Alison Arnold, mental toughness coach for U.S. Figure Skating, shares her insights: Discipline

Last week I started a series of posts outlining Dr. Alison Arnold's Five Rings of Mental Toughness. Arnold (see right) is the mental toughness coach for U.S. Figure Skating and she felt that an athlete with an "unshakeable mind" was essential to succeed in this very high-pressure sport. 

The first ring she discussed was Awareness. The second ring was Vision. The third ring is Discipline.

Ring Number Three: Discipline

The mind is a thought factory. It creates thought after thought after thought. I call it the monkey mind because it spends most of its time getting into trouble. To be a great skater, you need to discipline your monkey mind so it stays on a "tight mind" track. The mind only thinks one thought at a time. The key is "locking down" the mind so it is focused on positive, helpful thoughts.

Mental choreography, or MC, are positive words you say to yourself during programs and elements that keep your monkey mind busy so it doesn't get into trouble. Your words can be corrections, technical statements, confidence statements or reminders to breathe. Many times MC worlds are the reminders your coach would be saying if he or she were sitting on your shoulder. Be sure you are saying short, sharp words, sentences or corrections. "Edges," "check" and "push" are all good examples of MC.

Your self talk should reflect the mood you want to create. If you want to be confident, talk to yourself confidently. If you need to relax, be sure your self talk is calm and focused. Be sure to say these words all the time until they become habit, both in practice and competition. As soon as you recognize loose mind, "MC it." MC helps whip that monkey mind back in line and off negative field trips leading to spirals and self-doubt.

Tomorrow...Ring Number Four: Perseverance

About Alison Arnold, Ph.D.
Doc Ali, as she is also called, is the Peak Performance consultant to USA Women's Gymnastics, United States Figure Skating, and Australian Aerial Skiing. Her thought-leading seminars and keynote speeches have been described as "dynamic presentations with tools that change lives". She founded Headgames to help individuals, teams and companies achieve their potential through strengthening the mind. Most recently, she was on television as Scott Baio's life coach on VH1's "Scott Baio is 45...and Single."