It's inevitable at times negative thoughts will pop into our heads. They can appear at any time, but usually surface when we are about to undertake a task that has huge implications on the outcome of a situation we find ourselves in. It could be a putt to win a tournament, a speech to make an impact or trying something new out of our comfort zone.
Many people struggle with negative thoughts, knowing they can destroy their performance and with that heightened awareness they unknowingly compound the issue with more follow-up negative thoughts, and so a vicious circle begins.
Successful people learn to listen their internal dialogue without judgment which helps them to move away from negative thoughts and to develop more positive constructive thinking. The lack of judgment being the eureka moment to take back control of the situation.
Next time you find yourself in the heat of the moment use the ABC to Negative Thoughts;
A - Awareness
Become Aware of your thoughts; when negative thoughts occur, where are you and what are you doing? Having an understanding of when they occur and what sets them off is the key to breaking the cycle that has held you back for so long.
B - Be Thankful
Be thankful and acknowledge their existence without any judgment. Your subconscious has been trying to deal with this issue without knowing how to. It's so easy to judge, become frustrated and angry but doing so only fuels the fire. Just let your thoughts come and go without any attention
C - Capture
Capture your emotion and focus on what you need to achieve. Negative thoughts sap your energy and power by focusing your attention on other activities which will not help you to achieve your goals. Take back control by focusing your mind on what you need to achieve in that moment, instead of wasting your energy on what can go wrong
To get you started here are a few questions for you to practice onWhat thought gives you the most problem when performing? What does that thought mean to you about yourself and your performance? How can you take that thought and make it work for you to improve your performance? If your struggling with this here is an example to help;Oh no don't shank this chip like the last time I can't chip and I'll never get better at this game Focus on your weight distribution and swing tempo
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