Mental Fitness - For a Precise and Focused Performance

In order to focus on the mental challenges that you present to yourself, it will be necessary to be mentally fit. Just as with improving physically you have to discipline yourself to strengthen your mental muscle, the mind. You exercise, you get physically fit and in shape for your first event. However, many use performance after performance in their chosen sport to get more comfortable, less nervous and more mentally fit. It only stands to reason that mental preparation before competition would give you more of what you more of what you want.

In order to be focused and have your mind right you need to:

* Know how you think before, during and after the performance
* Know your thought process
* Learn tools to show and ride in the present
* Prepare before the event with activities that enhance and stabilize your focus
* Gain control over your performance without controlling
* Bring your goal into focus after each performance

Committing and believing that you can achieve the goal is important to your success. You are responsible for making it happen. With true commitment you will remove all barriers and obstacles and refuse to let anything or anyone undermine your goal. Determine the resources that are necessary to support a successful result. Resources can include but are not limited to:

* Personal coach
* Family and friends
* Financial support
* Equipment

With the right resources on your team or as a partner you will be able to keep the focus to move forward. You are the leader and responsible for your mental preparation. The length of time to get mentally strong will depend on your present level of fitness. Try these mental stability and strengthening exercises:

1. Write in detail the vision of how you want to perform; use descriptive words in order to create your mental movie.
2. Change or edit the movie; use your support resources for clarification.
3. Exercise your mental muscles daily or 3 to 4 times a week ? spend at least 20 minutes in each session relaxing and quieting your mind (this may take some practice and be your entire session initially).

As you become mentally fit, your level of physical awareness in the mental movies will be transferred to your sport. The mental movie is the beginning of your mental strengthening plan.