The Secret Ingredient That Will Ignite Your Sporting Performance

You can do all the training you want. Get the nutrition just right. But if there is one key ingredient missing, your performance in sports will never be what it could. And that ingredient is confidence. Of course, we all think of athletes like Steph Curry as being effortless confident – because they have talent and ability. But actually, confidence is something that has to be worked on over time – a muscle that can be trained just like any other. If you don’t make mind management a part of your training, then you’re missing a trick that could transform your performance. Why is this one quality so important, and how do you develop it in yourself?

Put simply, when an athlete feels confident, it acts like an engine that turns potential and preparation into great sporting performance. Confidence is the mechanism that turns all their training and preparation into a concrete reality, and when it’s lost the outcome is noticeable. Confidence is the ability to overcome doubt with self-belief and visualize a positive outcome to your endeavors. Research suggests that there are three building blocks involved in creating confidence:

1. Permission

This can either come externally or from yourself – sometimes, seeing confident behavior modeled by someone else forms a kind of tacit permission, or sometimes a situation creates it. Permission is the essential first step in creating a sense of self-confidence. It also helps us to seek support where we need it – whether that’s getting expert advice on our training or even getting represented in your bike injury case – whatever situation you find yourself in. Remember back to a time when you did feel empowered and confident – tap back into that feeling. Allow yourself to fully believe that you are equal to anyone else and that your needs and concerns matter in the world.

2. Community

Finding external support and encouragement is also crucial. Community offers a safer space for us to experiment with more confident behaviors and attitudes. It also gives us the support we need – especially within sports. Often joining a club can help you to advance your sporting goals more, by giving you that direct feedback and coaching that helps you bring confidence together with great training. The same applies to classes and personal trainers – these things can hold a mirror up to your progress, and give you the tools to be confident in your own abilities.

3. Curiosity

Learning is how we continue to progress and develop. Having confidence is absolutely not about having fixed ideas – it’s healthy to meet challenges, as it gives you the opportunity to either incorporate new information into your training regime or to reaffirm your position. Both of these scenarios can really benefit your confidence. Be in charge of your own learning – subscribe to fitness blogs, ask for tips from peers or trainers, analyze athletes and what they do, and set time aside to work on your mind as much as your body.

Confidence takes time – it doesn’t grow overnight. Just like your physical training, if you put the work in and show the consistency, you will get the results – and they might just surprise you.