{"id":14544,"date":"2022-02-11T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-11T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/?p=14544"},"modified":"2025-06-04T08:35:42","modified_gmt":"2025-06-04T12:35:42","slug":"the-mindset-to-perform-at-a-higher-level","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/the-mindset-to-perform-at-a-higher-level\/","title":{"rendered":"The Mindset to Perform at a Higher Level"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/High-Level-of-Performance.jpg\" alt=\"Performing at a Higher Level\" class=\"wp-image-14548\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/High-Level-of-Performance.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/High-Level-of-Performance-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\" id=\"improve-progress-in-sports\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"_Improve_Progress_in_Sports\"><\/span>&nbsp;Improve Progress in Sports<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-transparent ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Article Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #0769bf;color:#0769bf\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #0769bf;color:#0769bf\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/the-mindset-to-perform-at-a-higher-level\/#_Improve_Progress_in_Sports\" >&nbsp;Improve Progress in Sports<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/the-mindset-to-perform-at-a-higher-level\/#The_Mindset_Behind_Growth\" >The Mindset Behind Growth<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/the-mindset-to-perform-at-a-higher-level\/#Countering_the_%E2%80%9CJust_Happy_to_Be_Here%E2%80%9D_Mentality\" >Countering the \u201cJust Happy to Be Here\u201d Mentality:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/the-mindset-to-perform-at-a-higher-level\/#Related_Sports_Psychology_Articles\" >Related Sports Psychology Articles<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/the-mindset-to-perform-at-a-higher-level\/#The_Confident_Athlete\" >The Confident Athlete<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>What is the \u201cjust happy to be here\u201d mindset? This mindset is where you work hard all season long to achieve a goal. Then, when you achieve that goal, you become content or complacent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Contentment hurts further <strong>progress<\/strong>. When you are satisfied with your accomplishment, you stop moving in the direction of greater achievements. You come to a standstill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One reason for this mental standstill is the stress of performing at a <strong>higher level<\/strong>. At a higher level, competition is even more challenging. The pressure is greater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some <strong>higher-level<\/strong> competitions, such as championships, nationals, Junior Olympics, conference meets, can be stressful for some athletes. Instead of focusing on performing, the athlete wants the competition to be over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Imagine a swimmer setting a goal for their first National cut. She practiced 5-6 days a week for two-plus hours per day. She put in more effort than previous years with private stroke instruction, dryland training, swim camps, and training trips. Her focus and efforts were geared to this one singular goal, making a national cut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Mindset_Behind_Growth\"><\/span>The Mindset Behind Growth<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>After tapering and swimming a personal best, she achieved her goal. She was content with her accomplishment. Suddenly, the ante has been upped. At Nationals, every swimmer was talented and fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This swimmer was seeded somewhere in the middle of the pack in her only event. She was so anxious to be in a meet of this caliber, and she just wanted to complete her race, climb out of the pool, and be done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe just happy to be here mindset\u201d builds stress, anxiety, and pressure. Even with this <strong>mindset<\/strong>, you still practice and attempt to be your best. However, that mindset holds you back from performing at your peak and achieving more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take, for example, two-time gold medalist Jamie Anderson. In the 2022 Winter Olympics, Anderson was the only female slopestyle competitor who won an Olympic gold medal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Anderson finished ninth in the event, falling short of her goal of a podium finish. No doubt Anderson was prepared and absolutely went for it. However, despite being a veteran, you can hear how stress affected her performance from her post-event comments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>ANDERSON<\/strong>:\u00a0<em>\u201cI feel so sad to not be able to put down a run, but I feel relieved that it\u2019s over because it\u2019s a really high-stress week here.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many athletes can identify with this experience, but what is the solution?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"countering-the-just-happy-to-be-here-mentality\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Countering_the_%E2%80%9CJust_Happy_to_Be_Here%E2%80%9D_Mentality\"><\/span>Countering the \u201cJust Happy to Be Here\u201d Mentality:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>1. Set simple goals \u2013 Reset your goal after your significant accomplishment, but make them manageable. Setting a new goal provides you with a new target. Setting reachable goals keep stress at a manageable level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2. Focus on the Process \u2013 Anxiety builds when you are focused on the outcome of a competition. Keep your focus on what you are doing moment by moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>3. Learn stress reduction strategies \u2013 Competition anxiety will not go away on its own. You need to counteract or manage anxiety through proven methods that work for you, such as deep breathing, muscle relaxation, thought stopping, visualization, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"block-979ef383-5bc7-43ee-b8f9-249663ca1a6c\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Sports_Psychology_Articles\"><\/span>Related Sports Psychology Articles<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul id=\"block-05642731-8752-4dbf-9c18-5cc4d276e821\" class=\"wp-block-list has-normal-font-size\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/a-mindset-for-success\/\">A Mindset for Success<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/mindset-for-playing-in-tough-conditions\/\">Mindset for Playing in Tough Conditions<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-to-overcome-the-average-mindset\/\">How to Overcome the \u201cAverage\u201d Mindset<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-5726d13f-f715-4ca4-8813-2f8a9ebd8bc3\">*Subscribe to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/sports-psychology-podcast-by-peaksports-com\/id152566009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/a>&nbsp;on iTunes<br>*Subscribe to <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0ynyaalKxbnNmsoeL8gF5X?si=8224669de9b3435b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/a> on Spotify<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-281f5afb-980b-4c71-9aa0-11d606b5f7c9\"><strong>Download a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/mental-toughness-report-athletes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">free sports psychology report<\/a>&nbsp;to improve your mental game!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-94138e75-d591-4645-bb1d-212cf57a8841\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sport-psychology-training-athletes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Learn more about our one-on-one mental game coaching.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Confident_Athlete\"><\/span>The Confident Athlete <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"225\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/confident-athlete-audio250.jpg\" alt=\"Sport Psychology Cds\" class=\"wp-image-15979\" style=\"width:205px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Confident Athlete\u201d consists of 2 audio programs that include 14 days of confidence fueling exercises and a simple to follow workbook that guides you through the 14 days, helps you apply the strategies, and customizes the exercises to your personal needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let me help you put a <strong>stop to the confidence leak<\/strong>. You can learn to have greater levels of confidence in competition than you do in practice by identifying the specific ways you undermine your own confidence and <strong>how to convert your practice confidence into COMPETITIVE CONFIDENCE<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Confident Athlete\u201d is a ground-breaking system to teach you how to think like a champion and have ultimate self-confidence every time you step on the playing field, court, track, or course. The confident athletes was <strong>developed for any athlete \u2013 junior to professional \u2013<\/strong>that wants to gain confidence. However, coaches and sports parents can learn how to teach others to perform with ultimate confidence. Use my program if you want to bust a slump or just wanting higher or more consistent levels of self-confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-0b39f7aa\">\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-a74417ae gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/the-confident-athlete-cd-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">GET DETAILS<\/a>\n\n\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-461ab57c gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.peaksports.com\/collections\/the-confident-athlete-series-digital-download\/products\/the-confident-athlete-digital\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BUY NOW<\/a>\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;Improve Progress in Sports What is the \u201cjust happy to be here\u201d mindset? This mindset is where you work hard all season long to achieve a goal. Then, when you achieve that goal, you become content or complacent. Contentment hurts further progress. When you are satisfied with your accomplishment, you stop moving in the direction of greater achievements. &#8230; <a title=\"The Mindset to Perform at a Higher Level\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/the-mindset-to-perform-at-a-higher-level\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about The Mindset to Perform at a Higher Level\">Sport Psychology Article&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14549,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[142],"tags":[324,247],"class_list":["post-14544","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports-psychology-tips","tag-focus-in-sports","tag-mental-toughness-in-sports"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO Pro 4.9.7.1 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What is the \u201cjust happy to be here\u201d mindset? 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Cohn\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/patrick-cohn-mental-coach-web-sq.jpg\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/PeakPerformanceSports\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/PeaksportsCoach\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/sportspsychcoach\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tiktok.com\\\/@peakperformancesports\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.com\\\/peaksports\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/MindsetForSports\"],\"description\":\"Mental Performance Coach Dr. Patrick Cohn has helped athletes for over 40 years enhance their performance. Dr. Cohn earned a master's degree in sports psychology from CSUF and a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia, specializing in Applied Sports Psychology. He is also the creator of The MGCP Mental Game Coaching Professional program. He's worked with athletes in the NFL, NHL, Olympic Athletes, Motocross Champions, and NASCAR drivers. 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