Maintaining Your Standards

In today’s episode, we’ll explore how you can reflect on your player standards, maintain those standards under pressure, and strategies to help you stay consistent, no matter the challenges you face. We’ll also look at the types of pressures that can throw you off track and share some research-backed techniques to help you stay focused and resilient.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

I'm Dr. Nassim Ebrahimi, and welcome to Becoming My Stronger Me, a podcast designed to help you become stronger in mind, body, and heart. In season two, the mental performance series, we'll explore the intricate relationship between mental performance, sports excellence, leadership, and personal growth to help you become your stronger you. The fall season is in full swing, and I've had the opportunity to go and see some of my clients play in person, in addition to seeing them on TV. In watching them and knowing what they're working on, we've had a few situations where their performance standards for themselves didn't quite show up in competition. So today we're diving into this important topic for athletes and high performers, maintaining your performance standards no matter the environment, especially when things get tough. We all know the feeling. When you're on your home field under ideal conditions and everything seems to click, but what happens when the environment changes? Maybe you're playing in a way game in front of a hostile crowd or against opponents who are doing a lot of trash talking on the field. Maybe you're dealing with tough weather conditions or feeling the weight of personal pressure. How do you maintain the standards you set for yourself, no matter where you are or what's going on around you? In today's episode, we'll explore how you can reflect on your player standards, maintain those standards under pressure, and strategies to help you stay consistent no matter what challenges you face. We'll also look at the types of pressure that can throw you off track and share some research-backed techniques to help you stay focused and resilient. Let's start by talking about what we mean by player standards. Every athlete, whether they realize it or not, operates with a certain set of standards. These are the expectations you have for yourself regarding how you perform, how you approach the game, and how you handle yourself on and off the field. Standards are not just about skill level, but also about your work ethic, your attitude, and your commitment. Take a moment to reflect on your own standards. Ask yourself, what do I expect from myself, no matter the situation? It could be giving 100% effort every time you step on the field, staying positive even when things aren't going your way, or executing specific skills with precision. These standards act as your internal compass. They guide your actions, decisions, and your mindset. For example, a soccer player's standard might be I always give my full effort whether it's the first minute or the last minute of the game. Or a basketball player might have a standard of I communicate with my teammates every time I'm on defense. These standards help keep you grounded no matter the circumstances. Now, maintaining these standards is easy when everything is going smoothly. But what about when the pressure hits? Pressure is part of every athlete's life. You might face external pressure, like playing in front of a critical crowd or competing in a high-stakes game. Or there's internal pressure, the pressure you put on yourself to succeed, to perform at your peak, or meet others' expectations. Let me give you an example. Imagine you're a tennis player and your standard is to stay calm and focused no matter how intense the match becomes. But then you find yourself in a championship match. The crowd is loud, the stakes are high, and suddenly maintaining that calmness feels nearly impossible. You're frustrated by unforced errors, the opponent is on fire, and you feel the urge to abandon your standards in favor of reacting emotionally. This is exactly the kind of situation where having well-defined player standards can make all the difference. Research in sports psychology supports this idea. Athletes who set clear, process-oriented standards for themselves are more likely to stay calm under pressure. These athletes are not just focused on the outcome, winning or losing, but on consistently applying their standards and routines no matter what. This approach helps keep their mindset in check, even in chaotic environments. So, how can you maintain your standards when the environment gets tough? Here are a few strategies to help you stay consistent no matter what's going on around you. One, reinforce your standards through reflection. Start by regularly reflecting on your standards. Ask yourself, what do I want to stand for as an athlete? And write these down and review them often, especially for big competition or practice. Make them part of your mental routine. The more ingrained they are in your mind, the more likely you'll stick to them when things get hard. Two, focus on what you can control. You can't control the weather, you can't control the crowd, and you can't control the decisions of the referees. What you can control is how you react to these external factors. If you find yourself in an environment that's challenging, take a moment to remind yourself what's in your control, your effort, your focus, and your attitude. Focus on executing the basics well, and your standards will follow. Three, break the game into smaller segments. When the pressure builds, it can feel overwhelming to think about maintaining your standards for an entire game. Instead, break the game into smaller, manageable pieces. Focus on maintaining your standards for the next play, the next point, or the next few minutes. By keeping your focus short term, you'll find it's easier to maintain your standards one segment at a time. Four, develop a reset routine. Pressure can cause you to lose focus or let your emotions take over. A reset routine is a tool you can use to mentally reset yourself when you feel your standards are slipping. It could be as simple as taking a deep breath, repeating a mantra, or visualizing yourself successfully executing your standards. This routine helps you pause, refocus, and get back to your core standards quickly instead of letting them spiral. There are many types of pressure players face that can challenge their ability to maintain their standards. There's competitive pressure. This is the pressure to win or perform at your peak. It's natural to feel the weight of competition, especially in high-stakes games or when you're facing a tough opponent. Another kind of pressure is social pressure. Athletes often feel the pressure to perform in front of others, whether it's coaches or parents, teammates, or fans. Sometimes the fear of disappointing others can cause you to abandon your standards in favor of doing what you think will please the crowd or your coach or your parents. The third kind of pressure is internal pressure. This is the pressure we place on ourselves to live up to our own high expectations. When we fail to meet those standards, it's easy to spiral into frustration or doubt. Athletes who thrive under pressure are those who learn to manage these external and internal challenges without compromising their standards. One study from the Journal of Applied Sports Psychology found that athletes who consistently maintain performance standards under pressure use techniques like mindfulness and self-talk to stay grounded. These athletes were able to acknowledge the pressure without letting it control their actions. They didn't focus on avoiding failure. Instead, they focused on sticking to their personal standards, trusting that the results will follow. So, how can you apply these strategies in your own game? Here are a few more tips. One, visualize success under pressure. Before a game or practice, take a few moments to visualize yourself facing challenging conditions, but still upholding your standards. Picture yourself staying calm, executing your skills, and keeping your focus. Visualization primes your brain to react with confidence even when things don't go as planned. Two, practice in tough environments. Simulate pressure situations in practice. If you're a basketball player, practice free throws while teammates shout distractions. If you're a soccer player, work on penalty kicks when you're tired. The more you practice maintaining your standards under stress, the easier it becomes to do it in real competition. 3. Use a growth mindset. Embrace the idea that challenges and setbacks are opportunities to grow. If you don't meet your standards in a given game, don't beat yourself up. Instead, ask yourself, what can I learn from this? How can I improve next time? A growth mindset will help you maintain your standards even when things don't go perfectly. In the end, maintaining your performance standards no matter the environment is what separates good athletes from great ones. When you're able to stay consistent in your effort, focus, and attitude, regardless of the circumstances, you'll perform at a higher level and be more resilient when facing challenges. And remember, maintaining your standards is about controlling what you can and staying true to your values no matter the pressure. Until next time, keep striving, keep growing, and keep becoming your stronger you.

Speaker: 11:16

Until next time, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast, join our Facebook group, send in your stories and feedback. And if you're looking for a mental performance coach or want more information, go to www.becoming my strongerme.com. I can't wait to hear from you.