optimism

How To Stay Strong Through Injuries

January 18, 2018 by Dawn 1 Comment

When you’re dealing with injuries or pain it’s important to take care of your body, but you also want to stay motivated to continue to improve. Aches, pain, discomfort, and soreness, are not that fun. You surely don’t want to get caught comparing yourself to where you were before your injury or to everyone else around you. You are you, today, a person who is fully capable of greatness.

Do you find it hard to stay positive when you don’t feel 100%?

7 Keys To Staying Mentally Strong During Injuries

1. Remind yourself of all that IS feeling well. You may need to think of every little thing that you are currently capable of doing with your body. These might be very simple things but they are still very powerful. For example: Your left knee is sprained, you can focus on all the strength and abilities you have with your right leg, your upper body and your basic senses that are still functional.

2. Focus on what you CAN do. Assess what physical abilities you have on each specific day (which may be different than yesterday or tomorrow). We are not guaranteed anything, so it’s important to do your best with what you have at any given moment.

3. Prioritize being positive and focusing on what you can control. I can’t emphasize this enough. Spend time investing and improving your relationships, nutrition, sleep, recovery and mental game. These are the most important aspect of your health anyway, and you will reap the benefits of putting time and effort into these factors. You can look at your injury as a chance, or a blessing in disguise you to being able to spend more time on something or someone that you’ve been neglecting.

4. Set some new goals. It doesn’t matter how small they may seem. You may want to focus on increasing your range of motion, seeing improvements in movements that you weren’t focused on before, or improving in your physical therapy sessions. Write your specific goals down and share them with your support team.

5. Spend more time doing your other passions. You love cooking, so get back to creating more recipes. If you love hosting parties, then plan a few. If you’re really digging photography, then start a side business. Continue to do things that bring you positive feedback, self-confidence and that relieve your stress.

6. Practice and get better at something different. If you’re leg is out of commission, build your upper body by working on pull-ups, dips and heavy presses. Become a better swimmer if you can. If you’re unable to use your body at all, you might want to focus on learning a new language, or picking up another new skill.

7. Find a way to share what you are learning or experiencing by going through the injury. Before you know it, you’ll be helping someone else, and this will help you. You can do this with your social media, on a message board or just in your daily conversations with others. Open up about how you’re dealing with it, and reach out to others who could use some support and encouragement as well. This way you can also make relationships with others who have had similar injuries or setbacks.

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3 Quick Mental Prep Methods For Athletes

December 5, 2016 by Dawn 5 Comments

Do not fall into the habit of walking in the gym and jumping right into the warm up without doing any mental preparation.

Don’t chat with others about their plan and their goals until you’ve run through your own mental prep.

Don’t even think about looking at the scoreboard or leaderboard without first considering your own focus areas, goals, and purpose.

See, most people will do those things, and you don’t want to be most people do you? You want to be more confident, motivated and mentally strong…right? That’s why you’re on this site, reading this.

So, BEFORE you talk to others about the WOD, BEFORE you check out the scores, and BEFORE you get going with the workout…take a few minutes to do some mental prep.

In this post, I’ll give you a few ways to do mental prep that will take you 5 minutes or less. As a coach that’s been doing this a long ass time, I believe this is just as important as any physical prep (or even more important).

Mental prep can be defined as training your mind for a successful performance. It can include practices like visualization, focused breathing, prayer, self-talk, or many other things. The key is to create a habit of doing specific things that help you feel more mentally ready to take on what’s in front of you.

Here are 3 Quick Mental Prep Options

1. 5 minutes of a breathing practice (square breathing, 1-2 breathing, diaphragmatic breathing, or 20 rep breathing) – Tuning into your breath is a way to focus your attention on to something rhythmic that you can control. It helps train your focus and can often help you feel more calm and aware. LUCKILY, I have recorded numerous breathing practices for you in MP3 format, so you can simply just listen and follow along for your mental prep. You get them all in the MENTALITY WOD PROGRAM.

2. 5 mins of setting goals. Simply write down your specific focus and goals for the session/workout. Note why you’re there, what you want out of it, any specific movement cues/reminders for that WOD and any specific words, quotes or practices that you know will help you push when the going gets tough. You can do this very quickly , with your notepad app, on a whiteboard or on a piece of paper.

3. 5 minutes of reviewing all that you have to be grateful for. There will be days that your body is aching, you have a plethora of things you’re stressin over, you don’t like the workout, or someone is annoying the hell out of you. No matter what is going on, you can always improve your mentality by thinking through all the things you can do, the blessings you do have, the things that are going right, the people who you love, the basic needs that are being met, the opportunities you have, etc.

Of course, you’ll want to get your body physically prepared too, but I suggest that you do at least 1 of the above options before you start your training, event or game. You can continue to build on your prep routine, to find what works best for you. Meditating, visualizing, talking with a coach, repeating mantras, reading or watching inspirational videos can all be helpful too. When you take the time to get your mind ready, you’ll find it easier to perform like you’re capable of performing.

Don’t know where to start? Do you want all the best strategies that will help you excel in your daily WODs and competitions? I got ya covered.

The MENTALITY WOD Program

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When To Stop Asking Why

November 7, 2016 by Mentality WOD 7 Comments

“Know your WHY.” You hear myself and other leaders say it all of the time.

I encourage you to know your purpose behind doing whatever it is you’re currently doing. Before any event, important day or training session, I suggest you run through a few key reminders why it matters to you, why you want to give it your best and why you want to accomplish your goals.

The stronger your why, the stronger your will. The more connected you are with your purpose for doing something, the more likely you’ll pursue excellence in it. Your why matters.

But, there are also times when asking “why” is a flat-out waste of time. Searching for answers as to “why” something occurred can be a huge distraction, it can send you into a rut and it can paralyze to a point where you become inactive.

See continuing to ask yourself WHY you’re pursuing what you’re pursing is incredibly valuable.

But, continuing to search for why something has occurred (and beating yourself up over it, or staying down for wayyyy too long because you don’t understand how it’s possible) is not helpful.

Sometimes there aren’t clear answers for things events that happen. You get injured or sick. A loved one gets cancer. Someone says something terribly hurtful. You have to deal with something that your friends don’t. Something happens in your life that shocks the hell out of you. Of course you’ll want to investigate the situation and try to understand it as best as you can to see if there are any ways to mitigate the pain or learn anything. Then, it’s probably best to ACCEPT it for what it is currently (that means it can change) and look for ways you can be proactive with what you’re given.

Crazy shit happens. People do fucked up things. Unfortunate, terrible trauma is real and totally sucks. But, is it healthy for you to continue down the path of “why, why, why, why, why, why, why….?” Or, is it better for you to talk it out, pray, help whoever you can, get busy living the best life possible with whatever capabilities you do have, speak up, get away, cry it out, hug your loved ones, journal, share, get help, improve your health, and continue to look for ways to do great things in spite of whatever is going on?

Know your purpose and remind yourself of your WHY throughout your day. Let go of the pursuit of WHY when it’s only making you feel more confused, down, upset, frustrated, anxious or helpless.You might not be able to change the situation, therefore you can only change your response to it.

Remote coaching for anyone looking to improve: email dawn@drivenmindtraining.com for your free assessment

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Positive Thinking Isn’t Always The Answer

July 7, 2016 by Dawn 2 Comments

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“Stay positive…” you hear it all of the time. Coaches are drilling it into your head and there are hundreds of quotes out there aimed at helping you reframe your thoughts to be more positive.

Of course I believe in the power of optimism and using hopeful language, that’s one of my core values. But, trying to convince yourself that something uncomfortable is “fun” or “good” isn’t always the best thing. Trying to pretend that you “love” something that you really don’t like, normally isn’t the answer.

Example: You see that ‘100 wall balls for time’ is programmed for you. You really don’t fucking like or enjoy wall balls. You don’t need to walk around smiling and saying “I love this WOD,” just because you were told to be positive. That doesn’t work for everyone and it might actually bother you or take away from your drive.

Instead, you can recognize that it’s your not your favorite movement, and also that you don’t “need” to do it. But, you CHOOSE that you are going to and that you actually WANT to because you recognize that it’s part of what will make you a better athlete.

You can appreciate things without loving them (<— major life lesson right there ya’ll).

You can decide that you’re still going to work your ass off and push to the end, regardless of how much you LIKE it or not.

You can appreciate that you don’t “need” to “love” every workout, but you still want to grind to see what you’re capable of.

See, everyone is different. Some people can talk positively about whatever it is, putting this shiny glitter on everything. Others, not so much, it just don’t work. It’s a bit more like, “fuck this is going to be shitty, but, I’m still gonna attack the hell out of it.” This does not mean that you’ll want to walk around bitching about everything, or being negative…. that’s never a great idea.

So, it doesn’t have to be all rainbows, all the time. It’s okay people. You are allowed to dislike things. You don’t have to be positive and optimistic about everything! But, you can still learn to use thought patterns that are going to help you perform your best. That’s the key.

Bottom Line: If it feels better to put a positive spin on it, do it. If it feels better to keep it real, do that. If you can get yourself to push hard, know your purpose, maintain high confidence, and be encouraging to those around you, then you’re winning.

The 5 Benefits of Trials

November 30, 2015 by Mentality WOD 2 Comments

Trials are inevitable. We are all going to face challenge, and we’ll continue to have hard times in training and in life. If you’re going through a tough time right now, I hope you can lean into your situation and continue to work through it, knowing that the shit won’t last forever. There may even be some benefits to the trials you’re facing.

This post is to remind you that something good can and may come out of the trials you’re facing. You may not see the benefits immediately, but you gotta hold on to something and eventually pull a positive from it. I hope at least one of these will resonate with you and provide some help.

5 Benefits of Trials

1. Trials can help you create clarity about what’s really important and you can often gain a fresh, improved perspective.

2. You gain experience in handling trials so that you’re more comfortable and confident going through them in the future.

3. You’re given an opportunity to practice many things like patience, perseverance, faith, forgiveness (to yourself and others), stress-management, and communication. There is ALWAYS an opportunity to improve some aspect of yourself.

4. You can improve your relationships by leaning on your support team in trying times. You build stronger relationships when you share your emotions and reach out to those who care about you.

5. You can become a more relatable individual by working through trials and gaining the experience of hard times. You’ll be better able to coach, parent, help, and inspire others by sharing what you learned and how you changed because of the trial.

Of course, if you’re having a hard time, reach out to someone and get help as soon as you can. The trials are going to keep coming, and you can take action daily to improve your mentality so that you’re as prepared as possible to work through them.

Can you pull something good out of the storm you’re in? Comment below

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Tips From My 1 Mile Open Water Swim (first time)

October 19, 2015 by Mentality WOD Leave a Comment

Occasionally I’ll throw a personal story out there and hopefully you can take something from it.

Yesterday I completed the “Sharkfest Swim.” It’s a 1 mile long course that goes from point A to point B, basically the length of the Coronado Bridge in San Diego.

Other details

I swim regularly in a pool and feel comfortable swimming a mile there, but had never done more than .5 at a time in the open water and that was over 3 years ago

I signed up for the event about a week before and decided to just go for it

It was 74 degrees out and the water was 75, so I didn’t wear a wetsuit

I kinda disregarded the note on the event website, I trusted that I would be more than okay making it across

No, I didn’t have any run-ins with sharks or venomous snakes

My goal?

Since this was my first time and I had no idea what to expect, my goals were to
- a. make it across and
- b. finish hard so that I was wiped coming across the finish line (I figured that when I had about .25 left, then I would push my pace as much as possible to the finish)

My motivations?

To use this physical challenge to grow and improve to better serve others. If I get a little better (mentally and physically) then I’ll be able to help others get a little bit better. Each time we face new challenges, we are given the opportunity to uncover more of our strength.

My plan?

To have fun and enjoy the environment. To remind myself of how grateful I am to be able to take on challenges, use my body, and play in the beautiful, natural world.

To break it down by counting up to 12 strokes at a time. I would breathe every 3 strokes (on average) and once I reached 12 I would glance up to see if I was headed in the right direction. Of course, I fell off of this plan numerous times because of focusing on other things (smacking into people, looking for spots of blue in the sky, thinking about form, reminding myself why I’m doing this, staying grateful, wondering how far along I was), but I always brought my attention right back to the stroke count. Towards the end of the mile I looked up every 6 strokes to make sure I was going in the straightest line to the beach finish.

Some Strategies Used:

It was an incredible event and I can add it to the list of things I never thought I’d do!

What’s next for you? How are you going to get out there and challenge yourself? Is there an event you can sign up for to push your boundaries?

Comment below with your plan.

How To Create “Luck”

October 12, 2015 by Mentality WOD Leave a Comment

Do you believe in luck? Do you think that some people are more lucky than others?

If you want more things to work out in your favor, then maybe you can change your mindset.

“When you are kind, optimistic, open to change and willing to persevere…doors will keep opening.”

Some people might look at me and think that I’m lucky, or that good things just randomly happen to me…I hear it all the time. But, I don’t believe that it’s random at all, I think that it all starts with my attitude.

Here are 5 tips to creating your own “luck”

1. Be ridiculously nice to people. Take the time to engage with and compliment others. Make someone’s day, encourage them and show them your love. I seriously think this is one of the biggest keys to having more luck. If you’re really kind, people will want to help you out, they will work with you and maybe they’ll even surprise you with their kindness in return.

2. Persevere through setbacks, detours and failures. Each time you come up against some type of friction or barrier, see it as a stepping stone to getting closer to where you want to be. Adapt to each and every situation by persevering and changing your plan of attack.

3. Put yourself out there. Continue to try new things and push your boundaries. See if you can “get uncomfortable” on purpose, so that you’re more comfortable seeking new experiences. Look for ways to do things differently throughout your day and expose yourself to new conditions, environments and interactions.

4. Be positive by focusing on the possibilities and blessings. Continue to find ways to be enthusiastic in the face of challenge and to help others be more optimistic. Keep searching for the opportunities and stay hopeful about the future, while appreciating the past and present.

5. Be open-minded. If you’re only focused on one specific plan or result, you may be missing out on something that’s even better. Keep a broad focus and be willing to consider different opinions or options. Know that there is more than one route, and stay open and relaxed.

What can you do differently today, or this week? Can you work on 1 of these 4 to improve your “luck?”

Watch Out For “Over-The-Top” Language

October 5, 2015 by Mentality WOD Leave a Comment

Exaggerating is easy and it seems like the norm these days. I catch myself being a tad extreme and I know you do too. It’s like we are trying to make a statement or a clear point about how we feel. When we use “over-the-top” statements, we may be blowing things out of proportion or just trying to be funny.

But, if your language is “over-the-top” AND negative… it’s time to stop that shit. Especially if it’s a regular habit of yours.

1. If it’s towards someone or something external, is it really “the worst situation of your entire life,” or are you going through a tough time right now? Did someone “ruin everything,” or were you disappointed by his or her actions?

2. If it’s towards yourself, are you really a “freaking idiot,” or did you just make a mistake? Are you a “big ass loser,” or did you just execute differently than what you wanted to?

Check yourself!

Catch yourself when you say something extreme, and rephrase it. Try placing positive reminders around you to keep yourself honest. Ask others to help you with your language to make sure you break the “over-the-top-negative-habit.”

How can you speak differently this week?

How 8 Minutes A Day Can Change Everything

September 2, 2015 by Mentality WOD Leave a Comment

To perform your best, and get the most out of your training sessions, you have to stay focused on your purpose and plan. The best way to do that is to keep a centered and present frame of mind.

Try these 4, 2 minute mental routines throughout your day

2 minutes first thing in the morning, practicing gratitude and setting intentions

2 minutes before your workout, appreciating the opportunity, reminding yourself of your why, and setting intentions

2 minutes after your workout, reflecting on takeaways/learning lessons and positives

2 minutes before sleep, practicing gratitude and positive thinking

If you’re not an athlete, you can at least do this when you wake up and before bed. You can take notes during these routines to make them even more powerful and impactful. I suggest that we all practice gratitude, positivity, prayer or quick meditations, mindfulness, setting intentions, and centering ourselves throughout the day.

Of course you could make these routines longer or do this more often, but you get the gist. Start with these quick, 2 minute routines and you can always build on them as you get more comfortable and consistent.

Bottom Line: It’s crucial that you create a routine of regularly reminding yourself of what’s most important throughout your day.