Answer: You are letting your old beliefs trick you.
First off, it's not your fault. We all have old beliefs that try to hold us back from our full potential.
Bad News: You are going to have negative thoughts, negative beliefs, doubts, fear, worries, all that bologna.
Good News: You can overcome them!
1 The next time you have an old belief, negative thought, doubt, fear, or worry... I want you to get CURIOUS!
Example:
Belief: I'll never be a forward on my soccer team.
CURIOSITY: Why do I think that? Where is that coming from? When did I start believing this?
2 Journal and answer those curious questions to work through those old beliefs.
Example: Because the other girl playing forward is really good. Because I've been playing midfielder for so long and my coach has never put me in at forward. I don't even know, but I keep thinking it.
Insight here: If that girl can do it, so can you, but it starts with your beliefs (next step). Maybe you haven't even had a conversation with your...
If you want to start choosing different and confident thoughts, you have to practice!
Here's how...
1Brainstorm positive statements about yourself - be super nice!
Examples: I am strong!, I can do hard things!, I will always bet on me., I am valuable!
2Write them down!
3 Put them somewhere you'll see!
4Say them out loud over and over again!
It's that easy!
Respond with a if you are going to take action and use affirmations to build confidence!
Keep on keepin’ on,
Paige
I know you are playing up an age group. Playing with the better competition. Pushing yourself to be better.
I also know that surrounding yourself with older and more experienced athletes can be a confidence killer if you're...
not playing as much as you want
keep comparing yourself to your teammates
keep comparing yourself to the athletes on the other teams you play
constantly feeling like you're never going to be good enough
I want you to remember this... your journey as an athlete is long, like a marathon. If you are putting yourself on teams that are out of your comfort zone, it will pay off in the long run.
It is going to feel challenging. It is going to feel sucky. It is going to feel hard.
Keep learning from your challenges.
Keep learning from the suckiness.
Keep learning from the hard times.
You will be so proud and amazed with yourself when you are passing up other girls because you stuck to it. You fought for it!
Focus on being grateful for the challenges, the suckiness,...
Warming up body:
Pre-game warm ups with your team = normal
Stretching = normal
Warming up mind:
Mindset warm up = not normal
Confidence warm up = not normal
Pre-game visualization = not normal
Journaling before game = not normal
You guys!
We have to start making warming up our mind NORMAL!
Having a pre-game routine, not just warming up with your team, is going to be a game-changer with your confidence.
AND -- it's EAASYYYYYY!
Here are some things you can do to add to your pre-game routine to feel confident, excited, motivated, and ready to freakin' GOOOOO!
Visualize what you want to happen in your game
Write down powerful affirmations
Breathe
Watch a highlight video or videos of you crushing it (save to album)
Dance
Listen to music
Write down what you are grateful for (good and challenges)
What is your favorite thing to do for pre-game routine? Reply here!
Keep on keepin' on!
-Paige
Reasons you aren't confident…
Your pre-game warm up with your team determines how confident you'll be in the game
The first 5-10 minutes of your game determines your confidence the rest of the day
The way you played or practiced this week determines how confident you play in your next game
Results, results, results.
You're constantly focused and zoned in on what the results are saying instead of…
CREATING YOUR CONFIDENCE!
Your confidence comes from within you. It isn't determined by your results.
This is the entire mission of The Confident Athlete program.
To take control of creating your confidence.
So many times we tell ourselves and hear from our coaches, "Just be confident."
Well... nobody is showing you HOW. That's where The Confident Athlete program comes in.
We are learning...
How to grow and work on the mental game
How to be more mindful of your thoughts and actions
How to use tools to tap into your confidence when you need it the most
If you're...
We've all been there…
Maybe you finally downloaded one of my freebies and you're going to start working on your mental game.
Maybe you were going to write down some goals to work on the mental game.
Maybe you don't even know where to start…
And instead... you start scrolling the gram for hours (playing video games anything but being productive).
Then, just like this silly reel...
You don't feel confident.
Went 0-3 in your game (bad performance).
Lost your D1 scholarship.
Your parents are disappointed in you.
You're still not confident.
Everyone keeps telling you to work on your mental game, but do you know how to work on your mental game?
Replay with a for yes OR a for no
Keep on keepin’ on,
Paige
I know I talk about thoughts and words and self talk a lot, but I’m SO serious!
Your words are so incredibly powerful.
They can be the difference in you being confident or stuck in the self-sabotage cycle for wayyyyy too long.
I can C L E A R L Y remember in my first 3 years playing college softball for Northwestern, I was telling myself such crap (not the smiling emoji kind).
I remember going into my at-bats telling myself things like…
I can’t get a hit off this girl
If I don’t get a hit, I’ll get pulled out of the lineup
If I don’t get a hit, my batting average will drop
If I don’t get a hit, I’ll disappoint my parents
Literally setting myself up for failure. I was defeated before I even stepped in that box. I didn’t even give myself a real shot.
I can also C L E A R L Y remember when I started telling myself powerful words instead.
Things like…
Hitting is easy
I can hit anything this girl throws me
...
Don’t you hate it when girls are too confident...
Ummmm NO!
We freakin’ love it!
Girllllll! Own your confidence unapologetically!
Show up big!
Do your thing!
Be YOU!
Shine bright!
It’s okay to be confident! It’s not rude. It’s not annoying. It’s not too much. Your confidence is what will allow others to be confident!
When you’re confident, GREAT THINGS HAPPEN!
Not sure where to start? Or how to create that confidence?
I’ve got you covered
The Confident Athlete Program is opening up this summer! Get on the waitlist for ALL the details, bonuses, and more!
Keep on keepin’ on,
Paige
If you are the girl who is…
Super hard on yourself
Your own worst enemy
Let the results determine your play
Always getting down on yourself
..then this one is for you girl!
If you want to really believe in yourself and feel that true confidence, you HAVE to start celebrating the wins more.
This is all about balance. It can be a really simple shift of mindset!
As athletes our balance is usually tipped to one side. The side of being hard on ourselves, looking at what we need to improve on, what isn’t good enough, etc. etc., you get the point!
We rarely look at all the things we are doing well, like the consistency, the action we take, the little things!
I like to think of video in this situation. Athletes watch a lot of video, but usually we are looking at all the things that went wrong and what we need to improve -- which is a good thing because this is what makes us better….
But! I want you to start thinking about watching more of the video where you...
It’s reel time, I mean go time!
Getting on this reel train via Instagram for real though (no pun intended there)! I mean, what better way to describe when you focus on the things you can control that the real magic happens (lol at me dancing)?!
When you start to feel your thoughts and expectations drifting towards things you can’t control like…
That bad call
Your coach getting mad at you
Your results
The mistake you just made
Your parents yelling random stuff from the stands
Losing
... start focusing on the things you can ACTUALLY control instead like…
Your effort
Your attitude
Your response
Your thoughts
Your trust
Your self talk
Your visualization
Your breath
SO MANY THINGS!
When you do this… I promise you that you’ll play more relaxed, have more fun, and play with the freakin’ confidence you know you deserve!
That’s when the results fall right into place.
I’ve got you girl. We practice ALLLLL of those...