Strengthening Your "Want To" as an Extreme Sports Athlete

Make Simple Tricks Look Cool

I really like this recommended ingredient for success which is referred to as strengthening your "want to." Everyone has a want-to list. If you are an extreme sports athlete your "want to's" probably include "I want to land that new trick" or "Win my first competition." Most times people's "want to's" are just lip service. They just say they want something but they don't work as hard as they can to get it. Plus, when they encounter a obstacle, they don't have the right attitude to view this setback or failure as feedback! I'm sure that we can all relate to this feeling or attitude at some point in time.

So do you think your "want to" is strong? Let's say your goal is to land a Tantrum to Blind on your wakeboard over the summer. One way to gauge the strength of your "want to" is by seeing how many times you give in to the little voice in your head. The voice that says, "I am too tired to hit the lake today. I don't want to get up early. My legs and arms are too sore to land such an advanced trick." If you let that little voice win, your "want to" is not strong enough. I know that this concept of mental toughness almost sounds too easy, but trust me it's not at first. But once your "want to" becomes part of your every day routine, you're just turned a huge mental road block that most never overcome and thus never truly reach their goals as amateur or professional action sports athletes.

So let me leave you with this.... "How strong is your "want to?" Do you really want something or just say you do?"