Improving Mental Skills in Sports: Cake and Motivation
The Idea
There is a lot of literature on improving mental skills in sports, but a unique source is David Eagleman’s book called Incognito. This book reviews the hidden functions of the brain. In other words, he goes into a deep dive on just how much our brain does without us even knowing it. If you pick it up to read, prepare yourself. It’s beautifully written but makes you wrestle with some thought-provoking questions.
One of many examples Eagleman gives is about the decision to eat cake or not. When offered cake, you are split between two decisions: eat the cake (because, well, it’s delicious) or don’t eat the cake (healthy diet, remember?). He uses this example to demonstrate the complexity of the brain and how the brain can hold many different decision-makers:
“Because of these internal multitudes, biological creatures can be conflicted. The term conflicted could not be sensibly applied to an entity that has a single program…We don’t know whether to turn toward the cake or away from it, because there are several little sets of hands on the steering wheel of our behavior.”
Eagleman is claiming that our brains are full of several bosses who think they are in charge. They are essentially little sales people who want you to pick them. One wants you to eat the cake, the other doesn’t. If this complexity is true, then what does that mean for us?
The Connection
I’ve wrestled a lot with motivation and how it works. The typical claim is that motivation is inherently good; we associate motivation with exercise, eating better, strengthening relationships, or trying new challenges. But what most people (including myself) have missed is that motivation exists for what we might consider the bad. Someone can be motivated to disrespect another person, steal, litter, or not do the right thing.
In my work with athletes, I have found that working on motivation from both sides is useful. For example, I’ve worked with several athletes who struggle with working on their physical fitness (like going for a run or doing interval work). As a coach myself, I used to say, “Well, they are not motivated to be fit.” We can argue whether that’s true or not, but regardless, that statement doesn’t lead to action. We can’t fix something that isn’t there.
Eagleman’s claim of the unconscious programs running our mind point to a huge truth within sport psychology: find the motivation, not the lack thereof. There is always an opposing force. For those athletes who seem to be unmotivated to be fit, they might actually be motivated by avoiding feelings of:
uncomfortability (“This is very unpleasant”)
injury (“I am afraid of injuring myself”)
or self-esteem issues (“People will make fun of me”)
These are real voices in the brain that have to be considered. You can scream and push athletes all day, and maybe that silences the doubts for a little bit. But the brain is stubborn. It believes what it believes because there is an ingrained pattern of behavior and consequences driving it.
The Application - Coaches
Perhaps Ted Lasso says it best: “Be curious, not judgemental.” Assuming athletes don’t want to work hard gets you and the athlete nowhere. Instead, assume that there is another force, another voice in their head that actually makes a strong case to not do something. That’s where you actually get to coach.
Using the example above, you might approach the athlete individually and say, “Hey, I’ve noticed that you haven’t done fitness with us the past few days. What can I help with?” This is called autonomy-supportive coaching. It holds them accountable for an essential part of performance (i.e. fitness) while also offering support. The ending question is not a yes or no question; it invites them to give you an actual answer. It might not be long, but that’s where you listen for those seeds of doubt:
“My heart starts to race beforehand”
“I just feel uncomfortable”
“I really don’t want to”
These aren’t desirable answers for a coach, but isn’t that where we actually get to help athletes? It’s easy to tell an athlete who runs every day to run again. Convincing an athlete who doesn’t run every day is where we get to challenge and support them. Challenge and support, challenge and support, challenge and support. That’s the cycle of coaching. We stay in this cycle by considering everything — good or bad — that drives the athlete.
The Application - Athletes
Many of you know that journaling and reflecting helps with improving mental skills in sports. Well this is a new prompt for you. Reflect on the different voices inside your head. This means listening during those tough moments. When the coach says it’s time for fitness, what voices pop up? Is there one telling you that it’s good for you? Or maybe another one saying this is absolutely the worst thing ever in existence? Try it next practice or game.
You’re not broken one way or the other. It’s your brain being a brain. It’s you being you. And there’s a reason for it. You can’t stop at “this is the worst thing ever” and expect to improve. Why is it the worst thing ever? Start there and be like your little sibling or cousin who asks the same question over and over: why?
The fitness example is just one example. I haven’t met a single athlete who doesn’t have some sort of hesitation somewhere in their performance. Some of you read that sentence and already thought of an example. Let your thought process go there. Being aware of all of your motivations doesn’t automatically solve the problem, but self-awareness is the only place to start when improving anything in your life.
Will Martel | St. Louis Certified Mental Performance Consultant | CMPC
Want to work with a CMPC (Certified Mental Performance Consultant) in St. Louis or beyond? I’d love to talk about ways that I can help you, a teammate, your team, or your club. Visit wmcoaching10.com to view my services and contact info. Or, just shoot me a message on Instagram.
