THE RIGHT MENTALITY FOR TRAINING

I have been training volleyball almost every day of my life for the past 4 years. Of course, there are some days where you feel so pumped up ad ready to take on the day, and yet most days you feel fatigued and not wanting to move a muscle. The question is, how do you fight those demons and push through, to get the most out of your training session? Here are some tips.

1.      TRICK YOUR MIND

During a tiring part of training (say fitness session or a tough drill), it’s easy to give in and not go all out. But think about it, if you never ever push through the toughest and most challenging moments, how are you ever going to know your limits? One thing I like to tell myself is, yes, I’m dying now, but it is for a better tomorrow. I’m going to be so much stronger than I was before this drill.” One quote that I love is “Today I will do what others won’t, so tomorrow I can do what others can’t.”

2.      QUESTION YOURSELF    

After a drill, ask yourself “Did I really try my best?” “Could I have done better?” “Could I have lasted for one more rep or one more second?” Only you will know the answers to these questions, and I think that these are great guidelines to help you stay on track.

3.      PUT YOURSELF IN YOUR IDOL’S SHOES

Another trick that I like to use is by putting myself in my idol’s shoes. Sometimes when I’m feeling a little lazy, I would ask myself “Would so-and-so do this during their training?” “What kind of effort did it take them to get to where they are now?”  This works because it makes you feel somewhat guilty for slacking off, and in reminding yourself that your idols too have to go through a lot of hard work to reach the top, you’ll be more motivated and find hidden bursts of energy to continue grinding.

4.      NOT EVERYDAY IS SUNDAY 

Look, not every day is going to be your day. Trust me, I’ve learned this the hard way. I used to get so stressed up and upset if I did not do well during a practice session. However, I slowly began to understand that it is completely normal as humans to have ups and downs, it is just a matter of how you overcome it (whether you choose to let it affect you or not). Someone once told me something so amazingly simple that it just blew my mind. In fact, it was so liberating that I decided to make it into an equation.

How you perform in training ≠ How you perform in competition 

And when you actually take a moment to let that sink in, you realize how ridiculously true it is! But take note, that does not mean that you put in less effort during training. It simply means that you shouldn’t use a bad practice session to JUDGE your skillset because ultimately, it’s game time that matters. There’s no point in being a beast only during training. You’ve got to be the same on game day (that’s gonna be a topic in future 😉)

Anddd remember, there are only two options- make progress or make excuses. So choose wisely!