Today’s Mental Performance Strategy is inspired by a two-word mantra I have embraced, implemented, and relied on heavily over the past six years. The Mantra is simply. . . “YES, AND.”

Here are a couple of examples from my book, Heart of a Champion, that I want to share with you about how I used the “YES, AND” mantra. Traveling down the road alone, with a loaded trailer, going to unfamiliar places, was frightening for me, but I had to overcome my fears, in order to run down my Bold Goals.

I was anxious about all the things that could go wrong. What if I wasn’t vigilant enough to keep my horses safe? I was fearful of wrecking my truck and trailer, of hitting someone or being hit. I was scared of bad weather, bad roads, and getting robbed or hurt, when I stopped for gas or at a rest area. There were a million, negative things that could go wrong, and my mind was full of them. I had to learn to “take every thought captive” and shoot down negative input.

YES, I was scared and afraid of all those things happening, AND I did it anyway. I loaded up my rig and drove to all the places I needed to go in order to run down by Bold Goals.

Uncertainty is always present, when trying to achieve Bold Goals. Questions flooded my mind. “Will I be able to master the skills I need to achieve my goals?” “Will I be able to compete under pressure executing those skills?” “Will there be a payoff for betting on myself?” “When will my Bold Goals ever materialize?”

YES, I had a lot of uncertainty, many unanswered questions, AND I did it anyway. I showed up for myself every single day, investing the time, energy, effort, and money, with great uncertainty about what the outcome would be.

You may be curious about what the payoff is for implementing the “YES, AND” mantra. The “YES, AND” mantra helped me have, do, and become more confident. In each situation where I got to say, “YES, AND,” it grew me exponentially in ways that allowed me to trust myself, take risks, bounce-back, figure it out, and believe in myself with every fiber of my being.

“YES, AND” gave me the high-octane fuel I needed to put in my Confidence Fuel Tank. Confidence is an “inside job.” It’s a “You And You Only Deal” — all day long. Other folks can support you, encourage you, and coach you to be confident, but the heart of the matter is that confidence is a CHOICE. Making the choice to say YES to “being afraid, being uncertain, being uncomfortable “AND doing it anyway” gives you the opportunity to practice confidence. The more opportunity you get to train your confidence, the more competence you will gain, being confident.

Your Competence Builds Your Confidence.

Saying “YES, AND” gives you an opportunity to build your confidence competence.

I want to encourage you to look for more “YES, AND” moments in your life. Look for opportunities to build your confidence. Accept the opportunities that will allow you to learn, evolve, and grow. Embrace and implement the situations that will catapult you in the direction you want to go. The quickest way to get the momentum you desire is to take action, one step at a time. Here is a quote from my mentor, Doc Gilbert, “It is the start that stops most people.” Using the “YES, AND” mantra, in all arenas of your life, helps you get out of the starting gate, so you can run your own race, becoming the best you, you can be.

I would love to help you implement this and other mental performance strategies through my ninety day one-on-one coaching program. We will work together to get your from where you are to where you want to be. For more information go to DoneneTaylor.com or find me on social media @DoneneTaylor.