How do you improve your performance?
Training is the most common answer, and rightly so.
However, your training and match performance is hugely affected by the 3 keys to performance.
Mindset. Nutrition. Sleep.
Mindset
Mindsets are your beliefs about yourself and your most basic qualities. They are the beliefs that will decide the way you will handle situations.
Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D. is a world leading researcher in the field of motivation. She states that here are two types of mindsets which will affect how you will react to situations:
- A Fixed Mindset – you believe that your basic qualities such as your intelligence or talent are fixed traits. If you have a fixed mindset you believe that you don’t have to work hard, and that talent alone will create success.
- A Growth Mindset – you believe that your basic qualities are starting points. You believe you can improve through dedication and hard work and that the success will come.
In the case of a failure, whether it be on the pitch or in life, the mindset you have will dictate how you react to it. If you have a fixed mindset, failure will unsettle you and make you doubt how good you are. You are out to prove yourself and measure your level of success on your lack of failure.
In contrast, a person with a growth mindset will take that failure and use it to improve themselves. They will use the failure as motivation to work harder and get better results next time.
Having a growth mindset is key if you want to move forward in all aspects of your life. Whether business, education or sport is the area you want to improve in, having a growth mindset will be helpful.
In football, an athlete with a growth mindset will look at their past mistakes and be driven to improve them. They won’t rest on their last performance but look ahead and aim to prove they are better next time.
They don’t fear defeat and failure.
They relish the opportunity to grow.
Nutrition
Nutrition is the process of taking in food and using it for growth and repair in relation to your own bodies’ needs.
‘Good’ nutrition is the key to good mental and physical health. Fats, carbohydrates and proteins are all necessary to make your body work at optimal level.
Your body needs proper nutrition and hydration to keep performing at a high level.
Yes, the meals eaten before or after exercising are important in sports nutrition, but you should be aware of everything you put into your body.
Dieting can fail because of the rigidity and impracticality of them, but good nutrition is not a diet.
It is a lifestyle.
If your mindset is one of growth and improvement, having a good nutrition program is a key part of it. If you aren’t doing everything to get the best performance out of yourself, you aren’t giving yourself the best opportunity to grow and improve.
Having good nutrition is a key to helping you grow on the field.
Sleep
Sleep is essential to the restoration and recovery of vital bodily and mental functions.
If you eat well and exercise regularly but don’t get enough sleep, your efforts may be in vain. In the short-term, a lack of sleep can lead to a lack of alertness, an impaired memory and make you emotional which can lead to conflict in your life.
Sleep can be what you are missing in your life to make it complete. You may be training multiple times a week, eating well and have the right mindset, but if you aren’t sleeping well it could all be in vain.
Your life is meant to be balanced. If you are spending all your time expending energy and no time building your energy stores back up, you will be out of balance.
If you’re exhausted before you even step out on the pitch can you perform to your best?
If you’re exhausted after a long day, are you more likely to get food which is quick and easy or food that is nutritious and takes longer to make?
These three areas are key to performing well on the pitch.
Without one, the other two will struggle to make for the missing section. Each individual section has its own merits but together they will make you complete and give you the best chance at success.
1 out of 3 is the beginning of your process.
2 out of 3 is the beginning of your life changing.
3 out of 3 is the beginning of your best chance at success.
If you are someone who takes their football serious and pursues high performance on and off the pitch, then check out our 90 Minute High Performance Program.
We individualise your training, recovery and nutrition to ensure you are always doing what you can to maximise your performance on the pitch.
