As a man thinketh for fitness coaches

As a man thinketh (1903) is a book that will help you to harness the power you already possess. You will find out how everything in your life is determined by your thoughts. A better understanding of thought and how it influences performance will help you to become a better coach. Better coaches create better athletes. Better athletes deliver better results.

The book captures the philosophy of James Allen. Allen was a British author best known for his theories about the power of thought. You will learn how to master your mind and direct your thoughts towards the goals you want to achieve. As a man thinketh is his most famous work.

What we think is what we are

The power of the mind is the big differentiator between the ultimate champions and the average. When you are active in high stakes environments everyone has done their homework. People are committed to the cause. They trained hard. Hours and hours of preparation went into being allowed to compete at the highest levels. Therefore, the coach can not just take care of the physical and tactical. You also have to prepare your athletes for the mental aspect of the struggle that is about to come.

For this, I recommend reading books like as a man thinketh to get beyond playbooks and training schedules. Be a mentor to your team and alleviate them to new levels of success.

What happened when I did not think positive

When I was doing Judo in my teens not a lot was done on the mental side of things. There was little help to navigate life as a teenager and get your priorities straight. A good coach, especially in sports with not a lot of funding, does well to keep people around and motivated.

My example is one of many. As a result of lacking support on how to achieve their goals teenagers quit. They quit their instruments. They stop applying themselves in school. Prioritise drugs over their health. A big amount of talent is lost in these formative years due to lack of positive thinking.

Since I met my wife my outlook on life is a lot more positive. I have never been a better athlete since the start of my thirties. Unfortunately, the time for the big successes as an Olympian is over, even though I could have obtained them. I just would have had to stretch myself a little more.

The effects of thinking negative

Imagine everyone you know. Now separate the ones who get things done from those who don't. What sets these two groups apart? Chances are that the group who gets less done have a pretty pessimistic attitude to start with. Attitude and action are closely related. Blaming failure on external factors is something we are all guilty of. It only sets us back. Avoid distractions from improving yourself.

We all know people with hearts of gold who face terrible adversity. At the same time there are greedy, dishonest people who live satisfied lives surrounded by wealth and admirers. Do not let this distract you from having a positive attitude. Even when faced with adversity you will have a better outlook on the future with a positive attitude.

What goes for the mind also goes for the body. Some of us age gracefully while others do not. Bad habits, lack of access to healthcare and unfortunate genes play all a role. Our attitude also plays a huge role. Unhappy thoughts lead to higher heart rate, poorer sleep, and headaches. Never to mention the wrinkles from all that frowning.

Our thoughts not only impact our prospects for success. They also affect the people around us, our bodies and our children.

How to start to be more positive

You are the sum of your thoughts. By working on your thoughts and the ones of your athletes you can attain divine perfection. Weed out bad useless thoughts about yourself and the ones around you. This can bring joy, peace, and wisdom to your life. You shape your world as much as it shapes you.

Your character can influence whether you will be training a group of Olympians or a bunch of losers. Directing your thoughts towards the goal you want to obtain is crucial. Whether you want to win the championship, set a new world record or make your roster lose 10 pounds each. Keep dreamers around and never stop dreaming yourself. This is how you reach new heights.

To start this process with your team dig deeper. Look for the thoughts which make you tired and grumpy. Push these thoughts to the side and act. This allows you to cultivate your mind. Thinking and preparing for failure will not get the desired results. Focus on how you can get yourself and your team to act.

Columbus, after all, dreamed of another world before he got the resources to actually do it.

Conclusion

It all starts in your mind. Your mind controls how hard you train. Your mind controls how many tapes of the competition you watch to prepare. You are in charge of what to spend your time on. Spent it wisely and teach the ones around you the same to get the best results.