An unsupervised brain will cause lots of problems for you if you don’t tell it what to do. So before every ballroom competition, it’s wise to get your head on strait. Just take a little time to set yourself up for success by setting your intentions ahead of time. In this podcast I give you 4 prompts to help you do some pre-competition self coaching. Each competition will look a little different, but this is a good place to start.
1. Why are you doing this competition? What will you define as success for this particular competition?
2. Are your expectations appropriate? Is what you expect for yourself in line with your current preparations and capability?
3. Be clear about what is within your control and what is not. Focusing on what you can’t control will create anxiety for you. The only thing you can truly control is you.
4. Decide ahead of time how you will feel. Decide for each juncture on the competition experience. How do you want to feel in the leading up phase? How do you want to feel during the heat of competition? How do you want to feel afterwards, no matter what?
Food for thought:
–Remember that the time for prep is done. By the time you are getting to competition, there is nothing more you can really implement at this point. So be willing to let go a little and believe that you are ready. What you have prepared up to this point is enough. It’s perfect, in fact, for where you are now. You will put what you have to the test and learn what you need to do going forward to get better.
–Try to empty your mind of all the tiny directions you give yourself. Trust your body to do what it has been practicing. Over-instructing yourself can cause problems. If you must instruct yourself, pick a couple key words but don’t over do it. Get out of your head a little more and into your body.
–I like to remind myself this is all for fun. I am in my 40’s and just started dancing a couple years ago. I tell myself that I am play dancing. This thought won’t work for everyone, but it works to settle me the crap down so I can enjoy myself. I dance so much better if I am enjoying myself. I do this for fun and so I insist it be fun.
–After all is said and done, always be kind to yourself. Never use dancing against yourself. Dancing is here to grow and expand you. It’s not meant to hurt you, punish you or create any internal battles with yourself. So no matter the outcomes, always extend yourself grace and be kind. You can take this seriously, compete fiercely and win a LOT without self-recrimination.
