“To be a great champion you must believe you are the best. If you’re not, pretend you are.”

Muhammad Ali

Selena Gomez has a song called Like a Champion, which starts with the chant, “Walk like a champion, talk like a champion”.   As a Mental Toughness coach, I incorporate this concept into a 3-minute drill that my clients practice prior to a performance event.

Whatever your chosen field, find the person at the very top, find the champion. If it’s sales, find the top sales rep in your industry.  If it’s management and leadership, find the best manager and best leader.  If it’s sports, find your sport’s top performer.  If it’s fitness and nutrition, find the person you want to look most like.  If it’s teaching, find the best teacher of the subject, at the best institution.  If it’s coaching, find the best coach, etc.

Whatever the subject, whatever the arena, the point is to find the very best champion(s) you can find.  Once you chose your champion(s), now study them, watch them perform, watch their interviews, read their blogs, articles, books, and biographies.  Choose three or four more champions, repeat and rinse.

Why?  You have to dig a well from which to draw, prior to your performance event.  Enter the 3-minute drill, during which, think of yourself as an actor starring in the role of a champion.

Minute 1:  Ask yourself to say only the things a champion would say, prior to performing (be it a sales call, board meeting, teaching a class, or playing the big game).  Hey, superstar, you are cast in the role of “The Champ”, rehearse your lines.

Minute 2:  Walk like The Champ would walk.  Imitate The Champ’s body language.  Are The Champ’s shoulders slumped? How does The Champ carry himself or herself? Now, act that way. (Hint: STRUT)

Minute 3: Breathe like The Champ would breathe just prior to going onto the mat, into the ring, or onto the field.  The Champ has full control of his/her breathing, in through the nose – out through the mouth, steady and calm, with full command and confidence.

Now, go sick ‘em, Tiger!

Boo yah!