Athletes put so much pressure on themselves during games.
Then at practice, they relax, play free, and perform at their best.
This is backwards!
Cue the Diamond Method
You need to flip your approach to practices and games.
Credit to Coach Sara who came up with this analogy while reading “The Confident Mind” by Nate Zinsser.
Here’s how it works…
1) Increase Pressure at Practice
Diamonds are made from incredible amounts of pressure.
Since practices are where you get better, this is where you should put pressure on yourself, raise your standards, and push yourself to grow (aka, make the diamonds at practice).
2) Let Yourself Shine in Games
When it’s game time, stop putting all the pressure on yourself – the diamond is already made.
Remember, don’t be too hard on yourself. Diamonds have flaws and they are not perfect.
Time to polish the diamond, own your capabilities, and let them shine!
Why it Works
This analogy works great because as an elite athlete you are naturally prone to put too much pressure on yourself in games and not enough in practice.
So this approach helps balance the scales and create an optimal mindset.
Pressure is self-imposed. It is not inherently good or bad.
What matters is the perspective you have and how you use it to your advantage.
I hope this analogy gave you a new way to think about pressure in games.
Please share this with anyone you think would be interested.