Peak performance is not a skill you can only occasionally access. It is a mindset that you need to have before, during, and after every game you play. How you approach the game will determine how well you perform. Because if you don’t put your best foot forward by approaching every game with the right attitude and mindset, peak performance isn’t likely to happen. Performance in any arena hinges on your mental preparation for the game, and your ability to stay focused throughout the duration while managing your emotions.

Recently, I was coaching an athlete on how to maintain focus and emotional balance during games. He had an epic pre-game routine that would help him get in the right mindset where he felt confident and ready to compete. The problem was that as soon as he felt like his team was losing momentum and falling behind, or that his performance wasn’t up to his expectations, he would easily get frustrated. Those emotions would take him out of the game because he was being really hard on himself and expecting himself to carry the whole team. The problem was not his effort, but rather that he didn’t quite know how to control his emotions. In just a few moments, he would go from calm, cool, and collected, to emotionally and mentally out of the game.  A lot of athletes go through this so here are some tips to help you get in the right mindset before a game, and also to help you stay in the right mindset.

5 Ways to Get in the Right Mindset Before a Game… and Stay There

1. Know your why.

Why are you playing? What is the driving factor behind your passion for the game? Knowing and reminding yourself of why you love what you do is the first step to getting into the right mindset for peak performance. This is a big key because if you are playing for the wrong reasons, you will feel it. If you are playing for something that is not authentic to you, you will most likely feel like you are inauthentic while playing.

So, how do you find your “why?” It’s likely an emotional answer. For example, you may think your why is to get to the next level, but what’s behind that? It is the pay day? What’s behind the reason for wanting that check? Keep asking “why” until you get to an answer that has an emotional and authentic connection that instantly motivates you.

Pro tip: Try not to make your “why” solely about proving someone wrong. You can be motivated by showing that you can do what everyone said you couldn’t do, but make sure that your “why” is about you. Think more about what you are proving to yourself, rather than what are you proving to other people because focusing too much on other people is distracting and can quickly take you out of the game. Create a “why” that’s centered on what you want for you. It will go a long way in keeping that authentic connection and emotional power over your own actions.

2. Visualize the game.

Put yourself in the game before it even begins. While you are visualizing, don’t just see the game, feel the game as if you are there playing it. Envision the answers to questions like:

• What do the field, your opponent, and the stadium look like?
• What is the weather like, and what is the overall vibe of the game?
• How do you feel while you are playing?
• What happens during the first play of the game?
• What do you do after you score the final goal?
• What do your hands feel like gripping the ball?
• What do the cleats digging into the turf feel like?
•  What does the sweat running down your face feel like?
• What does it feel like to run around the field?

Many athletes will use this technique to help them mentally prepare to go through the game, but it can also work for training and workouts.

Pro tip: Visualize a scenario where a mistake happens, and how you quickly recover by staying emotionally balanced and on your game. Focus on being in the moment, not worried about the past or future, but rather in the flow of the game.

3. Practice focusing on your breathing.

This is something you can do whether you are at home, in the car, on the bus, or before you step on the field. There are many apps and programs out there that focus on meditation and mindfulness. There are also many books that dive into these topics and can be a great way to start.

What does focusing on your breathing mean? It means that you are breathing in and out for a specific purpose. One example is that you are breathing in for three seconds and out for six seconds. Another example is that you are breathing in for six seconds and out for six seconds. The specific number isn’t important — what is important is that you have a specific number in mind with each breath you are taking. While focusing on your breathing, don’t just focus on the breath entering and exiting your body, think about what you want to bring into the game with that breath. What is one thing you want to focus on during the game? What is one emotion that you want to feel? What is one thought that you want to have? Bring whatever you want to the surface with each breath.

Pro tip: If you feel your mindset shifting during the game, or even if you are emotionally reacting to adversity, pause for a moment. Take 3 deep breaths. With every inhale, focus on just your breath slowing down your stress and bringing you back to inner balance. With every exhale, imagine letting go of the obstacle and going back to what you know how to do in the flow of the game. Use your breath to help you reset and refocus.

4. Be proactive rather than reactive.

This is a big one that many people forget or don’t even realize they are doing. Being reactive is being a reactionary person and allowing the game to dictate the moments that happen. Letting the game dictate the game is dangerous for your mental state. You will be more likely to get stressed out, get anxious, get angry, and more likely to feel like you are in a negative state of being.

Being proactive is being the instigator and being in charge of the moments that happen during the game. It means that you are in charge of your emotions, thoughts, and actions. You are the one who decides if you are going to be positive or negative. You are the one who decides if you are going to be aggressive or passive. You are the one who decides if you are going to be in the moment or get caught up in what happened in the past or what could happen in the future.

Pro tip: Get to know yourself better. Figure out what triggers you to react in a way that throws you mentally out of the game. This way you can prepare, instead of reacting. Also, train yourself daily to be in a victory mindset and a growth mindset. Just like you train your body, you have to train your mental muscle too. What’s important about this is that you learn to observe what’s going on around you, and your responses, so that you can train your mind to notice and then respond, rather than react out of habit. This is a very powerful mindfulness tool.

5. Stay in the zone in the moment.

You have spent time getting in the right mindset before the game. You have identified your “why,” visualized the game in all its glory, practiced focusing on your breathing, and been proactive instead of reactive. Now, it’s time to bring everything together and stay in the zone in the moment. Being in a zone can feel like magic. No matter what happens around you, you don’t get caught up in it. If a play goes wrong, you stay in the moment and don’t allow it to affect you. If something off the field goes wrong, you stay in the moment and don’t allow it to affect you. Being in the zone in the moment means that you have spent the time necessary to get in the right mindset before the game, and while you are playing, you have done everything in your power to stay in the moment.

Pro tip: Mindfulness guru, George Mumford, once advised Kobe Byrant, “the best way to score is to try not to score.” What he meant by that was that he wanted Kobe to focus on what he was doing and not how he was doing it. We often judge our performance as it’s happening, which takes us out of the moment and out of the flow of the zone. In his book, The Mindful Athlete, George tells this story and goes on to share how Kobe’s performance in that game improved. Be totally in the moment. You can analyze the game later. Be laser-focused on maintaining flow and your inner balance.  

There is a lot that goes into getting into the right mindset before a game. The key is to not only get in the right mindset but to also stay in the right mindset throughout the game. This requires you to be mindful of what you are doing and thinking throughout the game. With practice, you can stay in the moment and have a great game!

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