Confidence And Focus:
An Unbeatable Pair For Your Mental Toughness (INFOGRAPHIC)
Confidence is King, but Focus is Queen.
The game of chess is NOT won by moving the king one space at a time. The King is just how the game is lost!
Chess is won by utilizing the Queen!
Within the hierarchy of mental toughness, we all know the importance of confidence. And yes, there are specific ways to build and enhance one’s confidence, but there is even a better approach to victory than just trying to address the area of confidence.
In the classic book by Sun Tzu, The Art of War, it was proposed that the strongest way to beat an opponent in battle is by flanking your opponent. Historical and modern warfare examples support that claim. Flanking your opponent means attacking from the side instead of the front which is where most of the strength of resistance resides.
I was always shocked that in the Civil War, most of the battles seemed to play out as columns of soldiers simply walking and shooting straight at one another. The greatest blunder in the Civil War was the result of a frontal assault in Pickett’s charge. Whereas the greatest victories were claimed by flanking the opponents side.
Our greatest opponent is our own mind.
Our mind has one role which is to protect itself and it does a masterful job. However trying to ONLY work on being confident is like a frontal assault in battle. Instead, we need to flank our own mind in order to build Confidence and Focus.
Within the hierarchy of mental toughness, these two infographics reveal three ways that we build your mental toughness. The mental game is simple, but not easy. Hence, after you check out these visuals, be sure top let us know which skill is harder for you to accomplish?
1. Confidence = Discipline. If you want to improve your knowledge, add something everyday. If you want improve your wisdom, remove something every day. – Lao Tse. Confidence and focus are tied with how we approach our daily disciplines. | 1. Challenge vs. Threat- Being nervous or excited result in the same physiological response. When we view events as threats and something bad can happen, we get nervous. When we view events or people as a challenge, then we get excited. |
2. Remove Comparison- Comparison is the thief of joy. But, we all do it. Here are three healthy ways to use comparison to improve. A reminder is that it’s not who gets there 1st, but who can get there and STAY there. | 2. Train yourself, don’t test yourself- Too often instead of training your mental toughness, you end up testing yourself. This slight difference in mental approach allows you more room for mistakes and learning. |
3. Let nothing bother you- Only when you can let nothing bother you, does it reflect your true level of confidence and belief that you have in yourself. | 3. W.I.N. – What’s Important Now? This skill is directly connected with your confidence and focus and your mental toughness. |
Dr. Rob Bell is a Sport Psychology Coach. DRB & associates coach executives and professional athletes. Some clients have included three different winners on the PGA Tour, Indy Eleven, University of Notre Dame, Marriott, and Walgreens.
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