There are two unhealthy habits that many athletes engage in today - and they do it without even thinking about it. The habits I'm talking about are NOT drinking or smoking.
Two Bad Habits that Destroy Confidence
1. Setting strict expectations
2. Letting self-doubt run wild
We talk about both concepts a ton in our work, as they will hold you back and cripple self-confidence. Here is my conclusion after working with 1000's athletes:
Strict or High Expectations Can Undermine Confidence
Why do expectations limit your performance? We see expectations as demands you place on your performance. You either achieve your expectations or fail to achieve them.
When you don't achieve your grand expectations, you tend to question your ability that day - either during or after a performance.
Grand expectations set you up for failure before you even start.
Expectations also focus you on outcomes, such as a batting average or number of goals scored, which is not the ideal focus.
Here's a typical example: One of our golf students started every round with an unrealistic expectation to hit the ball perfectly on every shot.
When he hit a bad shot, he would start to question his swing mechanics. This led to worrying about hitting the ball well enough to score a low round that day.
Doubt Kills Confidence
Enough of expectations - you get the point. What about self-doubt? Why is doubt a confidence killer?
Doubt is the number one killer of confidence. Pessimistic or perfectionist athletes tend to hold on tight to doubts, which if left to run wild can ruin your mindset and derail performance.
Some athletes start doubting before they even get in the game or start the competition - "How can we win today against this team?"
However, most athletes struggle with doubt after making a mistake or performing poorly in competition.
Don't Let Doubts Take Over
When you let doubt run rampant and unchecked, it beats down confidence. Athletes who can recognize doubt and turn it into statements of confidence - can counter the negative influence doubt may have over them, which should be your goal today.
The tip for today is to let go of outcome expectations as your main objective and instead focus on small objectives you can achieve!
Until next time,
Coach Nye
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