We’ve all heard this phrase from time to time. The thing is, it’s not as much of a cliché as we might have thought it once was.

Think about your favorite athlete. We call these types of individuals high performers. Someone is considered a high performer when they excel in their field of focus at an advanced level while consistently exceeding expectations. All high performers have developed little tricks to stay consistent, which allow them to be successful at what they do. These tricks are utilized to maximize consistency related to their ability to succeed while minimizing their chances of hitting walls of exhaustion- also known as burnout. What is even more impressive is that these high performers keep up their hard work consistently, even under adverse conditions. During my time spent competing and coaching in sport, I’ve often found myself observing teammates and opponents who I thought were consistent in their craft- those high performers at their current level of competition. From looking back on those experiences, I feel that I have found a few characteristics which are markers of successful athletes.

Consistent Effort

Based on my experiences, successful athletes often love practice. As a result, this allows them to give their maximum effort during each practice session. We’ve all heard to practice how you play. This is great advice, especially for young athletes who are establishing their work ethics for competition and academics. No matter what the method of training is, we need to get after it. By attacking our training sessions head-on with consistent effort, we are increasing our chances of success during competition. We all compete at different intensities of energy, also known as arousal levels. By finding out what specific level of energy works best for us during competition, we will be able to practice with the same amount of tenacity. This way, when game day comes around, we will be prepared in that moment of competition. When paired with mental skills training, you will be a dangerous opponent.

Consistent Life

Sometimes we think that as long as they get their athletics in order, things will just sort of fall in place for them, and their goals will become a reality. As much as we might wish this to be the case, it just isn’t realistic. What we do during our time away from competition usually has a say in how we perform later. I understand this sounds like a broken record, but if you want to perform consistently, you need to be consistent across the board—things like how you eat and what goes into your body. Your body needs the proper nutrients to fuel itself, and you only get out of it what you put in. Sticking to a sleep schedule is a great way to make sure we are able to get the proper rest needed to compete consistently- even while under stress. This next one is especially important for student-athletes at any level. Take. Care. Of. Your. Academics. If you didn’t study for the exam you have in 30 minutes; you’re going to be stressed. Spoiler- you’re going to have a bad time in that class, and you’ll have a harder time performing consistently optimally in your competition. The same applies to taking care of your personal relationships. We need to try and keep the balance of our relationships with our family and friends.

Be on the lookout for Part II, where we examine how mindsets and attention to detail influence our success!