The Negative Athlete: How to Help Them Be Positive

Your brain and my brain both naturally gravitate toward the negative. It’s not a character flaw, and it's not just you. It's how we're all wired. 

We notice what's wrong before we notice what's right, we replay the mistake instead of the good play, and we brace for the bad thing before we ever consider the good that might come. My wife and I are noticing it firsthand with our 7 year old, and I am starting to enjoy the process of teaching him how to think actively…

Our brains, left to their own with no mindset training, will:

• Generalize
• Distort the truth
• Delete the good and remember the bad

If nobody ever taught you how to think differently, don't feel bad about it. Most of us were never shown how. 

We were never taught to actively look for the good, to actively look for the possibilities, or to actively ask what good might come out of something that, at first glance, looks like nothing but a setback. If that's your athlete (or you), you're not behind and you're not broken. You're just normal.

The good news is that this is a habit. In mindset coaching we call it active thinking, and it's exactly what it sounds like. 

It's choosing, on purpose, to focus on the good, on what's possible, and on the potential gain hiding inside a hard moment. 

It doesn't happen by accident, and it won't happen the first time you try. It takes a little time, it takes some focus, and it takes practice. But when you actually build the habit, it will change your life and the way you see just about everything.

So here's my challenge for you today: practice it. Slow down for a second, catch where your mind is running to the negative, and choose to actively think about the good instead. Do that enough times and you'll start to notice your whole perspective shifting.

One of the most effective ways is through asking questions:

• What’s funny about this?
• What’s great about this? Or, what could be great about this if I really had to find something great about it?
• Will this even matter _______ from now?

Another way is through positive focus journaling…everyday, training your brain to look for the good. Writing about your wins, gratitudes, dreams...Positive focus journaling an exercise we get all of our mindset coaching students doing eventually.

Pause and reflect: Where is my mind naturally running to the negative right now, and what's one good thing or one possibility I could choose to focus on instead?

Dedicated to your athlete's success in sports and life,

Coach Andrew

P.S. If your athlete naturally gravitates toward the negative, in sports and/or in life, a mindset coach can help. The program is currently full and on a waitlist, but spots are opening soon. Click here to submit an application: https://forms.monday.com/forms/fdc2a89b588ce73c7521449e5a00c642?r=use1