Personal Growth Archives - Sport Life Flow https://sportlifeflow.com.au/category/personal-growth/ Supporting Athletes Bridge the Gap Between Sport and Life Whole-Heartedly... Fri, 06 Jan 2023 03:17:57 +0000 en-AU hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.1.6 What Are Transitions and How Do They Apply to Sport? https://sportlifeflow.com.au/what-are-transitions-and-how-do-they-apply-to-sport/ https://sportlifeflow.com.au/what-are-transitions-and-how-do-they-apply-to-sport/#comments Fri, 06 Jan 2023 03:17:57 +0000 https://sportlifeflow.com.au/?p=1476 Over the years, I had heard a lot about change and as the quote “there is nothing permanent except change” ~ Heraclitus of  Ephesus indicates having undergone many changes myself. However, I hadn’t really heard about transitions or been aware of transitions (even though I had undergone many) until a few …

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Over the years, I had heard a lot about change and as the quote “there is nothing permanent except change” ~ Heraclitus of  Ephesus indicates having undergone many changes myself. However, I hadn’t really heard about transitions or been aware of transitions (even though I had undergone many) until a few years back and started investigating further.

 

What is a Transition?

There are a number of definitions on transitions as well including –

  • “the process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another” ~ Google
  • “movement, passage, or change from one position, state, stage, subject or concept etc., to another” ~ Dictionary.com
  • “a change from one state or condition to another” ~ Merriam-Webster

According to William Bridges in his book Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change, transitions are psychological and have a 3 phase process (see below), whereas change is situational. In his books Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes and Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change, he talks about the process of transition having three phases –

  1. an ending (letting go of a situation);
  2. a neutral zone (the confusing or distressing area of in-betweenness)
  3. a new beginning (launching in to a new situation).

 

How Do Transitions Apply to Sport?

There are many transitions in sport and some of them are bigger transitions than others. However, it also depends on how we look at them. For example – retiring from sport can be more challenging than driving home each day from training (which is also a transition), however even this example can depend on a variety of variables.

Wylleman, Alfermann and Lavallee (2004) propose four transitional phases an athlete experience throughout their sport. They are –

  1. Athletic development level (e.g. starting in the sport, developing in the sport, sport mastery, retirement),
  2. Psychological development (e.g. moving from adolescence into adulthood, elite to professional),
  3. Psych-social development (e.g. coach-athlete relationships, family relationships and new teammates).
  4. Education and professional development (e.g moving from primary to secondary to university to professional development).

Following are some other examples of what could be perceived as bigger transitions that occur in sport, however please remember many activities in life can be a transition –

  • attracting a new sponsorship deal (or losing one),
  • being separated from family and friends,
  • getting married,
  • getting injured or coming back from injury,
  • having a child,
  • moving countries to train and travelling as an athlete in general, or
  • living on your own for the first time.

 

Reflection Questions –

What are the Transitions You have Experienced in your Sport?

  1. Think back on all of the transitions you have had in your sport.
  2. What type of transitions have you experienced? Have you experienced changes in your team / relationships (family, friends and others), your body, finances and /or responsibilities.

 

When you are ready to reclaim your courage and take the next step towards freedom and living whole-heartedly (i.e. across sport and life)you are also welcome tjoin our newsletter here.

 

Reference –

Bridges, W. (1991). Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change. London, Great Britain: Nicholas Brealey Publications.

Wylleman, P., Alfermann, D., & Lavallee, D. (2004). Career transitions in sport: European perspectives. Psychology of sport and exercise, 5(1), 7-20.

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What is Self-Regulation and Why Is It Important? https://sportlifeflow.com.au/what-is-self-regulation-and-why-is-it-important/ https://sportlifeflow.com.au/what-is-self-regulation-and-why-is-it-important/#respond Mon, 02 Jan 2023 03:40:45 +0000 https://sportlifeflow.com.au/?p=1458 Recently I have had a number of conversations about emotions, energy, behaviours and thinking. Subsequently, today I wanted to discuss self-regulation, what it is and why is self-regulation important? Working with many clients (and also on my own adventure of life), I have found self-regulation to be an important skill …

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Recently I have had a number of conversations about emotions, energy, behaviours and thinking. Subsequently, today I wanted to discuss self-regulation, what it is and why is self-regulation important?

Working with many clients (and also on my own adventure of life), I have found self-regulation to be an important skill in leading a whole-hearted and fulfilling life. Subsequently, in this post I am going to discuss what self-regulation is and

 

What is Self-Regulation?

There are many definitions on self-regulation, including –

  • “…the fact of something such as an organisation regulating itself without intervention from external bodies.” ~ Google and English Oxford Dictionary
  • “control by oneself or itself, as in an economy, business organization, etc., especially such control as exercised independently of governmental supervision, laws, or the like.” ~ Dictionary.com
  • “Self-regulation is the ability to manage your own energy states, emotions, behaviours and attention, in ways that are socially acceptable and help achieve positive goals, such as maintaining good relationships, learning and maintaining wellbeing,” ~ Stuart Shanker,
  • “…control that students have over their cognition, behaviour, emotions and motivation through the use of personal strategies to achieve the goals they have established ’ ~ Ernesto Panadero1 and Jesús Alonso-Tapia, and
  • Self-regulation is the conscious and non-conscious processes by which people regulate their thoughts, emotions, attention, behaviour, and impulses. People generate thoughts, feelings and actions and adapt those to the attainment of personal goals.”Mark Pettinelli

Do these definitions relate to your knowledge and understanding of self-regulation? If not, what would you add? Personally, I relate to the third and fourth definitions best as they are clear to me.

 

Quotes on Self-Regulation –

Following are 5 few inspiring quotes on self-regulation –

  • “One of the challenges of education is that a certain amount of stress is normal and positive. The question is how to reduce the stressors that are not helping the child.” ~ Dr Stuart Shanker
  • “When we self-regulate well, we are better able to control the trajectory of our emotional lives and resulting actions based on our values and sense of purpose.” ~ Amy Leigh Mercree
  • “Self-regulation is as much about up-regulating positive emotions, such as interests, love and happiness as down-regulating negative emotions.” ~ Dr Stuart Shanker
  • “You can’t learn Self-Reg without feeling filled up with hope.” ~ Susan Hopkins
  • “Self-regulation makes self-control possible, not the other way around.” ~ Dr Stuart Shanker

 

Why Is Self-Regulation Important?

After reading the above definitions on self-regulation, can you see why self-regulation would be important in your sport and life? For example –

  • as an athlete – do you think managing own energy and emotional states in a game or match would be useful? What about before and after a game / match, to foster your performance and recovery?
  • as a parent – understanding your own emotions within conversations with your children and also how you manage your own stress? (yes you are also a role model and don’t worry stress is universal), and
  • as a coach – identifying your own behaviours and how you respond to situations (rather than react)?

Also – the above examples, can overlap between each of the roles of athlete, parent / guardian and coach.

Other benefits of self-regulation in sport include –

Can you see how self-regulation could help your relationships and overall well-being? Remember – there are many other reasons why self-regulation is important – in sport as well as life, what other examples can you find?

 

Over to You…

I hope this post has given you some insights in to self-regulation and why it is important. Would you agree self-regulation is important? If so, how do you practise it in your sport and life? Please feel free to share your responses below in the comments section.

Remember, as you move towards developing self-regulation we have a choice on how to respond to each situation.

 

When you are ready to reclaim your courage and take the next step towards freedom and living whole-heartedly (i.e. across sport and life)you are also welcome tjoin our newsletter here.

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What is the Inner Game? https://sportlifeflow.com.au/what-is-the-inner-game/ https://sportlifeflow.com.au/what-is-the-inner-game/#respond Sat, 03 Dec 2022 07:54:33 +0000 https://sportlifeflow.com.au/?p=1302 The past few weeks, I have been referring back to a concept I learnt as an athlete – the Inner Game. So, today I wanted to elaborate on it.   What is the Inner Game? The “inner game” is a concept that was termed by Tim Gallwey. In his book …

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The past few weeks, I have been referring back to a concept I learnt as an athlete – the Inner Game. So, today I wanted to elaborate on it.

 

What is the Inner Game?

The “inner game” is a concept that was termed by Tim Gallwey. In his book – the Inner Game of Tennis, Gallwey writes –

“Every game is composed of two parts, an outer game and an inner game. The outer game is played against an external opponent to overcome external obstacles, and to reach an external goal. Mastering this game is the subject of many books offering instructions on how to swing a racquet, club or bat, and how to position arms, legs or torso to achieve the best results.” (p.2).

He then goes on to refer to the inner game as –

“the game that takes place in the mind of the player, and it is played against such obstacles as lapses in concentration, nervousness, self-doubt and self-condemnation. In short, it is played to overcome all habits of mind which inhibit excellence in performance.” (p.2).

In my head it looks like –

An Introduction to the Inner Game by Tim Gallwey

In the following clip, Tim Gallwey discusses more about the inner game.

 

Over to You…

I hope this post has given you some insight in to the inner game. Can you see how this could apply to your life, not just in sport? If so, where? Feel free to share below in the comments as well as any questions you might have.

Also – remember untangling from the interference to enhance performance is often an adventure in itself, so please make sure you take care of yourself 🙂

 

Also, if you are ready to reclaim your courage and take the next step towards freedom and opening your heart, why not join our newsletter?

 

Reference –

Gallwey, T. (1974). The Inner Game of Tennis: The Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak PerformanceNew York, USA: the Random House Publishing Group. 

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The Why, What, Where, Who and When of Mindfulness in Sport https://sportlifeflow.com.au/the-why-what-where-who-and-when-of-mindfulness-in-sport/ https://sportlifeflow.com.au/the-why-what-where-who-and-when-of-mindfulness-in-sport/#respond Sun, 31 Jan 2021 21:57:29 +0000 https://sportlifeflow.com.au/?p=702 The past few weeks, I have been talking to people about mindfulness and how it relates to sports people. Subsequently, today I wanted to share some more about the why, what, where, who and when of mindfulness in sport. Let’s get started… Why Mindfulness in Sport? There are many reasons …

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The past few weeks, I have been talking to people about mindfulness and how it relates to sports people. Subsequently, today I wanted to share some more about the why, what, where, who and when of mindfulness in sport.

Let’s get started…

Why Mindfulness in Sport?

There are many reasons why practicing mindfulness can be beneficial to athletes in sport. Some of the benefits of mindfulness include –

  • decreasing the symptoms of anxiety,
  • allows you to access flow states (i.e. optimal human potential),
  • increased life satisfaction,
  • increasing a sense of empathy,
  • increases in mindful attention, focus and awareness,
  • decreasing symptoms of chronic pain, and
  • increasing well-being.

“You might be tempted to avoid the messiness of daily living for the tranquility of stillness and peacefulness. This of course would be an attachment to stillness, and like any strong attachment, it leads to delusion. It arrests development and short-circuits the cultivation of wisdom.” ~ Jon Kabat-Zinn

 

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness in everyday life is the ultimate challenge and practice. It is a way of being, of seeing, of tapping into the full range of our humanity – often seen in playful children fully experiencing life in the here and now. Mindfulness is described by Jon Kabat-Zinn (1994)

“as paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgementally” (p.4).

Bob Stahl and Elisha Goldstein (2010) report “in Sanskrit, it’s known as smrti, from the root word smr, meaning “to remember” and in Pali, the language of the earliest Buddhist scriptures, it’s known as sati (mindfulness)” (p.15).

The Greater Good Science Centre at UC Berkely say –

“Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens.”

Through the practice of mindfulness, individuals can become more aware of their thoughts, feelings and body sensations in the present moment. This observing, non-reactive perspective enables you to consciously respond with clarity and focus, rather than react out of a habitual pattern. It opens up the possibility of working more wisely with difficulties in life and choose what is nourishing to ourselves and others.

In the following clip (4.01mins), Thich Nhat Hanh shares an overview about what is mindfulness? Thich Nhat Hanh discusses how mindfulness is the capacity to be aware of what is going on in this moment and by being in touch with what is happening now, we can feel happiness and gratitude wherever we are. The object of mindfulness can be anything – the sky, the trees or anything else around us and when we learn to (or remember) to bring our attention to this moment, we can see we can be happy right here and right now.

 

Where Can I Use Mindfulness in Sport?

Simply – everywhere! Yep, over the years (and after being an athlete) I have invested many hours researching, learning and discovering how to be a well-being. For me, one of those keys has been developing mindfulness and I use it daily in my life and wish I had learn it when I was playing tennis. Some specific ways would be –

  • effectively dealing with difficulties and distractions in sport,
  • communicating mindfulness with coaches, friends and family,
  • using mindfulness to grow emotional literacy and intelligence,
  • dealing effectively with stress, and
  • enhancing self-regulation.

 

Who Can Use Mindfulness in Sport?

Again, simply – everyone! Yes, every athlete in every sport can benefit by using mindfulness.

 

When Can We Be Mindful in Sport?

Mmm – think you may be getting the drift of this! Again – in many places and some of them I have already identified above. Some other examples include –

  • Failing to meet personal goals and expectations or making mistakes within their sport,
  • Working through injuries and focusing on what they can do to recover,
  • Managing a performance or training plateau,
  • Helping you reach your full potential,
  • Persisting and concentrating on what you can do (not what you can’t),
  • Taking responsibility for difficult sporting experiences, and
  • Keeping a balanced perspective and allowing yourself to move on.

 

Over to You…

I hope this post has given you some insight in to the 5W’s of Mindfulness in Sport. Over time, I have realised for myself, if I wanted to change my life, I needed to change, which is why I continue to make compassionate choices and live above the line. If you have any questions, please leave any questions or comments below.

Also – if you wanted to read more about my experience in mindfulness and self-compassion, click here. If you are ready to reclaim your courage and take the next step towards freedom and living in to your potential and flowplease feel free to join the Sport Life Flow community by clicking here.

 

References –

Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. New York, USA: Bantam Dell.

Kabat-Zinn, J. (1994). Wherever You Go, There You Are – Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life. New York, USA: Hyperion.

Nhat Hahn, T. (2003). Creating True Peace: Ending Violence in Yourself, Your Family, Your Community, and the World. New York, USA: Simon and Schuster.

Stahl, B., & Goldstein, E. (2010). A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook. Oakland, USA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

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Do You Have Your Power Word for the Year? https://sportlifeflow.com.au/do-you-have-your-power-word-for-the-year/ https://sportlifeflow.com.au/do-you-have-your-power-word-for-the-year/#respond Fri, 08 Jan 2021 12:23:46 +0000 https://sportlifeflow.com.au/?p=630 Wow we are already halfway in the second week of the year already, I wonder how you are going with vision for the year? Is your vision becoming clearer or do you feel stuck? If you feel stuck, you might like to try discovering your power word!   What is …

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Wow we are already halfway in the second week of the year already, I wonder how you are going with vision for the year?

Is your vision becoming clearer or do you feel stuck?

If you feel stuck, you might like to try discovering your power word!

 

What is a Power Word?

A power word is a word relates to the theme of your year or current focus in your life. The word resonates with your being and reminds you that you have the power to change! When you have found it, the power word helps you to feel expanded, inspired and empowered.

 

What are Examples of Power Words?

Some examples of power words are –

  • love
  • joy
  • abundance
  • family
  • gratitude
  • relax
  • breathe
  • energetic

For 2014, my word was responsibility. It may not resonate with you, but that is OK, that is why you need to find your power word! In 2015, my power word was courage, 2016 it was connection, 2017 back to responsibility, 2018 was healing, 2019 empowerment and 2020 and 2021 was acceptance 🙂

 

How Do You Find Your Power Word?

Your power word arrives to you easily, you don’t have to think too much about it. You will know when you have your word as it will sit well with you, feel good, inspire you and resonate with your energy. Also, when you say the word to yourself, it can remind you about your dreams, goals and intentions for the year or focus for the present time in your life  so it can keep you on track!

 

I Have My Word, What Now?

Now you have your power word, you can use it! How? There are a number of ways and you could start with the following questions –

  1. If you lived and breathed your power word for the next 3, 6  or 12 months, what would be different for you?
  2. What activities, relationships, routines, habits, emotions or thoughts don’t currently resonate with my power word? Do you want to integrate any of these in to my life? If so, what ones?
  3. Identify the activities, relationships, routines, habits, emotions or thoughts you are currently doing that resonate with your power word. Do you want to tweak any of these in your life life? If so, what ones?
  4. How can you transform the areas of your life that currently do not currently resonate with your power word? Where will you start?
  5. How can you BE more by using your power word in your personal and professional life? For example – I can be more courageous (i.e. your power word) in my professional life by knowing my boundaries.

 

Over to You…

Congratulations if you have made it this far, you have identified your power word and ways you can use it in your personal and professional life! You may even like to put it as a screensaver on your phone to keep reminding yourself of it.

If you have any comments, please feel free to leave them below. And remember…

“Words are powerful. The words you use and think of, may have impact on your life. May you enrich your life with positive thoughts.” ~ Lailah Gifty Akita

If you are ready to reclaim your courage and take the next step towards freedom and believing in your dreams beyond sport, click here to join our newsletter?

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What is Wellbeing in Sport? https://sportlifeflow.com.au/what-is-wellbeing-in-sport/ https://sportlifeflow.com.au/what-is-wellbeing-in-sport/#respond Mon, 19 Oct 2020 02:44:07 +0000 https://sportlifeflow.com.au/?p=564 Before we have a look at wellbeing in sport, let’s have a look at what is wellbeing? Defining wellbeing is complex and an area that continues to evolve. Following are some surface definitions of wellbeing from a variety of sources: “the condition of being contented, healthy or successful” ~ Collins Dictionaries …

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Before we have a look at wellbeing in sport, let’s have a look at what is wellbeing? Defining wellbeing is complex and an area that continues to evolve. Following are some surface definitions of wellbeing from a variety of sources:

Then, the following definitions go a little deeper in to what is wellbeing, including –

  • Subjective Well-Being (SWB) was defined by Deiner (2009) as the general evaluation of one’s quality of life. The concept has been conceptualized as the three components: (1) a cognitive appraisal that one’s life was good (life satisfaction); (2) experiencing positive levels of pleasant emotions; (3) experiencing relatively low levels of negative moods (Deiner, 2009).
  • “Mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community” ~ World Health Organisation
  • “Well-being is more than just happiness. As well as feeling satisfied and happy, well-being means developing as a person, being fulfilled, and making a contribution to the community” ~ Shah and Marks (2004).  
  • Headey and Wearing’s (1992) indicate that wellbeing is shown “as depending on prior equilibrium levels of wellbeing and of life events, and also on recent events.
  • Dodge et al (2012) – “as the balance point between an individual’s resource pool and the challenges faced”. This is shown in the following diagram. 

 

What is Wellbeing in Sport?

Basically every aspect of your life influences your wellbeing (which in turn can influence your sport). Researchers investigating happiness and wellbeing, have found the following factors can enhance an individuals wellbeing –

  • an enjoyable and fulfilling career,
  • adequate money,
  • regular exercise,
  • a balanced diet (food and water),
  • sufficient sleep,
  • an intimate relationship with a partner,
  • a network of close friends,
  • a sense of belonging,
  • the ability to adapt to change,
  • a safe physical environment (home and environment),
  • a sense of purpose and meaning, and remember
  • all of the above factors are interrelated.

 

Over to You…

What Does Wellbeing Mean to You? How does it relate to your sport? Does it include your –

  • relationships (social),
  • emotions (emotional),
  • body (physical),
  • thoughts (mental),
  • finances (financial),
  • living environment (environmental),
  • spirit (spiritual)?

I would be interested to hear what wellbeing means to you, so feel free to comment below!

If you would like more information on wellbeing, please sign up to our newsletter here.

 

Reference –

Diener, E. (2009). Subjective well-being. The Science of Well-Being, 11-58.

Dodge, R., Daly, A., Huyton, J., & Sanders, L. (2012). The challenge of defining wellbeing. International Journal of Wellbeing2(3), 222-235. 

Headey, B. W., & Wearing, A. J. (1992). Understanding happiness: A theory of subjective well-being. Melbourne, Australia: Longman Cheshire. 

Shah, H., & Marks, N. (2004). A well-being manifesto for a flourishing society. London: The New Economics Foundation.

 

Website Page Reference –

Thanks in advance for honouring my work 🙂 The reference is as follows…

Taylor, J. (2020) What is Wellbeing in Sport? [WWW] Available from: https://sportlifeflow.com.au/what-is-wellbeing-in-sport/ [Accessed …….. ]

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Ready to Reconnect With All Areas of Your Life – Not Just Sport? https://sportlifeflow.com.au/ready-to-reconnect-with-all-areas-of-your-life-not-just-sport/ https://sportlifeflow.com.au/ready-to-reconnect-with-all-areas-of-your-life-not-just-sport/#respond Mon, 04 May 2020 12:50:34 +0000 https://sportlifeflow.com.au/?p=344 Sport can be challenging, especially when your livelihood depends on your performances. However, as an athlete you are more than your sport and are a human being first. Subsequently, today I wanted to share with you a way to start to reconnect with all areas of your life beyond elite …

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Sport can be challenging, especially when your livelihood depends on your performances. However, as an athlete you are more than your sport and are a human being first. Subsequently, today I wanted to share with you a way to start to reconnect with all areas of your life beyond elite sport.

Identifying Your Areas of Life…

What are the areas that make up your life? Over time, I have created 12 areas that I focus on. They are 1. Career / Business, 2. Confidence / Emotional Awareness, 3. Giving / Contribution / Community, 4. Family / Friends, 5. Health / Body / Movement, 6. Intimate Relationship, 7. Leisure / Fun, 8. Money / Finances, 9. Personal Growth, 10. Self-Management, 11. Living Space / Physical Environment, and 12. Travel / Holidays.

What are your areas of life? Are they something similar or different? Either way, is all good as it is your life. 

Developing Awareness

Now you have identified the areas of your life, you can develop some awareness on your satisfaction level with where you are in relation to each area of your life. You may even like to draw a wheel like the one below (however I have created a worksheet for you below).

If you like, you can use the rating scale – 1 represents not satisfied and 10 represents 100% satisfied and happy in that area. Then you can connect the dots like the example below.

Remember there are no right or wrong answers – this is a guide to develop awareness and find out where you are at in relation to your satisfaction levels for your life at the present time!

 

Next Step…

Once you have completed your Wheel of Life, you can then decide which area/s needs the most attention and start where you are. Then if you choose to, you can take steps towards living in greater harmony and holistically for your whole-self.

How Will You Reconnect With All Areas of Your Life?

I hope this post has given you some guidance on how to start reconnecting with all areas of your life and start moving towards your dreams! Remember, tiny tweaks everyday will take you there 🙂 And remember you can download the worksheet here. Any questions, please write them below!

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9 Ways An Athlete Can Benefit from Resilience and Wholistic Coaching https://sportlifeflow.com.au/ways-an-athlete-can-benefit-from-resilience-and-wholistic-coaching/ https://sportlifeflow.com.au/ways-an-athlete-can-benefit-from-resilience-and-wholistic-coaching/#respond Mon, 17 Feb 2020 01:22:19 +0000 https://sportlifeflow.com.au/?p=38 One of the reasons why I like coaching so much is because it helps clients discover their own answers and treats them as the experts in their own lives (which I believe everyone is). It is a very client-centred and solution-focused approach. A very brief example of this is shown in …

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One of the reasons why I like coaching so much is because it helps clients discover their own answers and treats them as the experts in their own lives (which I believe everyone is). It is a very client-centred and solution-focused approach. A very brief example of this is shown in the following diagram –

Today, I wanted to share with you 9 specific ways an athlete can benefit from resilience and well-being coaching.

9 Ways An Athlete Can Benefit from Resilience and Well-Being Coaching

There are many benefits an athlete can receive from working with a coach. Following are nine popular benefits that I have heard from the athletes I work with.

1. Clarify and Align to What You Truly Want in Life

When was the last time you sat down and truly identified what you want and looked at your life outside of sport? Yes, your relationships, your dreams, your other skills and talents outside of sport.

“Fear regret more than failure.” ~ Taryn Rose

2. Increase Your Genuine Level of Self-Confidence

What would you do today if you had genuine self-confidence in your life (not just your sport)? Or maybe you would also do things differently in your sport? A life coach can support you to increase your genuine level of self-confidence.

“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” ~ Dale Carnegie

3. Expand Your Professional Career Opportunities

Being an athlete doesn’t last forever, it has a lifespan. Is it time to start thinking about expanding your professional career opportunities outside of sport?

“Learning is the beginning of wealth. Learning is the beginning of health. Learning is the beginning of spirituality. Searching and learning is where the miracle process all begins.” ~ Jim Rohn

4. Supports You to Manage Stress and Increase Your Resilience and Wellbeing

Being an athlete can be stressful. There is a lot to manage and then you are expected to perform at your best on top of that. It can also be tough to deal with other people’s expectations and losses. A life coach can support you to increase your toolkit of resources (i.e. mindfulness, self-management, emotional intelligence and self-compassion) to increase your resilience and wellbeing.

“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” ~ William James

5. Develop Written Plans and Grow Accountability Levels

Do you ever wish you had a sounding board to discuss your plans and have someone hold you accountable to them? A resilience and well-being coach is on your side and wants you to succeed as much as you do.

“There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.” ~ Denis Waitley

6. Increase Harmony and Balance Across Your Sport and Life

Do you find you invest more time in your sport than on other areas of your life? Is having harmony and balance across your sport and life important to you?

“You can’t truly be considered successful in your business life if your home life is in shambles.” ~ Zig Ziglar

7. Improve Communication Skills

Effective communication relies on a high degree of self-awareness. By developing awareness and understanding your own communication style can help to build quality relationships with other people and handle conflict. Communication is more than just your words, it also includes –

  • how you say it – including the tone of your voice,
  • why you say it – the intention behind the message,
  • when you say it – for example – during an argument, the time of day etc.,
  • what you don’t say – sometimes what you don’t say gives a clearer picture of what is going on than what you say, and
  • your body language – including your facial expressions, gestures and posture.

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place” ~ George Bernhard Shaw

8. Increase Life Satisfaction

Your career as an athlete may be going well, however how satisfied are you with your whole life? Yes, your life outside of sport? A life coach can support you to look at your whole life and also start the transition process out of sport.

“To be able to look back upon ones’ life in satisfaction, is to live twice.” ~ Khalil Gibran

9. Unconditional Support

When was the last time you had someone listen to you and your dreams and support you unconditionally? Being an athlete can be challenging as you are supporting other people. Sometimes these other people are so focused on your sporting results and performance, they forget you are a human being first. A life coach supports you master your whole life, not just your performance on the sporting field.

“Helping others isn’t a chore; it is one of the greatest gifts there is.” ~ Liya Kebede

 

Over to You…

I hope this post has give you some insight in to the different ways an athlete can benefit from resilience and well-being coaching. If you would like to find out more about life coaching, click here.

Also – if you liked this article and want to keep taking the next step towards freedom and bridge the gap between sport and lifeplease feel free to join the Sport Life Flow community by clicking here.

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Why Would An Athlete Work With a Wholistic Coach? https://sportlifeflow.com.au/why-would-an-athlete-work-with-a-wholistic-coach/ https://sportlifeflow.com.au/why-would-an-athlete-work-with-a-wholistic-coach/#respond Mon, 17 Feb 2020 01:13:13 +0000 https://sportlifeflow.com.au/?p=35 There are many reasons why an athlete would work and partner with a wholistic coach. Subsequently, in this post I wanted to share you you some of those reasons. However, before I share why would an athlete work with a wholistic coach, let’s make sure we are on the same …

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There are many reasons why an athlete would work and partner with a wholistic coach. Subsequently, in this post I wanted to share you you some of those reasons. However, before I share why would an athlete work with a wholistic coach, let’s make sure we are on the same page about coaching.

 

What is Coaching?

The International Coach Federation (ICF) refers to coaching as –

“partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”

Another definition of coaching from Anthony Grant includes –

“A collaborative, solution-focused, results-orientated and systematic process in which the coach facilitates the enhancement of performance, life experience, self-directed learning and the personal growth of people from normal (non-clinical) populations.” 

Coaching recognises the client as the expert in their own world (personal and professional) and knows every person is creative, resourceful, and whole.

Basically the coaching process is about identifying where you are now, where you would like to be and then close that gap. The coach does this through –

  • discovering, clarifying, and aligning with where the client wants to be,
  • encouraging self-discovery and trust within themselves,
  • eliciting client-generated solutions and strategies,
  • keeping the client accountable and ensuring they are taking responsibility for themselves, and
  • providing support to the client.

Coaching is not –

  • a quick-fix, one size fits all approach for your current challenges (as we are all unique),
  • therapy or counseling (please seek a licensed medical professional if this is what you need),
  • about giving you advice (you are the expert in your own life),
  • financial advising or estate planning (again please seek a licensed practitioner if this is what you require).

You can see more about what coaching is and is not in the following video –

What is Wholistic Coaching?

Basically, Wholistic Coaching is Life Coaching is coaching for your life (with a bit of a twist) and it aligns mind, body, emotions and awareness in those areas. For me personally, my life makes up 12 areas. As you can see by the image below, career (i.e. sport) is one of the twelve, however it is linked to other areas.

Why Would an Athlete Work With a Wholistic Coach?

There are many others reasons why an athlete would work with a wholistic coach, some of these reasons include –

  • improving communication skills,
  • clarifying, and aligning with where the athlete wants to be and developing accountability, plans and strategies to align with them,
  • expanding professional career opportunities (yes being an athlete doesn’t last forever),
  • increasing your level of genuine self-confidence – both inside and outside of sport,
  • optimising your performance (i.e. helping you “be in flow” with your career and life),
  • increasing your health and wellbeing and ways to manage stress (i.e. self-management strategies and mindfulness),
  • managing the transition process of life after sport, and
  • improving harmony and balance within your career and life.

 

Over to You…

I hope this post has give you some insight in to why an athlete would work with a wholistic coach. If you would like to find out more about coaching, click here. Ready to reconnect with your heart and livie a more connected and whole-hearted life, click here to receive the free download 🙂

 

Reference –

Grant, A. M. (2001). Towards a psychology of coaching: The impact of coaching on metacognition, mental health and goal attainment. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.

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