Dealing with the downswing monster Dr. Tricia Cardner, @drtriciacardner.com, drcardner@gmail

The Big U i Anytime we start a new session or a new year or a new MTT series we start out very hopeful at the top left – we can see our goal across the way We know the outcome we want – but we typically go thru peaks and valleys. Getting to the other side is HARD The Valley is the pit of despair – you feel doubt, frustration, fear, anger – loss of self-confidence. Everything feels WRONG! If you know everything follows this pattern then there is no need to let your emotions take over. You’ve got to rekindle your focus and motivation when you are in the valley. Downswing

Todd Henry – Louder Than Words Action Patience Henry tells us we need to embrace 2 things to get thru the valley of despair: action & patience. Do NOT get stuck in mediocrity! Work dilliegently, patiently, persistently & you are bound to be successful! Ex. It’s easier to fall in love than to choose love. When things are going poorly, you have to choose to stay in the game.

Rhonda Rousey: Left Hook Breaks her right hand in a fight – her response? She asked how can I make this better? How can I turn this poison into medicine (a Buddhist concept) She decided to make her left hook the best it can be. As Ryan Holiday tells us in the Obstacle is the Way –it’s not pain – it’s life (or in our case poker). Our goal is to be robust & to sustain a high level of effort even when things are going bad. Be fueld by your obtacles!!Do this even with small hassles in order to increase your mental toughness. Your just going thru a tough period and someday this is going to make a great chapter in your autobiography! All heroes experience tough chapters! Identify your challenges and get clear on what you are going to do to beat them!

No Pressure, No Diamond Steven Kotler – The Rise of Superman Kotler created the flow genome project – he says the best way to get in the zone is risk – we have to stretch ourselves but not to the point where we break. Remember this: no pressure, no diamonds. It takes a tremendous amount of pressure over a long period of time for a lump of coal to transform into a diamond. If you never put pressure on yourself, you’ll never get there! What’s the #1 thing you can do today to get over fear/bad feelings to improve your game!? He says pain causes us to retreat into our comfort zone & your infinite potential is on the other side of that comfort zone. When you are running bad, you need to think: Bring it on!! I can handle this! Look for small ways to grown and improve – ore on this in a bit.

Downswings as a Video Game Mind can flip so quickly from in the zone to in the gutter 2 paths you can take – the smart one or the non-optimal one. Which do you take? This idea comes from Sam Harris a neuroscience PhD from UCLA – he says your mind is like a video game and there are various monsters – like the downswing You’re playing poker and running bad – what do you do? Maybe you get defeated a couple of times, but do you keep playing the video game that way? You’ve got to figure out ways to get around the downswing monster in this game!! Non-optimal is you get beat every single time. You have to try out new strategies or you will continue to suffer What’s your #1 monster? Anger, frustration, loss of confidence, trying too hard, giving up all together, depression, anxiety?

Implementation Intention Peter Gollwitzer – If I feel tempted to respond in anger, then I will ______ . If X happens, then I’ll do Y Pre-commitments Great way to defeat your monsters! Gollowitzer is famous for this concept. If you plan out ahead of time what you will do, you are more likely to make an effective response. You have to test these out, might need some tweaking. But that’s okay – remember – taking dilligent action is how we get out of the valley of despair and this is one way to do that!

We are what we think about most of the time What are you thinking about? The positives or the negatives? Be mindful – that is clear, nonjudgmental, undistracted attention to the contents of your conscious mind Also, from Sam Harris – Mindfulness and meditation are 2 of the best ways to train your mind. He says we get into trouble when we think without being fully aware of what we are thinking.Distraction is the normal state of our minds. Mindfulness and meditation are 2 techniques for waking up our minds and taking control. Meditaiton is easy based on the instructions, but hard to do in reality. But it’s worth the trouble to learn to do it! Your goal is an increasingly healthy mind.

Obstacles are Good Tony Bassham says, “When obstacles occur, look at it as nothing more than an opportunity to take a negative and turn it into a positive. Every obstacle, every situation you find yourself in, and every hand you are dealt in life is an opportunity to grow.” Bassham – National Champion and World Champion /rifle shooter. To compete at an elite level, we must respond effectively to challenges. Ryan Holiday of the Obstacle is the Way says the obstacle is an advantage, not adversity (assuming we respond in the right way). Embrace the challenge and grow stronger everyday!

Constantly Look for Ways to Get Better This has to be an ongoing process. Make every playing session a masterpiece. Pate Carrol – book Win Forever says – “Always Compete” John Wooden – UCLA Coach – coached for 16 years before winning a title – but once he figured it out, he won 10 titles in 12 years! He urged his players to make every playing session a master piece! He also said “don’t get distracted by things that are out of your control!” He said, “apply yourself each day to get a little bit better & over time you’ll get a lot better.

Keep Shooting

Resetting Evaluate Rehearse Correction Let it go!

3 ingredients to weather the storm Patience Diligence Persistence You do this – you are bound to be successful

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