Mantras are powerful statements used to direct focus and concentration. Growing up, I had many mantras I recited to myself. These mantras I believed with all my heart and would defend them vigorously to anyone who challenged me. Here are a few I relentlessly repeated to myself for decades:
· Practice makes perfect.
· This is it; I must “seal the deal.”
· Show me a good loser, and I will show you a LOSER.
· Second place is FIRST LOSER.
My mantras were powerful. They directed my focus and concentration; however, they did NOT direct me in a productive direction. They directed me toward things I could not control and outcomes that did not exist. These mantras generated negative emotions and encouraged unproductive self-talk and thoughts.
Other athletes talked about these mantras, and I desperately wanted what they had. At the time, I did not understand the detrimental consequences of integrating this fixed mindset into my life. I had no idea that the fixed mentality I was “married to” was wrecking my process of running down my Bold Goal.
If you want to know where you will be in 1 year, 3 years, or 5 years from now, listen to how you are talking to yourself. Be hyper-vigilant about your thoughts, be conscientious in what you are reading, watching, and listening to. Choose wisely who you allow into your inner circle. Those things make a difference.
The following is one of my favorite Tom Hopkins quotes I committed to memory and use as a mantra:
In other words, WINNERS LOSE MORE THAN LOSERS LOSE. Winners intentionally put themselves into the arena and take risks, knowing all the while they will stink it up, make mistakes, struggle, and possibly fail. Winners keep learning and quickly bounce back up—more times than losers will even enter the arena.
Here is another mantra I lean in to daily:
PRACTICE MAKES PERMANENT.
What you practice and how you practice it will become permanent. A lot of my journey of running down a World Championship involved unlearning and replacing unproductive practices that did not help me a hill of beans.
For example:
· I practiced riding the Emotional Roller Coaster and got really good at it.
I became a Master at it!
· I practiced a lot, focusing on the all the things I could not control, and got really good at it. I became a Master at it!
· I practiced a lot speeding up my rope, on the last swing, and I got good at it. I became a Master at it!
I did all those things P-E-R-F-E-C-T-L-Y!!! And do you know what? They became permanent. It took a massive amount of practice and better strategies to unlearn and replace those practices with productive, masterful skillsets that would move me forward, toward my Bold Goals. You Will Master What You Practice.
I write about this next mantra in my book, Heart of a Champion:
IF IT’S NOT HAPPENING NOW, IT JUST ISN’T HAPPENING YET!
I learned of this mantra by reading a “Down the Line” article by Stran Smith. This mantra is on a sign I have on my barn wall. It promotes a growth mindset. The most powerful 3-lettered word in the English language is the word “YET.” Failure is not permanent. Failure is feedback. Analyzing the feedback is how you get the lessons and the learning that propel you forward toward your Bold Goals.
Donene Taylor uses mantras to help keep her moving forward and teaches others to do the same.
Courtesy Donene Taylor
Mantras are tools for your mind. I want to encourage you to choose your Mantras wisely. Choose productive, positive self-talk that will elevate you to become a better version of yourself. The next step is to whole-heartedly embrace and “lean in” to your mantras daily. Mantras are most useful and are meant to be used when you are experiencing adversity.
Every one of us is destined to take the “Adversity Test.” Sometimes it’s a daily pop quiz, and other times it’s a major exam. The goal is to keep passing the “test” that is handed to you. Productive, positive Mantras can help us pass an “Adversity Test” with flying colors.
I have never regretted the time and work involved in digging deeper, seeking out, and developing mantras that help move me forward, in the direction of my Bold Goals.
Are you ready to do the work and start seeing some real changes in your performance? I would be honored to help you get where you’ve always wanted to be. Contact me to begin my ninety-day one-on-one coaching program, Master the Art of Winning. We will work together to achieve your Bold Goals. For more information go to DoneneTaylor.com or find me on social media @DoneneTaylor.
