While a lot of our work done at the gym and at the rink determines our level of success. there are many things such as nutrition, sleep and mental wellness that can be done away from the rink. All of those things will aid in achieving our goals.
The most often overlooked of these factors is mental wellness and preparation. We do a lot to prepare ourselves physically for success in athletics as the nature of sports themselves are physical, but we don’t do enough to prepare mentally for success. Here is a step by step plan for you to do every morning which will allow you to get the most out of your day and put yourself in the right frame of mind to dominate on the ice.
Step 1: Bedtime Journal. There is a popular saying, “win tomorrow today,” which applies nicely to our first step. If we are trying to have a great day tomorrow, it starts with a good night sleep the night before. In order to have a great sleep we want the proper environment: dark, quiet room without distractions. If you have tried this you may notice that being in a dark, quiet environment leaves you alone with your own thoughts which can be pretty distracting in their own right. Having a journal beside the bed where we can write down all our thoughts, ideas, and concerns will allow us to empty our mind. Knowing that all these thoughts have now been acknowledged and our ideas or important things we don’t want to forget the next day will be on paper waiting for us, allows us to relax, clear our minds and have a better sleep.
Step 2: First Alarm. If you use an alarm clock to wake up in the morning get up on the first alarm, no snooze button. We don’t want to start our day by putting it off five minutes at a time. We should want to start the day with conviction and purpose. A helpful tip can be to place your alarm clock away from your arm’s reach so you physically have to get up to turn it off.
Step 3: Visualization. Now that you’re up. Take 7-12 minutes to visualize yourself having success in whatever you are doing that day. Sit up, close your eyes and see yourself dominating your day. If you’re going to the gym, see yourself completing great reps. If you’re going to the rink, see yourself scoring the goal, making the pass or blocking the shot. This applies to everything, if you’re not training or playing hockey that day. but you’re going grocery shopping, see yourself at the store with your well-prepared list so you don’t forget anything, being efficient with your time and being friendly to every person who crosses your path, so interacting with you is a positive experience for everyone.
Step 4: Gratitude Journal. Keep a second journal handy and take a couple minutes to write down one thing for which you’re grateful. Nothing is too big or too small. It could be something specific that happened to you the previous day or something more general like an overall appreciation for how awesome your friends and family are. Pick something new every day. Once you start, and think it about it for a couple minutes, it will become easy. There’s always something to be grateful for and acknowledging it daily will put you in a positive frame of mind to continue to think and attract positivity throughout your day.
That’s your quick guide to starting off each day on the path to success. There are other steps to add in that will help make you even more effective throughout your day while hunting down your goals, but this is a great start. If these work well for you and you want to know more and take it to the next level, feel free to reach out to me and let me know. I’d love to help.
Until next time,
Strength, Courage, Hustle, Commitment
AJ Zeglen, Focus Fitness Manager & Head Strength Coach
Originally published in Game On Magazine
