The Power of the Mind
Written by Nichole Kribs

Webster’s Dictionary defines consistency as the agreement or harmony of parts or features to one another or a whole.

Consistent is a word that describes the podium finishers at the most recent CrossFit Regionals.

You see, especially from the Regional champions, how consistent their approach is to every event. That consistency helped them crush personals bests, outperform what they did in training, and dominate the competition in their Region. This also goes for all the athletes who qualified for Games, not just the 1st place finishers. The level of competition has rapidly improved and to make it to Games you must be the best out of the best.

But how do you enter the upper echelon of the sport?

How do you become one of the best, then beat the best at their own game?

One of the biggest things that can have the greatest impact is the mindset of an athlete. A mindset that expects you to play your game consistently will always be the one that prevails.

The best athletes head into competition without the assumed expectation that they will be on the podium at the end of the weekend. Even if they’ve been there before. Even if they’ve outperformed their competition in the past. They know they have to perform and do so consistently throughout the weekend to have a shot.

Here is where consistency with the mind is crucial.

You must play your own game.

Even when the stakes are high, you must continue to play your own game. This doesn’t mean that you ignore what your competition is doing. No, not at all. Instead, you have confidence in your abilities and rise to play your full potential and beyond.

It takes consistency in thought to overcome feelings of doubt, unworthiness and, instead, consistency with mindset in thinking that you BELONG on that competition floor. That you belong at Games. That you are one of the best.

This doesn’t mean that if you just think about being at Games then you will be there. These athletes live their truth. They eat, breathe and live training for Games and they pass check marks along the way. They come in top 3 at local competitions, come in top 5 at big competitions, consistently stay on top during the Open and compete with consistency at Regionals. But that finesse of elevating oneself to beat the best in the sport is a craft that takes time and practice to master.

Being consistent in competition, not allowing extrinsic elements to fluster you, and playing YOUR game will help you be your best. That best may be in your garage gym, it may be at a local competition, on the Regionals floor or the arena of Games.

Whatever that ultimate test looks like for you, know that once you’ve committed to testing your limits then consistency with your mindset will help you be your best amidst the best.

Success starts with having the right mindset.

It doesn’t matter if you are trying to qualify for regionals, start a successful business, or coach a team to a world championship; the psychological principles always remain the same. Mediocre performers quit long before they ever reach their goals and dreams. They allow fear and self-doubt to prevent them from achieving their highest potential.

The common denominator amongst the failures is a lack of mental fortitude and a stagnant mindset. The most successful people in any industry consistently have one thing in common: mental toughness.

In order to transition from average to outstanding, you must invest the time and effort to cultivate an unconquerable mindset. Having the proper mindset is invaluable and requisite for you to be successful in all areas of your life.

Mental toughness can be thought of as your ability to remain focused and persevere when faced with extremely stressful and uncomfortable circumstances.

Mental toughness is not about winning; it’s about not quitting.

Want to learn more about the power of mindset and what it takes to be an Invictus Athlete, or better yet, be successful in general? It starts with mental toughness.

Click the link below to learn more about the mental toughness training tools and strategies used by Invictus Athletes from our book, The Invictus Mindset.

 

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Miki Shelton, F/50
Miki Shelton, F/50
June 21, 2018 1:28 pm

Great article, Nichole!

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