| I believe that more top level athletes have some form | | | | to what I feared most-failing.) |
| of fear of failure. In my opinion the athletes with the | | | | After all these discoveries are written down, we need |
| highest goals, highest standards, and highest | | | | to find a way to reframe our internal reaction to the |
| expectations of themselves usually suffer from fear | | | | external trigger. What that means is that when the |
| of failure the most. These people usually tend to think | | | | external trigger is present we want our internal |
| in a pain avoidance mindset rather than a seek | | | | reaction to be reframed to something that will result in |
| pleasure mindset. | | | | a positive internal trigger. So next we need to have a |
| I believe this is what I suffer from. Last week during | | | | state of mind that will reframe our internal beliefs. |
| training I was struggling with some techniques and | | | | |
| getting frustrated with myself. My coach told me my | | | | 1. Determine what mind set we need to achieve in |
| technique was looking good and that I was just a | | | | order to succeed at changing our behavior. (Mine |
| perfectionist. Then it dawned on me that I have had | | | | would be a high level of confidence in my abilities to |
| very high standards for myself my entire life, couple | | | | compete and win) |
| that with the pressure of everyone else expecting | | | | 2. Remember an experience from our past when we |
| myself to perform at peak levels every time, it's no | | | | were in that desired mind-set and determine what |
| wonder I developed a fear of failure. | | | | type of internal reaction that was experienced and |
| I sit here writing this article slight anxiety has built up | | | | what exactly that experience was. (Mine was the |
| within me. I have a sense of fear that this article will | | | | Empire State games when I took the Bronze medal in |
| fail, and I can hear my inner voice warning me to not | | | | freestyle wrestling and I had a kinesthetic reaction of |
| screw this up. The fear that people who read this will | | | | an unusual sense of calm, and confidence) |
| find it to be garbage is stressful to me. This exact | | | | 3. Then determine your overall reaction of how you |
| scenario is played out during competitions. Luckily I | | | | felt, and what actions you took toward the external |
| have a moderate level of mental toughness and I can | | | | trigger. (I performed at my highest level ever and had |
| usually push past the fear during competition. Looking | | | | the most fun ever in my wrestling career) |
| back at all my previous competitions I think the fear of | | | | Now you should have a written list of both the |
| failure has hindered me from competing at my highest | | | | behavior you want to change and the behavior would |
| level. | | | | like to replace it with. |
| I am in the progress of incorporating a couple of | | | | Now the next steps are very simple, but they will be |
| Neuro-Linguistic Programming techniques that I have | | | | challenging. Every time you experience the external |
| learned reading Anthony Robbins' "Unlimited Power". | | | | trigger, you need to acknowledge it and stop the |
| | | | internal modality reaction. You will literally have to say |
| 1. Determine the behavior you would like to change. | | | | "STOP" in your own head. Next replace the initial |
| (Fear of Failure) | | | | modality reaction with the "good" reaction and keep |
| 2. Determine the external environmental trigger. What | | | | running through you head all that is associated with |
| is in the environment that triggers the undesired | | | | that good modality. This will change you overall |
| behavior? (The stress of competition) | | | | reaction to the desired behavior. These last steps |
| 3. Determine what internal modality is triggered? Do | | | | can also be done without the external trigger being |
| you see a picture? (visual modality) Do you hear a | | | | present. Since our brains cannot tell the difference |
| voice? (auditory modality) Do you feel something? | | | | between real and imaginary, you can practice alone by |
| (kinesthetic modality) (I would visualize a compilation of | | | | yourself. Imagine the external trigger, which will begin |
| past competitions where I lost.) | | | | your old patterns. At that point say "STOP" and start |
| 4. Determine what your overall reaction is to the | | | | the new pattern. Do this 20-30 times in a row every |
| aforementioned modality. (I would create poisonous | | | | day for a month and I bet you will see amazing results. |
| negative self-talk that would spawn greater fear, thus | | | | This will not happen overnight and it is not easy to |
| creating a downward spiral type loop, ultimately leading | | | | accomplish (but nothing worthwhile is ever easy right? |