A Simple Success Strategy for Hockey Goalies.
Today, I am not sharing any off-ice goalie training drills specifically, I want to share an idea I got from the book I am reading right now. I do not really read any fiction (other than Harry Potter – seriously – love the Harry Potter!). I prefer to read books about either training or business. Right now I am reading What If? And Why Not?: How to Transform Your Fears into Action and Start the Business of Your Dreams by Jen Groover and there are some ideas I think apply to you so that is what I will share with you today.
As most of you know, I was a competitive cross-country ski racer through high school and University. My goal was to ski for the National team; my dream was to ski in the Olympics. Like many of you I was one of those athletes who achieves success by working harder than most of their opponents and I did pretty well doing that. But I was never good enough to ski for the National team let alone the Olympic Games.
The fact that I tried my best and fell short actually makes it much easier for me to say in a straight forward way, “hey, I was not good enough” rather than become one of those, “well, the coach hated me, the greenhouse effect melted all the snow, I had a blister on my pinky toe…otherwise I would have made it!” – type of people.
I apply the same principles to my business – but it is not always easy. Even though I have been in the field for almost 20-years and run my own successful business for 11-years I still find these thoughts creeping into my head:
- What if people stop coming to train with me and I need to go back to working in a health club?
- What if I spend all this time creating a new goalie training product and no one wants to buy it?
- What if someone says something mean to me on my blog?
It is actually hard for me to admit that I do have those thoughts even though they have never happened (sometimes people say I have a stupid voice on my YouTube videos, but I can deal with that!). I have always been good at ignoring negative self-talk and not letting it slow me down, but in this book Jen Groover shares a great strategy that is so simple I cannot believe I never thought of using it.
This will make your off-ice goalie training a little easier…
Instead of thinking, “What if this, that and the other thing go wrong?” Think…
What if things go perfectly? What if I achieve everything I have ever dreamed of?
By taking consistent action steps toward your goal, you are actually doing more to ensure the wonderful outcome rather than the doomsday scenario. So instead of asking yourself:
- What if I show up to tryouts and suck?
- What if I get cut from the team?
- What if I don’t make it to Jr. A hockey?
- What if my groin injury flares up again?
Now ask yourself:
- What if I do everything I can to prepare for the most successful season of my career?
- What if I step on the ice and even surprise myself with my speed and precision?
- What if my coaches and teammates are all shocked at how much I have improved?
- What if I am the starting goalie that leads my team to victory all season?
- What if the scouts start noticing me?
- What if I achieve all of my goals?
So for example instead of my doomsday perspective from above, now I think like this:
- What if there is a goalie out there with the talent to play professional hockey, but they just do not know what off-ice training will help them get there?
- What if I can help thousands of goalies achieve their goals every year?
- What if someone is struggling with their game, with their confidence, with an injury and my blog post gives them the missing link that helps them move past it?
- What if I create so much value for goalies all over the world that it is a no brainer for them to use my training systems which will allow me to spend more time with Paul?
Now, here is what I want you to do:
1. Write down what you want to achieve in the next 12-months.
2. Write down how you would like to feel when you step on the ice for the start of the season. Do you want to feel stronger, faster, more flexible? Be specific.
3. Write down what you are willing to do to make that happen. If it is more off-ice training – how much? What exactly will you do? If it is technical training – who will you get to help you? How often will you get on the ice?
4. Finally, write down what it would mean to you and your family if you were able to achieve your goals and live your dreams – honestly write it down!
5. Start taking visible action steps TODAY!
One of the quotes from the book that I think applies to you (and me) the most is something like –
Let you fear of regret outweigh your fear of failure.
Okay gang, hopefully this helps some of you make the leap to the next level. I will be back later in the week with more training tips. If you have any questions about your off-ice goalie training, please do not hesitate to ask in the comments section below.
Cheers,
Maria
PS – if you are ready to make the leap then you need to get to work. Start here!