lanzillo has been writing about the mental game of sports for such websites as FirstDown Playbook, Coaches Training Room, Ultimate Hockey Source, Lax Playbook,  Online Soccer Coaching, World of Basketball, Athletic Management, Lacrosse All-Stars, Coaches Clipboard and Coach Book. Also, he has shared his ideas and worked with athletes in such sports as softball, boxing, field hockey, football, soccer, basketball and lacrosse.