This course has been created for the benefit of all sports performers who want to understand how they can develop their minds for success, just like the world's greatest performers do. Updated 2020: Now includes a Free Mental Toughness Assessment that can score your current mental skills capabilities. The ability to see a sport psychologist is not available to most amateur sports competitors through cost, culture or cost, so the course has been created to overcome these barriers. Other disciplines such as business, military and high pressure vocations can use this course as there is considerable overlap.
This course has been created for the benefit of all sports performers who want to understand how they can develop their minds for success, just like the world's greatest performers do. Updated 2020: Now includes a Free Mental Toughness Assessment that can score your current mental skills capabilities. The ability to see a sport psychologist is not available to most amateur sports competitors through cost, culture or cost, so the course has been created to overcome these barriers. Other disciplines such as business, military and high pressure vocations can use this course as there is considerable overlap.
The material has been extracted from the scientific literature and packaged into a simpler to understand approach for all students. It is supported by documents, examples and strategies for you to apply.
There is no doubt from the evidence that if 2 competitors are of equal fitness, technique and physical ability then the one who has worked upon their mental skills will have a considerable edge in terms of becoming victorious.
The course is structured into each of the 12 mental skills:
Professional Attitude towards performance
Goal Setting Achievement
Motivation at an Intrinsic Level
Intensity of Arousal and Anxiety
Concentration and Focus
Psychological Preparation for Performance
Self Confidence for Improvement
Emotional Control for All Circumstances
Mental Rehearsal as a Psychological Skill
Positive Thought Control for Skills and Development
Mental Toughness for Resilience, Grit and Determination
Team Cohesion & Dynamics for Synergy
The course has training videos, supporting documents, example You Tube videos and a course narrative. Everything for you to implement is free, quick and powerful in terms of your improvement.
The course can be completed in a few hours but to make lasting change in your life needs you to implement the material and practice on an ongoing basis. It is similar to the gym in so much as the brain muscle needs to be exercised regular so as to make neural changes of a long lasting nature.
Video introduction to the first 3 modules of the course highlighting the importance of a professional attitude, setting the correct type of goals and firing up your motivational behaviour.
For your information there is reference later in the course to Lance Armstrong the famous cyclist under the heading of mental toughness. We are aware that Lance admitted to taking performance enhancing substances for which we are horrified. The rumours were that the sport was rife with drug taking, so on a human level in terms of overcoming testicular, brain and lung cancer to lead the world in his chosen sport we have decided to leave him in in terms of mental toughness towards adversity namely the life threatening cancer that invaded him. We hope this decision does not offend anyone.
The mental game plan document will support you through the course and includes all the narrative from the videos along with activities and strategies that help you put them into practice.
After this module you will be able to understand the attributes that are best for great performance and success, as well as the main areas to focus upon and those to let go of. You will also understand the best behaviours that you can exhibit to help you along your way.
After this module you will be able to write and set your perfect types of goals that conform with great practice to drive you on towards your dreams. You will know the difference between process, performance and outcome goals and when to use each.
After this module you will know the views of motivation and the different types. You will have discovered what really works and what doesn't and why one leads to great satisfaction and the other can lead to maladaptive behaviour. The mindset theory will be covered that triggers dopamine responses in the brain as you seek reward and move away from any threat.
Video discussion about the final 9 modules in the course helping the sports/business person become mentally tough and in total control of their emotions. Intensity looks at arousal, stress and pressure areas of performance; concentration moves in on focus and where you direct your attention; psychological prep prepares you for performance with routine and consistency; self confidence highlights the concept of self efficacy and being confident in the task; emotional control shows helpful and unhelpful emotions for your performance; mental rehearsal introduces imagery, visualisation and mental practice; positive thought control highlights helpful and unhelpful thoughts and how they fire off your feelings and behaviours; mental toughness is bringing all the skills in harmony and finally teams in terms of cohesion and dynamics.
After this module you will understand how stress, arousal and anxiety link together and how to manage them all. There are strategies for controlling stress and pressure both in your mind and your body.
After this module you will have a clear strategy for reducing muscle tension anywhere in your body after listening to the demonstration. It is well known that tension in the muscles affects performance in terms of your technique and your mindset.
After this module you will know how to apply the right focus to the right activity along with tips for improving your focus generally. You will also understand how attentional cues and performance routines can give you razor sharp focus when you need it.
After this module you will know how routines help prepare you for the big day. They enable you to keep your focus on the right things and avoid distractions from ruining your performance. To be able to focus upon a routine ensures consistency, being present and relaxed even when under extreme pressure.
After this module you will know how confidence affects everything that we do and particularly our motivation towards challenges in life. If you are short of confidence then you will avoid the opportunities that come your way. This module will show you how to develop more confidence and how to continually keep your confidence tank topped up.
After this module you will be fully aware that a moment of madness can ruin a life's work. We show you here how to gain emotional mastery and allow you to develop the time between stimulus and response so that you can respond in an appropriate way. You will realise that 2 parts of the brain are in conflict here and one is more powerful and faster than the other, so work is needed here today.
After this module you will know how to visualise to enhance your performance and to make brain changes for the better. You now have great strategies for developing your own imagery plan and applications as to where you can use it.
After this demonstration you have a good idea of how a visualisation script works so that you can develop your own for down time, practice, competition, after competition, training etc. You now know how to make it specific to you and how to incorporate all the senses for more effectiveness.
After this module you will understand that thoughts are the start of everything. They link with what you say to yourself, how you feel and how you behave. Get them right and you will notice positive changes in your life. You have also learnt strategies to deal with poor thoughts and to turn them around for your benefit.
After this module you have a better understanding of what mental toughness is and what it isn't. It has been categorised into 4 quadrants of mental toughness;
By understanding these and incorporating the other mental skills modules you will now face and overcome adversity, welcome change and pressure and bounce back from any setbacks due to enhanced resilience.
After this module you now understand various aspects around the psychology of teams. Areas such as your role in a team, the team's motivation, the spirit of a team and team building now help you to act and perform differently to ensure that the team thrives and all the individuals within it.
Overview of the process that you have just completed and continue to use in your daily lives for enhanced performance allowing you to live with passion, overcome setbacks and adversity, remain calm and composed under pressure and always find yourself in the optimal performance state.
A post helping you improve your mental toughness.
Performance Culture for Work and Sport
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