How to Coach Yourself and Others Techniques For Coaching | Página 459

In the case of competitive sports, not only are exceptional
physical skills required, but so is a strong mental game. Most
coaches preach that sports are 90% mental and only 10%
physical. That's why so many athletes train in visualization or
mental imagery along with their physical routines.
To be effective, like any skill, mental imagery needs to be
practiced regularly. The four elements to mental imagery are
relaxation, realism, regularity and reinforcement.
Creative visualization is a very useful way to contribute to
successful goal achievement. In this procedure you use your
imagination to create a clear picture in your mind of whatever
you want to take place in your life
Steps for Visualization:
1. Go to a place where you will be undisturbed.
2. Sit in a comfortable chair.
3. Close your eyes and relax. Breathe in and out slowly for 10
times to attain maximum relaxation.
4. Start to see in your mind's eye, the thing you want, in as much
detail as possible (as you practice and get better at
visualizations, see if you can make the picture brightly colored,
sharply focused, framed, containing sound, action and feeling).
5. Step into the picture and energize it with 5 big breaths.
6. Make an affirmation sub-vocally, to put the event in present
tense and make it real. Gain the feeling of actually achieving what
you want. Say to yourself, “This is mine, right now!”.
You might want to put some music on to stimulate your right
brain (the creative and feeling part of you which can help you
draw on the power of your unconscious to move invisible energy
towards your desired goal).
You might like to vary your visual pictures, depending on your
mood. Some people love the visual picture of being on a beach;
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