The Champions Mind
by Jim Afremow

Read: Mar 8-19, 2022
Genre: Sports

Certain peope would hate this book, I think. I wasn’t sure that I was into it to begin with - all the cheesy quotes were grating on me. But, in the end there was a lot of good advice. I made a large number of highlights and will be able to derive a bunch of actionable processes to help with my training, and wider life.

Do it. Then say it. - Sergey Bubka

It has quite a nice adaptation of SMART goals:

  1. Specific
  2. Measurable
  3. Positive
  4. Inspiring
  5. Displayed

I quite like the displayed aspect of this. It inspired me to set up my indoor cycle trainer area with past race numbers and bibs. I’m in the process of making a little poster which I’ll also put on the wall. All of this so that every time I go to train on the bike, I’m reminded of what I have previously achieved, and what I am setting out to achieve.

The book then moves to a section on mental skills. This mainly focuses on visualisation.

  1. Visualise seeing yourself perform
  2. Feel yourself perform
  3. See and feel yourself winning!

It also talks a good deal about long-term training and progress. Winning is not something that is done overnight, or even in the next year. It often takes years to decades to succeed highly in competitive sport.

Relatedly, it talks a lot about realising your locus of control - you can only control your training and performance. You are not able to control the performance of other sportspeople or teams. You can only do the best you can do, and if that results in a win, then that is great, otherwise do not linger on it because it was out of your control.

This is a very stoic way of thinking about things, which I found an interesting coincidence, given I had just read How to Be a Stoic!

Tomorrow, my efforts always begin anew.

There are a lot of little things that I took out of this book. Some of which I have put into a little widget on my phone homescreen. Others of which will make their way onto my training poster.

Next time you’re feeling naff, don’t forget to have a good bad day! 🏆