No one ever goes into any Motorsports event and says “today, I want to come in last” the essence of competition is that we’re all fighting to be the best! Training, conditioning, practice and even superstition all seem to go out the window when the green flag drops. Have you ever wondered why you can be “in the zone” and perform at your best on a practice day, but during the race nothing ever seems to come together? Maybe it was bad luck? or maybe… you mentally sabotaged yourself?
And with us to discuss why people “psych themselves out” and how to prevent it from happening is Dr. Jacques Dallaire, Ph.D, founder and president of Performance Prime, where he spends his time working with race teams of all disciplines to “develop the mindset of champions.”
In our discussion with Dr. Dallaire, we cover topics like:
- Tell us about your Motorsports background and how you go into this field of sports medicine.
- So what is Mental Sabotage? – where does this stem from, why do people do it to themselves?
- How do you reduce your insecurities / anxieties in the race environment, and does this carry over to your life in general?
- How do you control your focus more effectively, in the race car and beyond?
- Much of what we’re going to talk about next is based on your Performance Equation – and how do you apply / use it?
- STRESS AND FATIGUE – how does it play in?
- So – let’s talk about some recommendations for getting out of your own head… You have this framework called “the Rules of the Mental Road”, there are 7 of them – let’s explore those
- and much, much more!
Dr. Dallaire has helped more than 800 racers from around the world meet and even exceed their performance goals. To find out more about the Performance Prime mental skills program be sure to logon to www.drdallaire.co for all the website, social as well as contact information so you can work with Dr. Dallaire to increase your focus, mental control and maximize your performance.
The rules of the Mental Road
- Rule #1 – if you want to climb out of a hole, the very first thing you must do is STOP digging!
- Rule #2 – The conscious mind can on actively process one thought at a time
- Rule #3 – You can’t NOT think about whatever is on your mind
- Analogous to “don’t look where you don’t want to put the car” << loss of control situation
- Rule #4 – Your dominant thought determines your emotions, your behaviors and ultimately, your ability to Perform!
- Rule #5 – You ARE in control of your Dominant Thought!
- Rule #6 – Your perspective concerning the challenges that you face determines your Dominant Thought and your emotional response. Choose your Perspective carefully!
- Rule #7 – If you do what you’ve always done, You will get what you’ve always gotten. If you want something different, You must approach the day-to-day challenges you face with a different mindset.
Thanks for the great article!