Three Mental Keys for Success

Mental Keys For Success

“I’m not as talented as other players,” “He or she is so much better than me,” “I will never be able to beat her.”

Have you ever had one of these thoughts about your ability?

Do you sometimes feel at a disadvantage because other athletes have much more talent than you?

There is a big difference between talent and ability. Talent is an innate skill or capacity to perform a certain activity. Talent is present in a person at the time of birth.

Ability is what you are ABLE to do.

It may sound the same but there is a subtle difference. Ability is the power to accomplish something… it requires work.

Talent does not necessarily lead to success.

Some of the most talented athletes in the world never live up to their potential…

Alternately, there are countless stories of athletes who worked, against all odds, to achieve great success.

The three things that bring success to light are:

1. Belief (“I have the ability”)
2. Hard work (“I’m willing to do whatever it takes”)
3. Mental toughness (“Nothing will stop me”)

Class AA Springfield starting pitcher Arturo Reyes was named the Cardinals’ minor league pitcher of the month in June.

The interesting fact is that Reyes was a 2013 40th round draft pick… over a thousand baseball players were drafted ahead of Reyes. Reyes has responded positively with a 4-0 record and a 1.84 ERA in five June starts.

Reyes was recognized for his accomplishments by being selected to the Texas League All-Star team.

Reyes never accepted his late-round draft status as a judgment on his ability. Reyes maintained belief in his ability and used his draft status to motivate him.

REYES: “It helps fuel me, believe it or not, knowing those guys were all picked ahead of me. I have to work harder, day in and day out. It’s one of those things that motivates me and keeps me going.”

Reyes understands hard work often beats just talent.

REYES: “The workouts, the weight room, batting practice, it’s all those things the guys put in to get to where they are now is incredible. That’s always been one of my biggest assets, just having a lot of work ethic. The best guy is putting in the most work, and you realize that’s what it takes to stay healthy and keep moving forward.”

Reyes credits his attention to his mental game for his recent success.

REYES: “Honestly, I think it was mental… Just dealing with being hit around sometimes, bouncing back and having that mental toughness a lot of these baseball players have. It’s a game of failure, and you have to bounce back right away.”

Strategy to make the most of your ability:

You may not be able to change how talented you are… but you definitely can control how hard you work. You need to commit to outworking your competition. You can lift your level of belief by raising your level of work.

And be careful to not compare your skills to other players.

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Related Sports Psychology Articles

• Mental Keys to Higher Confidence for Ball Players
• Three Mental Keys to Focusing on the Diamond
• Mental Keys to Staying in the Moment

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