People like showing horses for a multitude of reasons--the competition, the discipline, or the sheer joy of creating an unlikely partnership between human and...
It’s that time again. You made it through Thanksgiving, the presents have been opened and 2014 is coming to a close. Finally with a moment to yourself you prepare to partake in the last holiday tradition of the year, which isn’t to fire up the blender and and binge drink margaritas , it’s time to reflect on the past and make resolutions for the future. That’s right, it’s Resolution Time!
I don’t know about you, but if you are going to tell me what I’m doing wrong, you better tell me what to do about it. In case you can identify with some of the behaviors in last month's article or are just wondering how to stop the things we do to sabotage success, here are some ideas. Most of the top Sport Consultants and Psychologists would agree that one of the biggest obstacles to peak performance is the lack of proper focus, and quite frankly, I could write a 300 page article about it.
When you look at the definition of sabotage, the key word that makes an act of failure a true work of sabotage is “deliberate”. Let me ask you, how many of you decide ahead of time exactly how you are going to create failure by snatching it out of the jaws of success? Therefore, in the true spirit of sabotage, I would say that very few people commit “Conscious Sabotage” by pre-planning the type of monkey wrench they are going to throw into their winning run.
Most people would agree that being a parent is one of the hardest yet rewarding jobs on the planet. You worry, support, nag and bribe your kids to do the right thing, and at the end of the day, all you really want is for your child to be happy. Then, one day, your dear son or daughter says four innocent little words, “I want a horse” and life as you know it will never be the same.
A few weeks ago, the commencement speech at The University of Texas given by Naval Adm. William H. McRaven, ninth commander of U.S. Special Operations Command was floating around cyberspace. The speech was about the 10 life lessons that he learned during his basic SEAL training, and if you have not seen it yet, you can read it here. After reading the article, it occurred to me that equestrians can learn a lot from a Navy SEAL‘s experience.
Since May is Fashion Month at GoHorseShow, I thought it would be fitting to combine two of my favorite subjects--Clothes and Psychology. To my surprise, they go together like boots and spurs. Try incorporating a few of these tips into your next outfit and you might just find yourself in the winners circle!
Confidence is interesting--most people think it is an actual ‘‘thing” that they either have, or they don’t. I think of confidence as a belief in a person's ability to do something and just like a bank account, we either make deposits or withdrawals. If you feel your confidence is constantly in overdraft status, try eliminating the following habits and your account balance will be in the black in no time.
Whether it is winning a World or Congress Championship, a year end title or an all around saddle, most competitors have always dreamed about becoming a “Winner”. In order to achieve your goal, you create a plan, work hard, and you turn your dream into a reality. Then something weird happens. Instead of being on top of the world, you realize that winning comes with its own set of truths.
According to Graham Jones, Sheldon Hanton and Declan Connaugton, mental
toughness is, "Having the natural or developed psychological edge that
enables you to: generally, cope better than your opponents with the many
demands (competition, training, lifestyle) that sport places on a
performer.
It’s that time of year again where I cringe every time I hear about
resolutions...a.k.a, the average person's "To Do List" for the first
week in January. This year, I actually have something that would qualify
for a resolution if the resolution is to make themselves and others
happy in 2014. What’s even better about this resolution is that I have
put it to the test, and I am happy to report that it works!