Effective Goal Setting Have you ever found yourself feeling like you are always thinking about your craft but never actually getting anywhere? This weeks challenge is based in where we put our attention and how we might be able to make a bit more progress by focusing on the most important things to help us achieve out dreams. This is all about effective goal setting. There are a lot of goal setting tutorials out there to help you set effective goals but, in my personal opinion, just having goals does not really do much for us outside of a little motivation and developing an understanding of what we intend to do. Just because you know where you want to go does not help you get there. This is where our attention comes into play. How much of your attention is being placed on outcome goals or all of the things that you want VS process oriented goals or all of the things you need to do to get there? The Challenge Don't get me wrong, having outcomes goals are important however what is more important is engaging in and acting on the process to get there more [...]

Let's set up the scene here. Let's go out to the 9th hole of a beautiful green golf course. This hole is a longer par 3 with a pristine pond on the left and the hole lies directly in the center of a large green. There are 2 sand traps on the left of the green and one on the front right. Now, I hope you can imagine this scene in your mind and as you read this I would like you to take yourself to the tee box behind your ball and line up your shot. At this point, you have a few different strategies that you could set in your mind. You could go for the center of the large green, which is technically what you SHOULD do, however, a creeping doubt enters into your mind regarding the pond on the left. You look at the pond and you think to yourself, don't hit it left! As you approach the ball to hit it, you put a little more attention on that doubt and think again, don't hit it left! Now, at this point, I bet you can imagine what is likely to happen. You [...]

Mental Grit spoke with former lacrosse standout Jake Ferrin about how the psychology of athletes helps shape them by learning mental skills in their younger playing days, can help them to better transition into adolescence. The long-term positive effects of participating in sports are well known. Playing sports can teach a number of life skills as well as promote a lifestyle of health and fitness. It can even be financially lucrative for a few. However, not much has been said about the lifelong psychological and social benefits that come from a life of sports participation. These effects last well beyond the childhood and adolescent years in which sports participation is widespread and popular with the future leaders of tomorrow. Through sport, young people have a platform to gain confidence that can help them realize or even exceed what they might think is the limit of their potential. Most importantly it teaches how with success and failure at an early age. Dealing with Failure Like in life where everybody succeeds and fails, in sports ‘you win some and you LOSE some’ – failure is inevitable necessary, not only in the win-loss column but also in developing the necessary skill [...]

For athletes, a bad attitude in sports is like a flat tire. We all experience tough times, bad days and obstacles as human beings. But having the right attitude can make adversity just a little easier to overcome. These tough circumstances are sometimes out of our control but our attitude is something that can be controlled. It’s unrealistic for an athlete to expect a world-class performance every time they compete. But always having a positive attitude in sports and giving a good effort can take an athlete a far way in sports and in life. It is this that shapes the narrative of Tim Duffy. Tim, a 45-year-old triathlete, who only started doing the rigorous and demanding triathlon four years ago at the age of 41. Tim, who can be seen as not having the optimal body type and too old to get into the sport has accomplished 4 half ironmans and 1 full ironman race, each race faster than the last. The half ironman consists of a 1.2-mile open water swim, a 56-mile bike ride, and a 13.1 mile run. Where the full ironman doubles those distances in each discipline. His very entrance into the sport was [...]

Unlock your mental strength and increase your performance with Nate Last. Find out why he doesn’t agree that performance is 90% mental and 10% physical, and how to control the images in your mind. Plus, listen to his new adventures into the world of triathlon. The Kick Podcast

I was sitting on the concrete steps in Town Square on Sunday morning at the conclusion of a three-day triathlon camp preparing for the St. George Ironman 70.3 North American Pro Championships, when I heard Nathan Last, a Salt Lake City sports psychologist consultant, refer to a state of mind every athlete has felt at one point of his or her life: "the suck" (N. Detling, personal communication, 2014) When I first heard this, I hadn't really registered what "the suck" meant, but after he explained it, I realized it was a concept that rang true for both amateur and professional athletes, and it is a problem that, if not controlled, can bring an athlete down quicker than you would imagine. "The suck"  is that state of mind where you fill yourself with negative self-talk and... Read More at The Spectrum

Rock climbing is one of the most physically demanding sports, one that often tests a climber's physical and mental strength, endurance, intricate footwork, agility and balance. But contrary to what many people believe, success in the sport of rock climbing is dependent upon more than a long list of physical factors. Many climber surveys, and psychological research all point to mental strength as the most influential factor in whether a climber succeeds or not. This is the case for rock climber Paul Robertson, who spoke to Mental Grit about the mental side of rock climbing and how he develops his mental strength. “Rock climbing is 80-90% mental because for me, some days I will attempt something that is super easy and just fail and then attempt something that I didn’t have high expectations to succeed with and do great on it,” said Paul, who successfully completed a 5.13 route. The Balancing Act As the saying goes our bodies were made primarily to carry our brains, meaning you might be in great physical shape but if you don’t have an equally strong and willing mind, chances are you will not achieve optimal sports performance as an athlete. “I always try to find that [...]