24/03/2022
✍🏻Where has my Mojo gone? My game face, when I’m in the zone, when I let go and just play?
In reflecting on the event I attended last week, I have felt all kinds of emotions. I was proud of myself for just showing up and putting some great runs together. But on the flip side, I was disappointed with my performance as well. I couldn’t put two runs together to make finals, and I felt like on some days I wasn’t where I needed to be in my mental preparation.
In my conversation with my fellow competitors during the week, I discovered this was a common theme. Keeping your mojo and game face for the entire week of competition can be a challenge. We can do all the work at home, but to execute consistently takes skill and stamina. This is when the fierce competitors, the true champions rise, and we need to do everything we can to stay in this mindset.
Distraction from our mojo can come in many forms. Maybe it’s our mother or father’s guilt about the fact that we have little children running around at the show and we are struggling to give them the time we normally do, maybe our children are at home in a family member’s care and we feel guilty about that, or maybe we are missing a big event for them and we feel like we have let them down. Maybe we have work commitments that we are trying to keep whilst at the show or feel guilty for the leave we have taken. Maybe our partner is not at the event and we feel guilty for taking this time for ourselves to pursue our goals and passions. Maybe we feel the expectation to succeed from others.
To find our mojo it’s important to keep things in context. I believe to find our mojo we have to think about two things;
- making sense of our story (who are we, why are we here) AND
- finding purpose and meaning in our lives.
Seems simple, but as human beings, our brains often take us away from the present moment, or the conscious mind (where we think and talk to ourselves rationally) to the unconscious mind (the feelings, thoughts, urges and memories, that may contain content that is unpleasant such as feelings of pain, anxiety or conflict). It’s so important to keep things in perspective when competing and when you analyse your performance post event.
Don't let the fear of not being the best at something stop you from moving forward. Best doesn't always mean most successful.
What does it mean to be successful?
Someone who starts where they are and just begins. Someone who doubles down on the process, taking one step at a time and who learns along the way. Someone who practices persistence over perfection. Someone who stays true to their goals and follows up with intention.
There is only ever one champion. The notion that ‘everyone gets a ribbon’ is not real life. Continue striving and reaching for that winner’s circle, but also be the one who shows up. Be the one who is willing to learn from your experiences. Be the one who listens to that yearning inside and who doesn't quit when faced with adversity. Be the one willing to believe in your strength over your fears. Trust your journey, even if it doesn't make sense to anyone else.
Pour endless grace and compassion into yourself as you figure it out. That's how you succeed. Not by being the very best today, but by being willing to step forward even when you can't see the entire road ahead of you. By taking one step at a time. One breath at a time. And knowing deep inside you already have what it takes.
🤍Lynda
