Self-talk

According to Jim Taylor, "confidence is the single most important mental factor for success in sports" (41). And remember, academics is just sports for the mind! If this is a fair comparison, then it's worth looking at how we rate our confidence. 

Right now, put your finger on the pulse of your self-confidence.  How strong is that beat?   When you get up each morning, what do you say to yourself about how you will perform that day?  If you hear trash talk, then it's time to throw it out.  I'm not making this up.  What we say to ourselves matters.  Stephen J. Bull et. al. point out that "one of the most important determinants of developing and maintaining confidence is what athletes [students]  say to themselves" (43).  If we're putting ourselves down, then we're missing an opportunity to help ourselves out, on the court, on the field, or as Dr. Suess might say, in the rain and on a train, with a goat, etc.     

Bull et. al. list examples of positive affirmations for athletes like "I am strong" and "I can stay focused under pressure" (44).   Yes, these may sound cheesy.   Disco sounded cheesy, too, but that didn't keep millions of people from enjoying it for more years than was thought humanly possible. Try it.  You can boost your confidence with words, no tacky white leisure suit necessary.     

Jim Taylor adds that it takes more than just words.  Preparation, practice, struggle, and success are four other factors that help our self-confidence (49-50). First say it, then do it. It will take work.

Don't forget to call on your past achievements. I've been doing this for years without even knowing it. Sometimes when I'm in the middle of a stressful situation, I will say, "You can do this. You are a college graduate."  This once helped me get the last pickle out of the jar...and I didn't even take that class.  Recalling your successes can be a great reminder that you have made progress toward your goals - the very fact that you are sitting here reading this blog post proves it. 

Write a post discussing your own level of confidence.  What can you say to yourself that will increase your confidence about school work?  Or better yet, what can you stop saying to yourself that will increase your confidence about school work? 

Works Cited

Bull, Stephen J., Ph.D., John G. Albinson, Ph.D., and Christopher J. Shambrook, Ph.D. The Mental Game Plan. East Sussex, UK: Sports Dynamics, 1996. Print.

Taylor, Jim. Prime Sport: Triumph of the Athlete Mind. New York: Writers Club Press, 2001. Print.