The Art Of Holding Back

Ever get caught up in chasing that athlete in front of you, or find yourself digging deep when a friend is screaming to give it all you’ve got? There is absolutely a time and place to throw all your cards in the hat and go all in, push yourself hard, find those limits, barriers, and overcome them.

The art is knowing WHEN, and how often. Here is how I look at it. If you have only so many matches in a matchbook, you need to decide when you are going to use them. Once they are gone, they are gone, so if you only have 10 matches and you want to save the brightest burning one for a big performance like a race you wouldn’t just start lighting everything you see on fire.

We know that consistency over a long time is a key ingredient to success. What I’ve noticed is athletes who have mastered the skill of knowing when to push themselves and when to hold back are the most consistent. They develop a good understanding of how to regulate their energy and when to use it for days that it counts. All too often I see less successful athletes going too hard when it doesn’t matter to then only fall short on the workouts and race days that really count. Learning this skill helps with less injury, a better understanding of tactics, and develops what we might call athletes as those one percent athletes that have the ability to bring performance to a completely new level when it really counts.

If this is an area that is hard for you think of these things to help you start to get a sense for it.

• Think big picture all the time

• Ask yourself if your decision at that moment is being driven by confidence or ego

• Ask yourself if your state of mind at the time is patient and calm, or frustrated and short-sighted.

Start with these small questions and see if over time you start to see a greater performance when it counts. Being a top athlete takes physical skill and training, but also mental skill and confidence. Let’s see if in 2021 you can become one of those magical one percent athletes.