Athletes need to be aware of their physical and mental strengths and weaknesses and where they need to improve. Athletes need to be mindful of what they are saying to themselves and how their internal thoughts affect their confidence and approach. Athletes need to be particularly conscious of negative thoughts arising from disappointments or errors in past performances that are liable to affect future performances.
Heightened self-awareness comes from being open to ideas and suggestions from other people and from mental training techniques—for example, taking aware the positives from performances, deliberate reflective practice, and time spent preparing thoroughly for different eventualities during competition. Continued use of positive self-talk in conjunction with repetitive practice linked to specific skills development goals will also help increase an athlete’s self-awareness and their confidence in their ability to improve their performance and reach their potential.