Shift from Reactive to Proactive
Recently I stumbled upon an episode from Jay Shetty’s “On Purpose” podcast interviewing Dr. Darshan Shah.
Dr. Shah is a distinguished health and wellness specialist, board-certified surgeon, and the visionary founder of Next Health—the world's first and largest health optimization and longevity clinic.
In the stories Dr. Shah’s shares on the episode (personal health journey and professional experiences) he makes valid points on how valuable it is to be proactive about your health rather than reactive.
In Western medicine, the focus is treating developed diseases with a reactive approach by prescribing medicines to relieve the symptoms of the problem.
In Eastern medicine, the focus is on the prevention of the diseases with a proactive approach to treat the whole person and ensure body systems are working properly.
Ruminating on the topics of this episode sparked a connection to training the inner game for athletes.
Reactive training is impulsive, highly emotional, undisciplined, and is done out of fear, fatigue and a feeling of helplessness.
Reactive training is easier because it’s the path of least resistance - a problem arises and now it’s time to scramble to solve it. It is much easier to surrender to impulse and a “woe is me” mentality.
Proactive training is intentional, focused on purpose, guided by targets and goals, promotes self-awareness, and patience.
Proactive training is harder because it takes discipline and work before there is ever a tangible problem. There is a heightened sense of awareness and willingness to accept feedback to improve.
I can guarantee athletes WILL struggle this upcoming season with one (or many) of the following:
Pre-competition nerves
Holding on to mistakes
Post-competition emotions
Lack of focus
Imbalance between sport/school/life
These are the symptoms of a root issue and can become debilitating for people.
There are two choices:
Take the reactive approach and put a band-aid on the symptoms of the problem once they have surfaced.
Take the proactive approach to rehearse possible problems and empower athletes with mindset tools so they feel confident and in control.
Which choice sounds like the best option for you / your athlete / your teams?
How we train and prepare is what sets the standard of how we perform - in sport and life.
The more we intentionally practice and train the mental game, the more accessible it is to:
shift thought patterns and inner dialog
create systems and form productive habits
let go of mistakes and focus on the next play
come in clutch for the moments your team needs you most
Choosing to work on your mental game plants a seed that will blossom not right now, but in the future.
It takes time and work (water and sunshine) to feel yourself bloom into who you always knew you could be.
What choices can you make today that proactively prepare you for the future?
