The Beer Drinker's Guide To Sports Psychology

Adrian Martinez Classic | photo © kevmofoto.com

Chapter 8 of Charlie Spedding's autobiography is titled "The Beer Drinker's Guide To Sports Psychology." In it he shares a revelation that set him on the path from an average club level athlete to an Olympic medalist in the Marathon. 

He writes,

"I realized I had to change my vocabulary. If I changed my vocabulary,  I would change the thoughts in my head. When I changed my thoughts, I would change my actions. When I changed my actions, I would get different results...I wrote on my pad, 'Success is measured by how much I fulfill the talent I was born with.'"

He later decides upon three key questions to guide his decision making, 

• What do I want?
• Why do I want it?
• How much do I want it?

To which he concludes, 

"The desire to achieve something has to born inside you, grown inside you and blossom and flourish inside you, til you know what you want, and why you want it, and how much it means to you. A goal formed this way is an incredibly powerful motivator, but a goal someone else chooses for you becomes a burden and then a shackle."

Thanks for reading. I'm glad you're here. // jm