My Battler Mindset

My Battler Mindset

By: Shaun Smith- Absolute Mental TrainingThe Canadian Remembrance Day and Americans Veterans Day is an important day in that it honours the millions of soldiers that have gone into battle for our country. These soldiers did and still do risk their lives to ensure the safety of billions of people with little or no thanks. On this Remembrance and Veterans Day I hope that you take some time out of your day to honour these brave soldiers. Once you have done this take some time think about what you can learn from soldiers that can help you as an athlete. Some time ago I was working with an athlete who would use any excuse to allow himself to fail during his sport. Illness or just chalking up a poor performance to a bad day was frustrating to everyone who had helped this athlete become one of best athletes at his level. It was during one of our sessions that I tied his love for studying war with his athletic career and designed the Battler Mindset. The Battler Mindset is something that I now use often with the athletes I work with to help them to compete on a regular basis. For many athletes not feeling good or struggling to play because of tough luck become excuses for struggling to play at our best and allows us to think its okay to have a poor performance. In war, soldiers are not able to allow themselves to lose because a loss could end up in the death of their fellow soldiers or themselves. There are many factors which are common between sports and war which is why the Battler Mindset is quite simple. Ask yourself what mental characteristics make a great soldier? Once you have thought about what makes a soldier great decide how you can use these characteristics on the battlefield of your sport. Not sold on the list that you have come up with; below is a list of mental characteristics that I believe make a soldier great and every great athlete contains these same characteristics:

1. Aggressive- Mentally tough athletes are aggressive when they experience success. Just like a soldier, an athlete who is not aggressive will find themselves backed into a corner where they cannot get out of. Being aggressive is often the key to any sport so practice working on being aggressive and making plays happen within your sport.

2. Committed- Great soldiers are committed to fighting for their country and their fellow soldiers. Commitment is the willingness to do what’s necessary to get the result you want. Mentally tough athletes focus their time and energy on their goals and dreams. Setting goals that follow your dreams will help you to reach your goals and dreams.

3. Competitive- Great soldiers, just like athletes, are extremely competitive. They hate to lose. A competitor will find a way to win. Competitors take bad breaks and use them to drive themselves just that much harder. They know how to get rid of the distractions that may be bothering them and are focused on the ultimate goal of winning.

4. Composure- Soldiers need to stay composed when faced with great adversity in the line of battle. If they were to lose their composure they would risk both their lives and those of their fellow soldiers. Mentally tough athletes know how to stay focused and deal with adversity. Even in big games they are able to keep themselves focused on factors which are relevant to their sport.

5. Confident- Great soldiers believe that they are great and they can accomplish anything that they put their mind to. Confident athletes have that same can-do attitude, a belief that they can handle whatever comes their way. By seeing and believing in yourself you can create those confident feelings even when you may be struggling. Confidence can be built through positive self-talk and Imagery.

　

6. Consistency- Great soldiers are able to show up even when physically they are beaten or tired. Just like great soldiers, great athletes possess an inner strength that allows them to play at their best even when they’re feeling their worst. They don’t make excuses. You can gain consistency through a strong pre-game plan.

7. Control- Soldiers have to be able to control their emotions and arousal level in the face of great adversity. Losing control of their emotions could put their lives at risk. Successful athletes are able to control their emotions and behaviour. They focus on what they can control and don’t allow things that are out of their control to affect them.

8. Courage- Soldiers are the most courageous people in the world. They are willing to risk their own lives for the greater good of the world. Mentally tough athlete must be willing to take a risk as well. That’s what peak performers do. You must be willing to try and if you fail, learn that you have not failed but rather are learning.

9. Dependability- Great soldiers are dependable. No matter the situation they are reliable in the face of battle and can be depended on when times are tough. Great athletes are equally dependable as they need to be trusted by the rest of their team during the big games to make things happen. Hold yourself to being dependable and you will be the go to guy when times are tough.

10. Decisiveness – Soldiers, both past and present, have to have the ability to make decisions promptly. Sports are often about a series of decisions which need to be made quickly, promptly and successfully if the athlete is to experience success. Work on trusting your instincts and working on your decision making process so that you can be successful when it matters.

11. Humility- Humility is one of the greatest characteristics that athletes can learn from soldiers. Athletes who are humble often are the best athletes in their sport because they have a modest opinion of their importance and current skill level. By being modest they can continue to work towards being the best. When an athlete fails to be humble they believe that there is no room for improvement and fail to get better. Be humble so that you can continue to improve everyday as an athlete.

12. Love The Game- Soldiers love what they do. They love that they are doing something to make the world a better place. Just like soldiers, mentally tough athletes love the game. They love making big plays, quality competition, the challenge and everything else that has to do with playing their sport. Love can inspire great performances. Love is one of the most powerful forces available to us as human beings. Love for the game can overcome fear. All great athletes share a love for the game. Re-create your love for the game and you will gain success.

13. Persevering- Great soldiers are just like great athletes in that they persevere though the largest of obstacles and never give up. Athletes who persevere are athletes who maintain a purpose in spite of difficulty, obstacles or discouragement. No matter what the score may be or what is going on within the game or in their personal life these athletes maintain a focus and fight through everything. Champion athletes don’t know how to give up.

14. Personal Accountability- Soldiers are expected to be accountable for their actions and if not can be dismissed early. Athletes who are personally accountable are able to take the responsibilities that come with being an athlete in their sport and ensure that they complete the tasks assigned to their position. Hold yourself personally accountable for your actions within your sports and you will experience success in your sport.

　

15. Positive Attitude - Soldiers need to have a positive attitude or they will find themselves at risk very quickly. Mentally tough athletes, just like soldiers, have a positive attitude. Athletes cannot allow their negative thoughts take over or they will find themselves in a tough spot failing to perform at their best.

16. Pride - Great soldiers take pride in what they do on a regular basis and value the opportunity to continue to do this on a regular basis. Great athletes are just like great soldiers in that they won’t let tough luck stop them from performing their tasks on a regular basis. They take pride in their hard work and will continue to work hard in front of all obstacles.

17. Respect - Just like soldiers, athletes need to respect their fellow teammates and coaches so that they can be a part of the team and work towards a goal. An athlete can have the greatest coaches in the world but if he does not respect the coach he will not learn anything from the coach. Respect your coaches and teammates and they will be there for you during battle.

18. Senses of Deserving - Great soldiers believe that they deserve to be the best. This is why great soldiers make great leaders. Just like great soldiers, great athletes believe that they deserve to exhibit their abilities. When presented with an opportunity they will take it and won’t hold anything back. They feel as though they are good enough and they expect a good outcome. Others don’t expect success or they need permission to go for it. Remember, if you don’t believe you deserve a good outcome, it’s unlikely you’re going to make it happen.

19. Unselfishness – Great soldiers put themselves second. They fight for their fellow soldiers and their country and avoid providing for one's own comfort at the expense of others. Look at all great athletes and you will find a very unselfish person. They play hard not just for themselves but for their teammates and their teams’ followers.

20. Work Ethic - Somewhat related to pride, great soldiers have a very strong work ethic and never take a day off. Take a look at the athletes that are on the top of your sport and you will find athletes who work harder than anyone else in their respective sports. Make sure that you are not being out worked by your competition and you will experience success.

I hope that you find this list of characteristics that make up both great soldiers and athletes helpful. I call this my battler mindset in hopes that athletes will understand that when the going gets tough they need to get going. Tough luck cannot be an excuse for athletes. They need to push through any obstacles and the battler mindset allows you to fight as though you are fighting for your life. Visit your battler mindset regularly to remind yourself of what you need to do when faced with adversity.