Self-Control
Not eating that third piece of pie. Avoiding hitting snooze 7 times when you had planned to get up and run. Refraining from picking up a silly foul after missing a layup or turning it over. Holding back from acting upon the urge to throw a bat after striking out.
To set themselves up to perform at their best, athletes must consistently train, make healthy choices, and get adequate rest and recovery time. They must regulate their thoughts, emotions, and actions as they work toward their goals.
Self-control plays a big role in all of this.
Oftentimes when people hear the word self-control, they may think of the type of control I alluded to in the first paragraph, and while that, of course, is self-control, there are actually two different, but interrelated processes involved (Shubert et al., 2022).
Inhibitory Self-Control - restraining impulses for immediate gratification so as not to compromise their progress toward a goal. Because we want to stop something, let’s refer to this as Red Light Control.
Initiatory Self-Control - taking part in actions that move a person closer to reaching a goal. Because we want to start something, let’s refer to this as Green Light Control.
Self-control is also said to be “reenergized” by motivation. When a person identifies their core values and addresses their why behind a goal, they are more likely to stay intrinsically motivated (you enjoy an activity and get personal satisfaction from it). When athletes are extrinsically motivated (receiving rewards, scholarships, attention, etc.), they are more prone to become burnout overtime. And…athletes who experience burnout are also less likely to be self-controlled in reaching their goals.
There are times when athletes have high levels of Stop It Control, but are less likely to engage in Start It Control. They know what they don’t need to do, but may not take the time to engage in action planning that leads them closer to their goals.
So let’s draw some awareness to each of these areas…
Red Light Control: In which areas would showing restraint (in impulses, thoughts, emotions, behaviors, etc.) benefit you in reaching your goals?
Green Light Control: Which goal directed activities can you engage in to make progress toward your goals?
Know Your Why: Why do you want to achieve a specific goal? Once you answer this, question the answer as well. (Example: I want to play college basketball? Why? So that I have an opportunity to have school paid for. Why? So that I can relieve some of the financial burden from my family and be the first person in my family to go to college. Why? Why? Ask yourself why until you get to the root of why you want to achieve said goal.)
Understanding self-control a bit better and shedding more light onto the why behind your goals can play a role in the path of reaching those goals. If you are interesting in learning more, feel free to email me or book a consultation!
Reference
Shubert, J., Houltberg, B., Ratchford, J., & Schnitker, S. (2022). Examinations of change in inhibitory and initiatory self-control in the context of endurance running. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 34(2), 273-293.
