💭 COMMON THOUGHT PATTERNS
Recognize Mental Habits
● OBJECTIVE: to notice the thoughts and feelings you have when you wrestle at your best & worst
Olympians and Professional Athletes always talk about one word when it comes to performance: Consistency. You cannot have consistent performances without consistent thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Here, we will determine differences in your thoughts and feelings before & during (not after) your best and worst performances. The next step is to identify the common themes/patterns between your best matches compared to the themes and patterns of your worst matches. You will likely notice a completely different thought process.
Note: This exercise works best if you dig deeper than surface level. Keep asking yourself "what exactly was I thinking" and "why exactly did I have those thoughts."
| BEST MATCHES | WORST MATCHES |
|---|---|
| MY moves | OPPONENTS moves (what might they do to me?) |
| Treat all opponents the same | Over/under estimate an opponent |
| Consistent intensity | Up and Down Intensity |
| No special matches | This is a "big" OR "small" match |
| I'm going to make him tired | What if I get tired this match? |
| I don't care what anyone thinks of me/Wrestle for myself | Thinking about letting down parents/coaches/friends |
| It's just live wrestling/I have nothing to lose | Significance of this match |
| I don't care who is in front of me | What's he ranked/his record/who has he wrestled |
| This is a new match | What happened the last time we wrestled |
🏆BEST MATCHES
List 3 of your best matches. For each, describe your thoughts/feelings before & during (detailed & specific) and your energy level (1-10, with 10 being highest energy):
Match 1:
[ Describe your thoughts, feelings, and energy level ]
Energy Level: ____ / 10
Match 2:
[ Describe your thoughts, feelings, and energy level ]
Energy Level: ____ / 10
Match 3:
[ Describe your thoughts, feelings, and energy level ]
Energy Level: ____ / 10
Common Themes/Patterns & optimal energy level:
[ What patterns do you notice? What was your ideal energy level? ]
📉WORST MATCHES
List 3 of your worst matches. For each, describe your thoughts/feelings before & during (detailed & specific) and your energy level (1-10, with 10 being highest energy):
Match 1:
[ Describe your thoughts, feelings, and energy level ]
Energy Level: ____ / 10
Match 2:
[ Describe your thoughts, feelings, and energy level ]
Energy Level: ____ / 10
Match 3:
[ Describe your thoughts, feelings, and energy level ]
Energy Level: ____ / 10
Common Themes/Patterns & energy level:
[ What patterns do you notice? What was your energy level? ]
CONSISTENCY COMES FROM CONSISTENT THINKING!
Notice the stark difference between your best and worst matches. Your best performances likely involved offensive thinking, focusing on YOUR moves, and treating all opponents the same. Your worst performances probably involved defensive thinking, worrying about what others think, and overthinking the situation. The goal is to replicate the mindset of your best performances—every single time.
© Z-Fanatical Life LLC, Wrestling Mindset 2018 • All Rights Reserved • CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY