the tuesday transition - issue 50
May 9, 2023: Many of the things we believe and think about ourselves are self-imposed restrictions that keep us small. Many of our beliefs are limiting.
Much of the time, we are the ones holding ourselves back. We are the ones preventing ourselves from maximizing our own potential and progressing forward in our game. We are the ones LIMITING ourselves. As a mental skills coach, one of my very favorite things to do is help soccer players reframe the limiting beliefs that they have of themselves so that they can play freely and without restriction.
So what are limiting beliefs? They are beliefs that hold you back and keep you from moving toward growth and progression. They create INNER obstacles where you essentially end up standing in your own way and building walls and obstacles directly in your own path. Limiting beliefs are things that you BELIEVE TO BE TRUE, but when you really stop and look at them, you come to see that they actually AREN’T.
Let me give you an example on the soccer field so that you can see what I mean. A limiting belief might be that you believe you aren’t good at passing or shooting with your left foot and have the attitude of “it doesn’t matter what I do, I’m never gunna be great at it”. If you truly believe that this is a fixed state of yours, then it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy and you will never get good with your left foot.
Why is this a limiting belief? How does this hold you back? Because of your limiting belief, you’ll keep moving the ball to your right foot and not force yourself to practice with your left, and because of that your left WILL NOT GET BETTER. The truth in the matter is, yes your left foot may not be as good as your right RIGHT NOW, but all that that means is that your right is more naturally talented and that your left just needs more practice to catch up. But if you don’t provide it that practice, it is YOU standing in YOUR OWN WAY!
When you avoid doing something because you don't think you are good at, you'll NEVER GET GOOD AT IT.
This is where reframing comes in. Reframing is REALLY IMPORTANT because if you want to gain self-belief and stop doubting yourself, you have to CHOOSE to view things with A NEW PERSPECTIVE.
Here’s how we can reframe the not-good-with-my-left-foot limiting belief: I’m better with my right foot yes, but that just means my left needs more practice to catch up. This is something I CAN change, I am not doomed to have a bad left-foot forever, I just need patience and I need to put in the work.
Reframing leads toward self-belief and SELF-BELIEF HELPS YOU IMPROVE because it drives you to work hard. This authentic motivation comes from within and is the main driver for you gaining the skill that the limiting belief was preventing you from having in the first place.
What limiting beliefs do YOU have of yourself on the soccer field?
What limiting beliefs are you ready to LET GO OF?
Till next week,
💎 What I’m digging: Everyone needs to watch the first 3-4 minutes of this Giannis Antetokounmpo press conference, specifically the part about failure. This is gold, you will not be disappointed.
👩🏽💻 What I’m reading: Informative read about mental wellness in sports and what the different type of stressors are that impact us when we are actively in season: 3 Types of Psychological Stress Affecting Athletes In-season
🎧 What I’m listening to: I was reminded today by a player I was meeting with just how amazing Ryan Holiday’s ‘The Obstacle is the Way’ truly is. It’s filled with gems like this “THE IMPEDIMENT TO ACTION ADVANCES ACTION. WHAT STANDS IN THE WAY BECOMES THE WAY.” – Marcus Aurelius
Grow your confidence through preparedness.
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Hi everyone! I’m Jenn and I create content to help female soccer players and coaches maximize individual and team potential by developing healthy mindset skills. Join other subscribers and sign up for the newsletter for all my best tips and advice!
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