Quotes on sport and psychology

“Competition is a chance to assess your form, compete, and show how hard you've trained. But your performance is not you. Take what you do seriously, but learn not to take everything too close to heart.”

“You always need the courage to accept the situation as it is. Then let it go and look ahead without a shadow of doubt.”

“They think about everything that could go wrong, about what others are doing, they think… Instead, simply know, without any doubt: it's all in my hands.”

“You can't fix a situation until you stop making it worse.”

“To get what you want, you first have to be who you really are.”

“Specific goals can make us feel pressure when we're expected to meet a certain standard. That isn't necessarily bad—pressure can motivate more experienced performers to reach higher levels of effectiveness.”

“If–then plans are especially effective at helping us overcome tough obstacles. They help us perform at our best when something goes wrong.”

“Most people give up because everyone told them what they can't do. Staying in the comfort zone is easier. So they sit on the fence, unable to decide, unable to act. But if you don't choose, the choice will be made for you. Stop listening to everyone telling you what to do, how to behave, what you should feel. Let them judge you by your achievements—and only by those.”

“When your body screams in exhaustion and tells you "No way!"—you work even harder and tell yourself: "Do it. Right now." You control your body, not the other way around.”

“Building the right rituals can also help your focus. Two common types successful athletes use are rituals before an event and rituals after it.”

“The key to if–then planning is that any situation can be linked to a response that serves the goal you're pursuing.”

“Writing down your thoughts and feelings in a notebook can help clear your mind of negative emotions and stop you from feeling stuck.”