Every athlete knows this: look where you want to go. The mountain biker has a choice between looking at the line between the trees, or looking at the tree – and inevitably experiencing an abrupt and unpleasant physical encounter with said tree. The tennis player has a choice between looking at the ball (no matter if it is coming straight at her head or off into the stands) or looking at her opponent and trying to anticipate the opponent’s move – and inevitably missing the shot by being a fraction of a second too late on the backhand.
All success in sports has two key element: the athlete has to look where he (or she) wants to go, both during the physical act of the sport itself, as well as in visualizing the desired result. Elite athletes (you’ve seen this during the Olympics) spend time visualizing the downhill ski run, or the dive, or the gymnastics routine. Scientists have, in fact, discovered that you can learn something simply by visualizing it just as effectively as by physical practice!
But athletes aren’t the only ones who have to keep their eye on what they want: so do you!
That is, if you plan on accomplishing your goals. Can you clearly, vividly imagine your end result? Are you IN that mental movie? Do you believe that this mental image is as real as the blog you’re reading? Do you have the courage to look past the immediate (“I don’t have it”) and the “obvious” (“I can’t do that”) and GO FOR GOLD?
