The Power of Positive Self-Talk

Are you starting off the new year with an athletic resolution? Maybe you want to get stronger or run faster and further, or maybe you just want to incorporate more movement into your daily life. If this sounds like you, it’s important to remember that your mindset is equally as important as your physical prowess. Starting off with a positive mentality puts you in the right headspace for forward progress, and helps you focus on the task ahead. When working towards a tough goal, your thoughts can be either your best ally or your worst enemy.

The following is an excerpt from Peak by Marc Bubbs. It has been adapted for the web.

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Listen to the following excerpt from the audiobook for Peak.

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Serena Williams is arguably the greatest female tennis player of all time. Serena’s physical strength, power, and quickness combined with her elite technical and tactical skills has made her a favorite in virtually every tournament she entered. But that’s not only what made her a champion. Serena spent long hours harnessing the mental aspects of the game in order to consistently defeat her opponents and win major tournaments. At every match Serena plays, the opposing player brings extra motivation to knock off the champion. When you’re the best, every opponent brings their A game against you. It’s a daunting task that Hall of Fame tennis players like Serena must endure, and physical prowess alone doesn’t lead to the ability to consistently win year after year. Serena uses positive self-talk and “power thoughts” to dial in her focus and keep her confidence high during tennis matches. A few years ago, Serena could be seen during the game change- overs in her matches reviewing a small notebook in her lap:

“You will move up”
“You will add spin”
“You are #1”
“You will win Wimbledon!”

If one of the greatest female tennis players, and arguably the greatest female athlete in any sport, needs regular mental practice to be the best, what does it say for the rest of us? The brain naturally defaults to negative thoughts, and if you don’t harness and steer those limiting thoughts, you’ll be hard-pressed to beat your opponents and win consistently. Most tennis experts agree her mental game is what separates Serena from the competition, not simply her physical gifts. Positive self-talk can be a powerful weapon.

Will Hart, PhD, renowned professor at the University of Alabama, un- covered how the language you use to describe your situation—in sport or in life—determines how you actually see it, experience it, and participate in it. Positive self-talk is a proven strategy for boosting confidence, mood, and productivity. It sounds simple, but overcoming negative self-talk is a major hurdle for even professional athletes. Negative self-talk can quickly turn small problems into big ones; it can crush mood, motivation, and as every athlete has experienced at some point . . . performance. Every athlete, no matter how great, has had negative self-talk impact the outcome of a competition. What separates the best from the rest is the elite athlete has the ability to steer their inner monologue in the right direction and wrestle it away from the doubtful subconscious mind. The best athletes can reframe things; they have short memories for poor plays or performances. They get over things quickly.