The Confident Mind

1. Confidence is a mental bank account built through selective thinking

Confidence is a sense of certainty about your ability, which allows you to bypass conscious thought and execute unconsciously.

Mental filtering. Confidence is the sum of your thoughts about yourself and your abilities. Like a bank account, it can be built up or depleted based on the deposits and withdrawals you make. The key is to selectively focus on thoughts and memories that create energy, optimism, and enthusiasm while restructuring or releasing those that create fear, doubt, and worry.

Unconscious competence. When you have sufficient certainty about your abilities, you can perform without overthinking or self-doubt. This allows you to tap into your unconscious competence, where skills and knowledge are executed automatically and instinctively. This state of "informed instinctiveness" is the goal of building confidence.

Continuous process. Building and maintaining confidence is an ongoing effort. It requires consistent attention to your thought patterns and a willingness to challenge and change negative self-talk. By consciously choosing to focus on constructive thoughts and experiences, you can steadily increase your confidence over time.

2. Manage memories to make positive deposits in your confidence account

Remember what you want more of, that alters your brain and body so you'll get more of it.

Selective memory. Actively recall and relive your successes, no matter how small. Create a "Top Ten" list of your best moments and achievements. Review this list regularly to reinforce positive memories and build your confidence.

Daily reflection. Practice the E-S-P (Effort-Success-Progress) technique:

• Effort: Identify one instance of quality effort from your day
• Success: Note one success, no matter how small
• Progress: Recognize one area where you made progress

Immediate Progress Review (IPR). After each practice, task, or activity, take a moment to identify and internalize the best aspects of your performance. This helps create a habit of focusing on positives and builds confidence incrementally.

3. Use affirmations to reinforce constructive self-talk

I run a 1:56 800.

Power of repetition. Consistently repeating positive affirmations about yourself and your abilities can reshape your self-image and boost confidence. Use first-person, present-tense, positive statements to reinforce desired qualities or outcomes.

Personalized affirmations. Create affirmations that are specific to your goals and challenges. Examples:

• "I am a deadly dodger from anywhere on the field"
• "I handle disagreements thoughtfully"
• "I create opportunities every time I dodge"

Integration techniques:

• Notebook Nightcap: Write your affirmations before bed
• Open Doorway: Repeat affirmations when passing through doorways
• Macro Affirmation Script: Create and listen to a personalized audio recording of your affirmations

4. Envision success to create a powerful self-fulfilling prophecy

If men define situations as real, they are real in their consequences.

Neurological impact. Vividly imagining success activates many of the same neural pathways as actually performing the action. This strengthens the mind-body connection and improves performance.

Multisensory visualization. Create detailed mental images that engage all senses:

• Visual: See yourself performing successfully
• Auditory: Hear the sounds of your environment and performance
• Kinesthetic: Feel the physical sensations of executing your skills
• Emotional: Experience the feelings of success and accomplishment

Preparation for challenges. Use "Flat Tire" drills to envision potential obstacles and your successful responses to them. This mental rehearsal builds resilience and confidence in your ability to handle unexpected situations.

5. Protect your confidence by reframing setbacks and silencing negative thoughts

Confidence isn't the absence of doubt, it's the way you respond to doubt.

Reframing setbacks. When faced with mistakes or failures, interpret them as:

1. Temporary: "It was just that one time"
2. Limited: "It happened in just that one place"
3. Non-representative: "That's not how I really am"

Silencing negative thoughts. Use the "Acknowledge, Silence, Replace" technique:

1. Acknowledge the negative thought
2. Firmly tell yourself to "Stop!"
3. Replace it with a constructive thought or affirmation

Shooter's Mentality. Adopt the paradoxical mindset that misses make hits more likely, while hits make more hits likely. This allows you to maintain confidence regardless of temporary setbacks or successes.

6. Develop a pre-performance routine to enter your arena with certainty

I believe that I'm better than you.

Self-assessment. Before entering your performance arena, review your mental bank account. Recall your successes, progress, and preparation to boost your sense of readiness.

Situational awareness. Analyze the task at hand, potential challenges, and the performance environment. This helps you feel prepared and in control.

C-B-A routine. Use this three-step process to center yourself before performance:

1. Cue your Conviction: Use a short, powerful statement to affirm your readiness
2. Breathe your Body: Take deep, intentional breaths to center yourself
3. Attach your Attention: Focus on the most important aspect of your immediate task

7. Reflect on performances to ensure continuous growth and confidence

After victory, tighten your chinstraps.

After Action Review (AAR). Use these three questions to evaluate your performance:

1. What?: Objectively assess what happened
2. So What?: Analyze the implications and lessons learned
3. Now What?: Determine actions to improve or maintain performance

Balanced reflection. When reviewing poor performances, focus 80% on positives and 20% on areas for improvement. For successful performances, shift to 60% positives and 40% improvement areas to maintain growth.

Continuous improvement. Use insights from your AAR to:

1. Create new affirmations based on lessons learned
2. Identify specific areas for practice or skill development
3. Envision future success incorporating these improvements

By consistently applying these techniques, you can build and maintain a robust confidence "bank account" that allows you to perform at your best when it matters most.

Last updated: August 25, 2024