Scoring a touchdown in the NFL has to be one of the coolest things ever! The years of disciplined training, thousands of hours of practice, hundreds of hours coaching, and getting through both physical and mental adversity all for the purpose of catching or running a ball into a 10 x 53 ½ yard section of grass in a 120-yard field: The end zone. Touchdown!
Touchdowns are the culmination of both individual and team talent optimized. Now imagine that you’re on the field in the Big Game. You have to get the ball into the endzone now or game over. Earlier in the game you dropped a pass or fumbled the ball. It’s now your turn again to make a play. It’s a play that’s similar to the one you fumbled or dropped the ball last time. What would you be thinking? How would you be feeling? How could your thoughts and feelings affect your performance?
Thinking errors are thoughts that become intrusive and can get in the way of you being at your BEST when it matters most. Depending on what you read there are as many as 14 different types of thinking errors that can affect your performance! Here are a few common thinking errors:
- Conclusion jumping: Thoughts tell you that you know the end result before it happens.
- All-or-nothing thinking: The result is one way or another. There is no middle ground.
- Magnifying or Catastrophizing: Small issues become larger than life.
In the cognitive behavioral model, thoughts lead to feelings that lead to behaviors. In business, behaviors lead to results. Thinking errors can be negative thoughts that derail your performance. Let’s get back to your on-field, Big Game story.
Imagine again that you’re being asked to make a play to win the Big Game. The last time you touched the ball you dropped it. What do you do? You may be having negative thoughts about your chances this time. Each negative thought that becomes intrusive needs to be challenged. Once you identify the thinking error and how it makes you feel you can challenge the thought. Developing healthy thought patterns takes practice and a knowledge that thinking errors can get in your way of making the big play.
Errors happen. We all make mistakes. We all deal with setbacks. If negative thoughts get in your way they can keep you from being your @ your BEST. Understanding how to develop Mindset Mastery around your thoughts will turn your Errors into End Zones. Touchdown! You win!
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Go Chiefs!