“What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?”

I have the privilege to coach the Luke's Locker Ten for Texas training program with three outstanding people. Debbie Tripp, Cathy Steele and Kim Hager. Kim writes a tip each week for our group training message and this week I would like to share it here.


Kim's Tip

Sociologist, Robert K. Merton, is credited with coining the phrase, “self-fulfilling prophecy.” He gives the following definition, “The self-fulfilling prophecy is, in the beginning, a false definition of the situation evoking a new behavior which makes the original false conception come true.” [Wikipedia]

As we embark on our training for the remaining weeks leading up to our goal race and determine our individual goals on race day, I want you to think about the power of positive thinking and focus on what you can do and not on what you think you cannot do.

I recently overheard some runners discuss with one another their fear in that they would not be able to complete their goal race within the official finish time. Even as their coach tried to reassure them that they would finish before the course would be closed, their faces displayed self-doubt.

I admit…there are times that I have these feelings of self-doubt. Sometimes, they roar loud and it is quite apparent that I have a battle on my hands. However, on other occasions, the self-doubt creeps in just a little bit at a time and slowly desensitizes me to the notion that…“maybe I can’t.”

Regardless of whether self-doubt roars or creeps into the picture, an attitude adjustment is key to defeating this monster. Often we get into a habit with our thoughts. For example, I repeatedly tell myself (and others) that swimming is my worst discipline in triathlon. For years I have repeated this mantra, “I hate swimming…I am not a good swimmer…Swimming is my weakest event.” My husband had grown very tired of hearing this from me and one day had a ‘stern’ heart to heart with me. He told me that my swimming is only a self-fulfilling prophecy. He was right. My swim training indicated something different than what I was producing in my races. So, instead of thinking that swimming is my worst event, I was told to rephrase my thoughts in a more positive tone and view swimming as my “third best sport.”

I still have to work on this, and on occasion I may not win the battle. However, I want to win the war, and live out the self-fulfilling prophecy that, “Yes, I can swim…Yes, I am a good swimmer” and so I continue to work on overcoming this self-doubt by continuing to train and by making an attitude adjustment.

Do not let negative thoughts win you over. If you are feeling tired and thinking about slowing down, instead of saying, “I am not tired” use an affirmative phrase such as, “I am strong and I am fast.” Always ask yourself…what self-fulfilling prophecy do you want to live out?