Thoughts Hold Power

In any given situation our thoughts hold an incredible amount of power over the emotions we experience and the actions we take. Whether it's a critical moment in a playoff game or just a Monday morning where we are trying to get some work done, like it or not we are at the mercy of our internal dialogue… our self-talk. Whether it's positive or negative it has a significant impact on our performance. Luckily enough, we do have the ability to control our thoughts and what we say to ourselves.

Positive self-talk is probably a buzz word that you’ve heard before. And no knock on the phrase, but when I think of positive self-talk this what I think of:

“I’m going to do great”

“Everything is going to be okay”

“I can do this”

Are these self-talk statements positive? Yes. Do they provide us with much value in completing the task at hand (whatever that may be)? Not really. 

While these statements are positive and supportive of our efforts, they don’t add much constructive value to the situation. Imagine trying to put out a dumpster fire with one of those enormous metal water bottles everyone carries around nowadays and telling yourself, “I can do this”.. Great, I’m very glad you’re remaining positive and hopeful amidst this fiery situation, but that positivity can only take you so far in that situation because once those 23 ounces of water run out your positivity is not going to put out the fire. In that moment we need more than just our positive mindset. We need our thoughts to direct our focus and effort towards what is most important at that moment. In that silly example that might be thoughts like:

“I’ve got to call for help”

“I need to find more water”

And while that seems so obvious, those thoughts direct our energy and focus towards things that will actually help us put that fire out. We call this instructional self-talk. 

Instructional self-talk helps athletes focus on the task itself as well as the technical components and process of their performance. It’s not necessarily positive or negative.. It’s just helpful and constructive to the task at hand and that is why it is so effective in helping athletes perform when the pressure is on. It takes some of the emotion out of the moment and directs attention to the simple and most important components of the action. Here is an example of what instructional self-talk might look like:

You’ve got a batter stepping into the box in the bottom of the 9th with his team down a run with runners on 1st and 3rd with 2 outs. Big moment.. He knows he needs to get a hit to win the game. He thinks to himself…

“Alright big moment, I’m ready for it! Watch the ball out of his hand and be aggressive!”

In that instance of self-talk we see the hitter acknowledge it's a pressure filled moment, but he reassures himself that he is ready for it (positive self-talk). We also see him use instructional self-talk to direct his focus towards two technical components that are both within his control → watching the ball out of the pitcher’s hand and being aggressive in the at-bat. In this situation the hitter has combined both positive and instructional self-talk to put himself in a position to be successful in the at-bat. It’s not just empty positive statements. His dialogue is constructive towards his performance.

I illustrate the importance of effective self-talk because I’ve seen many athletes struggle with self-talk that undermines their performance and strips them of their confidence. I see and hear many coaches and parents telling their athletes to be more positive and while, yes that’s a big part of it, there’s more to it. By helping athletes utilize instructional self-talk we provide them with more performance value than positivity alone. We give them something real and effective to focus their energy, effort, and attention on when it matters most.

So remember, our thoughts and words hold great power over us. Positivity is an important component of effective self-talk. And lastly, instructional self-talk provides an extra layer of value by directing our focus away from irrelevant and distracting thoughts and towards the important keys that will help us be successful in the moment.