
Practical tips that will help you put yourself in a better position to succeed
Whatever youâre looking to achieve in your life, you are going to face some setbacks. How you respond to those will play a big part in whether you are successful or not in your endeavors. But being resilient is easier said than done.
We spoke to mindset coach Caroline Britton who works with athletes and entrepreneurs, about six methods you can try to improve the way you approach your goals. Each can work in its own way, but Britton recommends starting with the first three in order.
1. Know Your Why
âWhen youâre trying to take your performance to the next level it takes a lot of work, so unless you have rooted yourself in the why, itâs very difficult to keep up the momentum,â says Britton. âThatâs why you see people stalling.
âI always recommend writing a one-page mission statement saying what youâre trying to achieve, why, and how youâre going to do it. Then read it every morning. Youâre programming yourself.â
2. Use Empowering Statements
Having a positive mantra in mind can boost your confidence, but you need to commit to it â it needs to be personal and provoke a reaction from you.
âMake sure itâs something that really resonates with you and then use your physiology alongside that,â says Britton. âMy clients might sit there and say âIâm successfulâ or âIâm an elite athleteâ, but theyâre not saying it with their body, with conviction. Say it with your shoulders back, chest out, head held high â it makes a massive difference.â
3. Surround Yourself With Positivity
âWhen youâre trying to achieve something, think about who and what youâre surrounding yourself with. Listen to positive podcasts and audiobooks, read inspiring stories, watch inspiring things on television, and speak to people who have done the same things and got good results.
âIf youâre all doom and gloom it will make a massive impact on how you feel and how you act. If you can think âWell they did it so I can do itâ, youâll come at it from a completely different angle.â
4. Do Regular Breathing Exercises
Whenever youâre feeling anxious Britton suggests this simple breathing exercise: breathe in for three seconds, hold for four seconds and then breathe out for five seconds. However, this isnât just something to use in a pinch. You can make breathing exercises a regular part of your day.
âThe exercise brings us back to the present, so all weâre focusing on is our breathing,â says Britton.
âIt can be a cure, but also preventive if we choose to focus on our breath throughout the day. Set an alarm on your phone, three or four times throughout the day, to check whether youâre breathing shallowly or deeply, and focus on your breathwork.â
5. Practice Visualization
âItâs important to be very clear about what you want to achieve and to spend time visualizing yourself in that state, because we become what we believe we are,â says Britton. âOur thoughts dictate our feelings and then our feelings dictate our actions. If youâre telling yourself youâre not going to be able to do it and feeling despondent then you act from that place. If you can switch to saying you have a clear vision of what you want to do, it makes you feel empowered, excited and optimistic, and you act from that place and get much better results.â
Britton recommends practicing visualization first thing in the morning and last thing at night.
âSpend ten minutes getting yourself in âthe zoneâ,â says Britton. âSit quietly where you canât be interrupted and imagine yourself performing at your peak. Feel it in your body. Imagine exactly how you want to perform and feel the elation as you achieve it.â
6. Write It Down
âJournal every day â write down all your thoughts and feelings, including the reasons you know you can perform well,â says Britton. âThis is a highly effective form of mindfulness for performance.
âEvery time something goes well or you get given a compliment, write it down. It helps build confidence.
âMake a list of all the reasons that you are capable and why you are able to get to where you want to be.
âNote down your strengths and qualities, and donât focus on your perceived weaknesses. I am a big believer in getting excellent at what you are really good at rather than focusing on working on your weaknesses. What skill do you have that you can become really excellent at?â
âWrite down how you felt going into your training, workout or event. What was your mental state? Do you find that when feeling down, in a bad mood or not up for it, you perform worse? Use this to recognize the powerful impact mindset can have and ensure that, come your next event, youâll be in a happy headspace to perform.â
Written by Nick Harris-Fry for Coach and legally licensed through the Matcha publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@getmatcha.com.