170206 - CrossFit - "Green Light Thoughts"

Self-doubt and lack of confidence are progress and performance killers.
Very often I'm sure of an athlete's abilities in a lift or a performance standard when they are not.
I tell them to get out of their heads, and if that doesn't work, I redirect them.
I send them off on some menial chore or to go look up the latest ridiculous "training tool" in one of the many fitness publications that show up at the gym. Sometimes it just take a few pets for Buddy to redirect their focus away from their failure, clear their mind and then I shoot in there with a positive phrase about them and their abilities. More often than not (very scientific) it works. PRs are set, skills are learned, progress is made.

I'm delving quite a bit into my own negative self-talk and I'm going to borrow a practice that Bobby Maximus of Gym Jones outlines both in his training videos and his book "Maximus Body."

"Green-Light Thoughts"
Now I'm paraphrasing here because he gives a number of examples that don't apply here or to me, but the idea is that there are two kinds of thoughts: Green Light and Red Light. 
The Red-light thoughts are those that are negative, telling you you lack the faculties and preparation for the task at hand. The Green-light thoughts are positive thoughts that get you focused on the task and set you up for success. 
His idea is that you place little green sticky dots in areas that you frequent the most then you make yourself think of one reason why you should succeed. This is applicable inside and outside the gym. You want to get it together before your day starts? Put one on the bathroom mirror. You want to not be a road-raging lunatic on I-25? Put one on your steering wheel. 
I for one put it on the rower I use for my training. When I'm particularly struggling, I'll look at it and tell myself I can keep going, or I can pull harder. 
The overarching idea is that when you say these things, your outlook can shift to the positive. 

You'll see a number of these dots around the gym. Let's see if we can make this place an even more positive experience and see if we can create more opportunities for success!

Strength - Deadlift
3, 3, 3, 3, 3

WOD- EMOM 24:
Minute 1: 5 Thrusters
Minute 2: 10 Pull-Ups
Minute 3: 15 Box Jumps
Minute 4: Rest