As part of my recent mental toughness/peak performance deep dive in support of the elite athletes/coaches/teams we’ve been supporting, I read a book called The Pressure Principle by Dave Alred.
I got it after a new friend of mine (who shall remain anonymous but happens to be one of the world’s most elite athletes) pulled it off his book shelf when we were meeting in his study a couple months ago.
The book, as per its sub-title, is all about how to “Handle Stress, Harness Energy, and Perform When It Counts.”
Alred tells us that there are eight different facets to his philosophy.
One of them is all about the way we talk to ourselves. He tells us that the language we use is SO important that he once wrote this for the English cricket team he was coaching:
“A new performance drug is now being used in the development of England’s elite cricket players and coaches. It has been said that it is the most powerful drug known to mankind.
The performance edges that can be achieved from skillful and consistent use of this drug include: increasing self-esteem, creating a dramatic boost in confidence, reframing and transforming meaning, and changes in behaviors and attitudes.
The ‘health warning’ that accompanies this powerful drug is the fact that it is in abundance, has no monetary cost, and many people simply are not aware of its existence or power! Therefore, it can easily be misused and is often abused.
Most people are unaware of its existence. Individuals often suffer untold damage without knowing what or who the culprit is until it’s too late, and this makes it even more dangerous.
Even after the cause (careless use) and effect have been recognized and understood, it can potentially take years to repair the damage. Sadly, in many cases the individual never fully recovers from its misuse, and it can destroy self-esteem, shatter confidence and severely limit performance potential, particularly when the performance involves making decisions.”
That’s from the second chapter on the power of language called: “The Ultimate Performance-Enhancing Drug.”
I just LOVE it when authors use the metaphor of a drug to describe the power of their recommendations. We’ll discuss some of my other favorites in our next +1.
For Today…
Let’s focus on the power of the language we use when we talk to ourselves.
To do so, let’s bring to mind the wisdom from another one of my favorite writers.
In his great fable about a struggling golfer called The Mental Game (check out those Notes!) Darrin Donnelly drops this wisdom bomb…
He tells us: “What you have to remember is that the point of self-talk isn’t to deceive yourself; the point is to direct yourself. You don’t have to keep describing the negative situation; you already know what it is you’re facing. If you let that negative voice say whatever it wants in tough times, it will keep reminding you of how bad the situation is and all the things that are likely to go wrong because of it. This is when you have to take charge and talk positively to yourself. Tell yourself how you want to feel, not how you already feel. Tell yourself what you want to have happen next instead of ruminating on what already happened. This will shift your focus.
What you focus on most tends to come about. Therefore, you want your self-talk directing your focus to the thoughts, actions, and results you want, not what you don’t want.
You have to take control of your self-talk. Don’t listen to yourself. Talk to yourself. Recognize that there is an ongoing battle taking place in your mind. You must take an active role in this battle.”
I repeat…
DON’T LISTEN TO YOURSELF.
TALK TO YOURSELF.
That’s a huge distinction.
And…
That’s Today’s +1.
Here’s to popping “The Ultimate Performance-Enhancing Drug.”
Talk to yourself Heroically.
All day. Every day.
Especially…
TODAY.
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