How Do You Achieve Your Athletic Potential?
More importantly, what holds an athlete back from reaching their potential?
When athletes are young, they are motivated by their successes. These young athletes search for ways to improve their games. They work on technique, push themselves in practice and training, and take advantage of every opportunity to lift their game to the next level.
They are excited to put in the work. Success builds on their desire for more success. Progress towards potential slows when athletes become satisfied with what they have already achieved.
Instead of exploring future success, they become content with yesterday’s accomplishments. Contentment can create a reluctance to step outside your comfort zone.
The problem with staying in your comfort zone is performance plateaus. Success becomes few and far between. Due to a lack of results, you start to lose motivation, and your effort decreases.
Practicing that was once fun and exciting is now perceived as drudgery or even punishment. You experience greater lapses in focus during training sessions and competitions.
Next, your performance plateaus turn into a decline in athletic performance. You falsely conclude that you have gone as far as you can in your sport and often quit before maximizing your potential.
On the other hand, if you celebrate past successes but still challenge yourself in your training, you maintain a high level of motivation. Striving for your potential requires a commitment to constant improvement. It is doing things that other athletes are not willing to undertake.
Striving for your potential is a mindset that helps you make the most of your opportunities for growth. It is learning from losses and mistakes.
Ultimately, striving for your potential is breaking through comfort, and instead of being satisfied with yesterday’s achievements, it’s building upon those successes.
New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers is committed to working towards his potential every day. The Giants selected Nabers in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
In seven games, Nabers has 557 receiving yards and is one of the leading receivers despite missing two games due to a concussion. Even with all of his success in college and during his rookie season, Nabers is not resting on his laurels.
NABERS: “I know I’ve been doing the right things out there on the field, but I still feel like I’ve got a lot left that needs to be handled. I’m not where I want to be right now. I’m not finished, I never even got started.’’
Athletes don’t stumble upon success, nor do they fall into their potential. If you are not actively working towards your potential, you stagnate in contentment.
Ask yourself, “What three things can I do this week to challenge myself and expand my current level of performance?”
After you identify these three items, break them down further: what can I do today to lift my game to the next level?
This commitment to excellence daily in your training will keep you focused and motivated to expand your game and come closer to your potential.
Related Sports Psychology Article
- A Mental Game Formula for Athletic Success
- Defining Athletic Success on Your Terms
- A Mindset for Success
The Fearless Athlete (Digital Download)
“The Fearless Athlete” audio and workbook program helps you overcome fear and anxiety to perform with trust and confidence. Learn how to overcome the mental handcuffs of perfectionism and fear of failure, leading you to perform with unshakeable trust in your skills.
“With the use of the ‘The Fearless Athlete’ and ‘Ultimate Sports Parent’ workbooks, I see subtle but significant results in a short period of time. My young athlete did not even know about positive self-talk until we started the program.”
~Adam, Sports Parent