“Confidence is what happens when you’ve done the hard work that entitles you to succeed” – Pat Summitt

You’re not alone when it comes to distractions. It’s not easy to stay focused and on track with what goes on in the basketball mental game, but great basketball players are able to do it. The question is: why them and not you?

We control the directions of our energies.

To develop new methods for achieving your goals, you must learn how to transform the power that distractions generate into a creative force. Like muscles, you can train your mind to become mentally tough during stressful times. To fortify your success stamina, treat obstacles as learning tools.

Take time to re-energize your mind: When life seemed crazy during your stressful time, you can do something entirely different with no particular purpose, freeing our minds from constraints. Schedule a “mini-vacation” from tackling your action items to gain new perspectives. Listen to music, meditate, or take a walk. Your body often gives out when it is exhausted; your mind acts in much the same manner. Give it some downtime from the daily commotion you encounter.

Establish a pattern of game-changing behavior: Letting go of entrenched positions helps you gain perspective on possible new approaches. Schedule a specific time of day, maybe early morning or lunchtime, to think creatively. Begin the process by acknowledging how new skills developments may improve your basketball confidence. Remove any doubtful thoughts from your mind, and pledge to figure out new ways to achieve your goals.

Remind yourself that you’re a risk-taker: When new challenges occur, you feel uncomfortable. Reinvigorate your risk taking by investigating imaginative ways to move to your next level of success. Just acknowledging that there is a way out of any difficult situation increases your energy and lays the groundwork for new innovations.

Visualize: The use of mental images and scenarios help you relax your mind. This can be either internal or external. Visualization can be used to lessen your stress by picturing a favorite performance or a calming scene.

Basketball mental toughness preparation is thought to be effective on three levels:

• Neuromuscular: Thinking through a movement produces the correct order and force of muscular contraction, much like a dry-run
• Cognitive: Thinking through and planning an event in the mind can help you to deal with scenarios as they arise
• Confidence building: The certainty in your mind of what you are going to do during the event, game plans etc. can help reduce anxiety and increase motivation

No matter how much you prepare, there are times when unexpected things happen. Don’t despair. You can develop basketball mental toughness skills to confront these unexpected situations and learn to “roll with the punches.”

You should not only physically prepare for that important competition but include basketball mental game preparation.

Think about the potential speed bumps that could occur on competition day. Ask yourself, “Are any of these obstacles insurmountable?” Determine how you will respond if you encounter a speed bump.

You won’t be able to predict every potential obstacle but this strategy creates the mindset that you can handle most of those little nuisances that you may experience.

Don’t continue to push off for tomorrow what you can do today. Learning your triggers, avoiding them, and strategically unwinding is a process you can begin today and they can make a huge difference.

To build your confidence you must change the way you think.

A 100% of the time it is 90% mental.

Confidence is a mind-set skill that doesn’t just happen by chance. You must work at it.

To build your confidence, specific strategies are required. These strategies can be found in my workbook – An Athlete’s Guide To Peak Performance Series– Building Confidence

Go to sportspsychologybasketball.com. Click products and get started on Building Your Confidence with Sports Performance Top Mental Game Coach.