In three previous posts, I have discussed developing one’s own self-image statement. I happened to notice today that I crafted my own self-image statement one year ago! If you missed those three previous posts, you may want to check them out in order to appreciate some of the background information that led to the development of my own statement (which, at the risk of great personal embarrassment, will be shared with you later in this post!).
Lanny Bassham is probably the most popular proponent of utilizing this tool. I first discussed Lanny and his book “With Winning in Mind” in my post “Foundational Reading in Sport Mental Skill Development. You can link to that post HERE where I identified Lanny’s book as one of the major influences guiding my interest in mental skills training.
That early post did not provide much detail about self-image statements other than to introduce Lanny Bassham and his book, however, my post “Two Hours with Brian DeMott – Self-Image Building and Mental Management did! If you have missed this post (or if you did and it has been some time since you read it), I would suggest paying a visit to the post HERE. The “Brian” post remains once of the most popular ones I have written for good reason – Brian DeMott openly shared the mental skills he has employed personally. Brian credits development of his own self-image statement as part of his mental management plan as being instrumental in achieving the success he has enjoyed in sporting clays.
Of course, reading about things such as mental skills in general and development of tools like a personalized self-image statement is one thing – actually implementing them is quite another! In my post “What’s on your Summer Reading List” (link HERE), I explained how my reading about motivational interviewing, in combination with listening to Lanny’s CD’s had motivated me to take action and actually write down my own self-image statement. I even threatened to share my statement in the post – an empty threat until now!
Why develop a self-image statement? Doing so help to make four key aspects of success very concrete
- Clearly defining what you want to accomplish
- Why it is important for you to accomplish it
- How are you going to achieve your goal
- When will you achieve it
Writing this in the present tense as though you had already achieved your goal helps to prime your subconscious mind and helps to develop your self-image to be what you want to be! It’s a very simple but powerful tool!
If you haven’t read Lanny’s books or listened to his CD’s, he goes step-by-step in how to write your own statement. He also describes in detail how to maintain a positive self-image. I would highly recommend availing yourself of his materials.
So, without further ado, here is my own statement as promised. Again, I wrote it one year ago, but structured it using Lanny’s methodology starting by saying I already had achieved my goal -being a master class shooter – even though I was in B class at the time I wrote it. If you read it carefully, you will clearly be able to see why this achievement is important to me, how I will accomplish it, and the time frame to achieve success.
My Self-Image Statement – 6/3/21
My name is Mike Rouleau. I am a Master Class Shotgunner. I achieved Master Class status in the fall of 2023 after achieving AA status in the spring of 2022. Being a Master Class shooter lends a lot of credibility to my mental skills blog in which I gain a lot of satisfaction by sharing sport psychology tips to my amateur athlete friends across the globe.
Moving up to Master Class required improving my target kill % from 72.6% to 85%. It is now like me to break more than 90% on most courses in competition. This was accomplished through a series of goals. I have worked diligently at least 6 times / year with my shooting coach. At the same time, I have kept my weight in check below 160lbs and maintained upper body strength through a daily exercise routine. Achieving this level of shooting required more frequent skills practice as well. I upped my deliberate practice sessions from 2 / month to 4 / month minimum. At home, I practiced meditation at least 3 times / week and worked on my eye-training at least once / week. I engaged in mental practice each night. I have refined my pre and post-match routines as well as my pre and post-shot routines and apply them every time.
I am a Master Class shotgunner! When I enter a shooting stand, I am confident in my knowledge and abilities to break every target presented to me whether it is the first pair or the final pair of a station.
After writing this, I followed Lanny’s advice and printed out three copies of the statement and posted them in conspicuous places: one in my bathroom where I could read it while brushing my teeth, one in my office next to my PC, and one in my truck. During the first few weeks, I read the statement several times each day so that my self-image of being a master class shooter got etched into my sub-conscious.
So, how did this work for me? Well, since writing it, I have achieved 6 punches in A class and am now just 4 punches short of AA class as the end of the spring of 2022. That is pretty close to my planned time line of making it to AA by the spring! I have used the statement to formalize my own detailed goals for the current shooting year. I continue to read the statement a few times per week. Another positive is that I have found that my self-talk is now more positive than it used to be. I am also in better physical condition than I have been in the last decade or two! Even more importantly, I am thoroughly enjoying every trip to the range no matter how I preform. While my self-image statement reflects who I want to be, my efforts are still focused on the process of working on my goals each week. That is what will help me to achieve the self-image I have created!
So how about it? Who are you?
Do you want to craft your own self-image statement? It might be just what you need to become what you want to be! I would be happy to post your self-image statement in the blog to share with other readers! Send them on!