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TRANSCRIPT
Is it
tim
e f
or
a p
osit
ive p
ep
talk
?
WO
RD
S C
HE
LS
EA
RO
FF
EY
To
ug
h lo
ve h
as its
pla
ce
, b
ut
if s
elf
-
cri
ticis
m is w
eig
hin
g y
ou
do
wn
mo
re t
han
yo
ur
be
nch
pre
ss P
B,
it m
igh
t b
e t
ime t
o f
lip
yo
ur
pe
rsp
ecti
ve
.
Po
sit
ive e
mo
tio
ns a
re s
ho
wn
to
bo
ost
ph
ysic
al an
d p
sych
olo
gic
al h
ealt
h, an
d
the P
osit
ive P
sych
olo
gy In
sti
tute
says
“th
e s
cie
nti
fic s
tud
y o
f h
um
an f
lou
rish
ing
”
that
pro
mo
tes s
tren
gth
s a
nd
vir
tues h
elp
s
ind
ivid
uals
an
d c
om
mu
nit
ies t
o t
hri
ve
.
No
neth
ele
ss, p
osit
ive p
sych
olo
gy
att
racts
its
fair
sh
are
of
cri
tics w
ho
cla
im
it f
ee
ds in
to a
n id
ealisti
c W
este
rn c
ult
ure
ob
se
sse
d w
ith
th
e p
urs
uit
of
hap
pin
ess.
Bu
t M
att
hew
Sch
ole
s, an e
xp
ert
in p
osit
ive
sp
ort
s c
oach
ing
wh
o h
as w
ork
ed
wit
h t
he
Au
str
alian
Sp
ort
s C
om
mis
sio
n a
nd
th
e
Oce
an
ia N
ati
on
al O
lym
pic
Co
mm
itte
es,
says t
he b
elief
that
po
sit
ive p
sych
olo
gy
sh
un
s d
iffi
cu
lt f
ee
lin
gs is m
isle
ad
ing
.
“Po
sit
ive p
sych
olo
gy is n
ot
ab
ou
t b
ein
g
hap
py a
ll t
he t
ime,”
he s
ays. “I
t’s n
ot
the
ab
sen
ce o
f p
rob
lem
s o
r n
eg
ative e
mo
tio
ns,
bu
t yo
ur
ab
ilit
y t
o c
op
e w
ith
th
em
.”
Sch
ole
s e
du
cate
s c
oach
es in p
osit
ive
psych
olo
gy t
ech
niq
ues a
nd
has f
ou
nd
th
at
a
mo
re o
pti
mis
tic a
pp
roach e
nh
an
ces a
thle
te
wellb
ein
g a
nd
lead
s t
o b
ett
er
perf
orm
an
ce,
esp
ecia
lly u
nd
er
pre
ssu
re. H
e s
ays learn
ing
to e
mp
hasis
e t
he p
osit
ives c
an a
ctu
ally
make y
ou t
ou
gh
er, t
ran
sfo
rmin
g lim
itin
g
beliefs
into
lo
ng
-term
resu
lts.
no
t in
flu
en
ce t
heir
lo
ng
-term
healt
h g
oals
,
or
an “
off
” d
ay d
oes n
ot
rep
resent
sta
lled
pro
gre
ss. P
ast
challe
ng
es a
nd
results d
o n
ot
neg
ati
vely
aff
ect
their
fu
ture
perf
orm
an
ce.
“Th
ey s
hif
t th
eir
th
inkin
g s
o t
hat
on
e
thin
g g
oin
g w
ron
g d
oesn
’t m
ean
th
is w
ill
alw
ays g
o w
ron
g, o
r th
at
oth
er
thin
gs w
ill
als
o g
o w
ron
g f
or
them
,” s
ays S
ch
ole
s.
“Th
e a
vera
ge p
ers
on
in
th
e g
ym
oft
en
thin
ks t
hey s
ho
uld
be im
pro
vin
g e
very
week a
nd
sh
ould
be s
tro
ng
er
every
sessio
n.
If y
ou
’re a
lways lo
okin
g f
or
imp
rovem
en
t
an
d y
ou
do
n’t
get
it, it
can
so
meti
mes
beco
me a
cata
str
op
he. N
ot
every
sessio
n
is g
oin
g t
o b
e g
reat
[bu
t] t
hat’
s o
kay
becau
se o
vera
ll, yo
u’ll sti
ll im
pro
ve.”
Sch
ole
s s
ays t
hat
train
ing
to
id
en
tify
the g
oo
d t
hin
gs n
ot
on
ly g
ive
s y
ou
a
mo
re b
ala
nce
d v
iew
of
life
; it
has f
low
-on
eff
ects
: “T
he d
ata
sh
ow
s t
hat
pe
op
le w
ho
have a
n o
pti
mis
tic e
xp
lan
ato
ry s
tyle
liv
e
lon
ge
r, a
re le
ss lik
ely
to
get
sic
k (
an
d if
they d
o g
et
sic
k, th
ey
’re m
ore
lik
ely
to
get
ove
r it
if
it’s
a s
eri
ou
s illn
ess)
, th
ey
earn
mo
re m
on
ey, an
d h
ave h
igh
er
GP
A (
gra
de p
oin
t ave
rag
e)
sco
res.”
CHANGE YOUR MIND
Befo
re y
ou
assu
me y
ou
r p
essim
ism
is ju
st
an
oth
er
thin
g t
o b
e t
icke
d o
ff a
bo
ut,
re
st
assu
red
th
at
the m
arv
els
of
neu
rop
lasti
cit
y
are
he
re t
o s
ave t
he d
ay. E
ve
n a
s a
n a
du
lt
yo
u c
an
re
learn
yo
ur
exp
lan
ato
ry s
tyle
by f
orm
ing
new
bra
in p
ath
ways t
hat
ch
alle
ng
e y
ou
r n
eg
ati
ve t
en
de
ncie
s.
“Y
ou
can
get
new
wir
ing
in
yo
ur
bra
in
really q
uic
kly
. It
on
ly t
ake
s 2
4 h
ou
rs t
o
get
se
mi-
pe
rman
en
t w
irin
g f
orm
ing
,”
says S
ch
ole
s. “Y
ou
can
[als
o]
un
learn
it
qu
ite q
uic
kly
, b
ut
the m
ore
yo
u d
o it,
the m
ore
pe
rman
en
t th
at
wir
ing
is.”
Peo
ple
wh
o e
mp
hasis
e t
heir
str
en
gth
s
rath
er
than
fo
cu
sin
g o
n w
eakn
esse
s
ten
d t
o b
e m
ore
acce
pti
ng
of, a
nd
le
ss
em
oti
on
ally a
ttach
ed
to
a s
ing
le e
ve
nt.
Th
ey a
re a
ble
to
mo
ve o
n f
rom
“fa
ilu
re”
an
d f
ocu
s o
n t
he
ir n
ext
go
al.
Perh
ap
s m
ost
imp
ort
an
tly, le
arn
ing
to
thin
k m
ore
po
sit
ive
ly b
uild
s r
ese
rve
s o
f
resilie
nce a
nd
op
tim
ism
th
at
se
rve y
ou
wh
en
yo
u n
ee
d t
he
m m
ost.
“It
help
s p
rote
ct
yo
u w
hen t
hin
gs g
o
bad
ly, b
ecau
se y
ou k
no
w h
ow
to
co
pe if
yo
u c
reate
th
e w
irin
g f
or
that,”
says S
ch
ole
s.
COACH AND CAPTAIN
Elite
ath
lete
s u
nd
ers
tan
d t
hat
the v
olu
me
of
wo
rk t
hey d
o o
ve
r a lo
ng
pe
rio
d o
f ti
me
form
s t
he b
asis
fo
r ach
ievin
g g
oals
.
If t
hey a
re u
nw
ell o
r ru
nd
ow
n, th
ey r
ed
uce
the
ir t
rain
ing
lo
ad
an
d a
cce
pt
the
re w
ill b
e
tim
es w
he
n p
erf
orm
an
ce
s s
tag
nate
.
“It
is s
om
eti
me
s b
ett
er
to m
iss a
sm
all
am
ou
nt
of
sh
ort
-te
rm t
rain
ing
to
avo
id
havin
g t
o m
iss lo
ng
er-
term
du
e t
o in
jury
,”
exp
lain
s S
ch
ole
s. “W
he
n I w
ork
wit
h
co
ach
es a
nd
ath
lete
s, w
e lo
ok a
t w
hat
has
go
ne r
igh
t, a
nd
tru
st
that
the b
ase w
ork
pu
t in
du
rin
g p
eri
od
s w
here
im
pro
vem
en
t
is h
ap
pe
nin
g w
ill p
ay o
ff late
r o
n.”
In t
eam
sit
uati
on
s, S
ch
ole
s t
each
es
co
ach
es t
o a
pp
ly f
ee
db
ack t
hat
hig
hlig
hts
str
ate
gie
s t
hat
wo
rke
d w
ell, e
mp
hasis
ing
so
luti
on
s-b
ase
d t
acti
cs f
or
de
alin
g w
ith
ne
gati
ve
s. A
do
pti
ng
th
is m
ind
set
can
he
lp
yo
u b
ou
nce b
ack f
rom
setb
acks a
nd
fo
cu
s
po
sit
ive
ly o
n n
ew
go
als
, to
o.
Ad
d t
he
se a
pp
roach
es t
o y
ou
r
gym
in
ve
nto
ry:
Kn
ow
yo
ur
en
d g
oal: Is y
ou
r lo
ng
-term
go
al w
ellb
ein
g, w
eig
ht
loss o
r in
cre
ase
d
mu
scle
? R
evie
w y
ou
r tr
ain
ing
sessio
ns w
ith
this
lo
ng
-te
rm g
oal in
min
d. R
em
em
be
r
the b
igg
er
pic
ture
. “P
eo
ple
eat
a c
ake a
nd
thin
k ‘th
at’
s it,
I’v
e b
low
n t
he d
iet’
eve
n
tho
ug
h t
hey
’ve b
een g
reat
for
six
mo
nth
s,”
rem
ind
s S
ch
ole
s.
Be
fle
xib
le: If
yo
u h
ave lim
ite
d t
ime
,
ad
just
yo
ur
se
ssio
n a
nd
be p
rou
d o
f
yo
urs
elf f
or
gett
ing
so
me t
rain
ing
in r
ath
er
than
be
ing
dis
ap
po
inte
d f
or
do
ing
le
ss.
“If
yo
u c
an
’t g
et
to t
he g
ym
be
cau
se
yo
u’v
e g
ot
to t
ake t
he k
ids t
o s
ch
oo
l, d
on
’t
str
ess a
bo
ut
that
an
d m
ake it
a b
igg
er
issu
e t
han
it
is. G
o f
or
a w
alk
th
at
day
inste
ad
,” s
ays S
ch
ole
s.
Co
nte
xtu
ali
se
: F
ocu
s o
n w
hat’
s
hap
pen
ed
over
the p
ast
six
mo
nth
s r
ath
er
than m
issin
g a
sessio
n o
ne p
art
icu
lar
week.
Says S
ch
ole
s: “L
oo
k a
t h
ow
we
ll y
ou
’ve
do
ne a
nd
wh
ere
yo
u a
re c
om
pare
d w
ith
two
years
ag
o. C
on
sid
er
ho
w m
uch h
igh
er
yo
ur
asp
irati
on
s a
re, w
hic
h in
dic
ate
s
yo
u’v
e im
pro
ve
d a
lo
t.”
Fo
cu
s o
n e
njo
ym
en
t: T
rain
ing
sh
ou
ld
be h
ard
bu
t en
joyab
le. K
eep
a jo
urn
al
rem
ind
ing
yo
urs
elf o
f th
e g
oo
d t
hin
gs. O
nce
a w
eek, w
rite
do
wn t
he f
ive b
est
thin
gs y
ou
ach
ieved
fro
m y
ou
r tr
ain
ing
pro
gra
m.
REALITY BITES
If y
ou
co
nsid
er
yo
urs
elf
a n
atu
ral
op
tim
ist,
we
’re
afr
aid
to
in
form
yo
u
that
yo
u’r
e c
he
erfu
lly
de
lud
ed
. T
he
fa
ct
is w
e’r
e a
ll b
orn
pe
ssim
ists
, a
nd
have
evo
lve
d w
ith
a n
eg
ati
vit
y b
ias t
hat
wa
s
on
ce
cru
cia
l to
ou
r su
rv
iva
l b
y k
ee
pin
g
us o
n h
igh
ale
rt
to d
an
ge
r.
Even t
ho
ug
h it
no
lo
ng
er
serv
es u
s f
rom
a lif
e o
r d
eath
pe
rsp
ecti
ve
, p
essim
ism
is
a n
atu
ral p
art
of
be
ing
hu
man
. A
nd
wh
ile
we c
an
’t c
han
ge t
hat,
we c
an
tra
in t
he
co
nscio
us b
rain
to
lo
ok f
or
the g
oo
d a
nd
develo
p t
he a
bilit
y t
o s
ee t
hin
gs in c
onte
xt.
“E
ve
ry s
ing
le p
ers
on
in
th
e w
orl
d h
as a
ne
gati
vit
y b
ias; yo
ur
su
bco
nscio
us b
rain
is a
lways lo
okin
g f
or
the n
eg
ati
ve
,” s
ays
Sch
ole
s. “W
he
n w
e p
lay s
po
rt o
r w
ork
ou
t,
we’ll re
me
mb
er
the t
hin
gs t
hat
did
n’t
wo
rk
– t
he s
ho
ts w
e m
isse
d o
r th
at
we c
ou
ldn
’t
do
th
e last
set
in t
he g
ym
. B
ut
we f
org
et
that
we ju
st
did
10
sets
in
th
e g
ym
, o
r w
e
just
mad
e 1
0 s
ho
ts. W
e r
em
em
be
r th
e
bad
stu
ff w
ell a
nd
we d
on
’t r
em
em
be
r
the g
oo
d s
tuff
so
we
ll.”
In s
pit
e o
f th
is S
ton
e A
ge c
arr
yo
ve
r,
yo
ur
overa
ll p
ers
pecti
ve is s
hap
ed
by y
ou
r
exp
lan
ato
ry s
tyle
– t
he w
ay y
ou
exp
lain
failu
re in
yo
ur
he
ad
. Y
ou
have a
50
-50
ch
an
ce o
f h
avin
g e
ith
er
an
op
tim
isti
c o
r
pe
ssim
isti
c e
xp
lan
ato
ry s
tyle
, b
y v
irtu
e
of
yo
ur
up
bri
ng
ing
.
“It’
s a
skill le
arn
ed
in
th
e f
irst
six
ye
ars
[of
life
],”
exp
lain
s S
ch
ole
s. “F
ifty
pe
r ce
nt
of
us w
ill ta
ke a
mo
me
nt
in t
ime
, d
efi
ne
ou
rse
lve
s b
y it,
th
ink it’
s g
oin
g t
o h
ap
pe
n
to u
s a
ll t
he t
ime a
nd
th
at
it a
ffe
cts
oth
er
are
as o
f o
ur
life
in
a n
eg
ati
ve w
ay.
“If
I h
ave a
pe
ssim
isti
c e
xp
lan
ato
ry
sty
le, w
he
n I m
iss a
basketb
all s
ho
t, I
’ll
say I
’m a
lo
se
r. I
’m t
he s
ort
of
pe
rso
n w
ho
mis
se
s w
inn
ing
sh
ots
. I th
ink it’
s g
oin
g t
o
hap
pe
n a
gain
an
d I
’ll als
o t
hin
k it’
ll a
ffe
ct
oth
er
are
as o
f m
y lif
e. S
o, th
at’
s w
hy m
y
gir
lfri
en
d d
rop
pe
d m
e.
“On
e o
f th
e r
easo
ns p
eo
ple
sto
p g
oin
g
[to
th
e g
ym
] is
be
cau
se t
hey m
iss o
ne
se
ssio
n. T
hey t
hin
k ‘I’m
go
ing
to
go
fo
ur
tim
es a
we
ek
’, th
en
th
ey m
igh
t g
et
sic
k,
mis
s a
co
up
le o
f se
ssio
ns a
nd
it
all f
alls
ap
art
an
d t
hey s
top
go
ing
reg
ula
rly. T
hat’
s
yo
ur
neg
ati
vit
y b
ias t
alk
ing
becau
se y
ou
’re
no
ticin
g t
he f
ew
se
ssio
ns y
ou
mis
se
d, n
ot
the 2
4 s
essio
ns y
ou
’ve b
ee
n t
o in
th
e last
thre
e m
on
ths.”
Bu
t a p
ers
on w
ith a
n o
pti
mis
tic
exp
lan
ato
ry s
tyle
will re
alise t
hat
wh
en
so
meth
ing
go
es w
ron
g, it
do
esn
’t d
efi
ne
them
. M
issin
g a
sessio
n in t
he g
ym
do
es
Learn
more
about
mast
eri
ng a
posi
tive
min
dse
t at positivesportscoaching.com.au.
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TU
RE S
TO
RY 4
544
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