The best 43 seconds you’ll ever hear inside someone else’s head
What it sounds like to be a world champion
This is the best 43 seconds you'll ever hear inside someone else's head.
Aaron Donald, in preparation for the Super Bowl, is getting himself ready to perform.
Most of us would be thinking something like, "oh sh*t, I can't believe we made it… man, I hope I don't screw this up…"
And this guy is turning that tension into fuel for peak performance.
Let's break it down.
"This is what you worked for right here. All that training you did." - He has turned this into a challenge and opportunity.
"Controlled aggression." - He has given himself a goal and a focus.
"Let's be great." - He's building his confidence and sharing it with his teammates.
"You're living the dream. How bad you want it?" - He's emphasizing how much he cares and how determined he is to perform.
"Make the big play." - He's challenging himself.
What Aaron Donald shows here is a master class in making stress work for you. He uses the key framings for befriending stress (care, confidence, determination) and is transmitting a message that helps his teammates counteract anything negative that might be happening in their heads (I'd bet from experience most of his teammates sound closer to me or you inside).
And the way he gets here is simple.
He's obviously been practicing this for a LONG TIME. He didn't just show up at the Super Bowl with the internal narrative of a champion.
He built this narrative on the back of practice and consistent performance.
If you want the voice in your head to help you, here's where to start:
Identify where your inner coach is most helpful or hurtful. That’ll guide your focus for when you need to monitor and adjust what you say to yourself.
Pick out the phrases you say that most lift you up or tear you down. Double down on what works, counteract the rest.
If you get stuck, use mindfulness practice to learn to let thoughts come and go instead of combatting them all the time.
Proactively identify more positive things to say to yourself and practice saying them often.
This process will get you started on more helpful and less harmful self-talk.