If you are like many auto racers, this time of year starts your “off-season.” Sure, some people may be on their way to some winter series in such exotic locations as Florida and California. But those of you living in locals such as myself find it to be a cold, blustery November day, not exactly conducive to auto sports. My husband and I campaign a quick rod/super comp dragster and bracket race as well. For us, the season officially “starts” in February or March and continues into the end of October. As a psychologist, however, this idea of an “off-season” or a “start” of a season can be problematic from a psychological perspective.
Just because you may not actually be taking the car to the track or competing, these winter months should not be viewed as an “off-season” or a time to do nothing, but rather this time should be viewed with a sense of purpose and continuation of your racing program. Perhaps rather than even thinking of it as the “off-season” or “down-time” simply think of it as the “pre-competition time!” Specifically, during this time, it is the perfect time to do a variety of important tasks that can help to assure more success in the future. In the words of Vince Lombardi—“winning is an all the time thing”!
“Winning is not a sometime thing; it's an all time thing. You don't win once in a while, you don't do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.”-Vince Lombardi
So what are some things you might want to do now, do in the next few months to help develop winning habits?
1.) It is the perfect time to really assess your racing performance of last season—what things did you do well and what things can be improved? Think in all possible terms such as car performance, driver performance, crew performance, psychological issues, financial issues, and social issues.
2.) Set some realistic, specific, concrete goals for the next racing season—plan your schedules, organize time off from work, work on financial planning.
3.) The next few months are essential for securing sponsorships and other financial support.
4.) Maintenance on the car and tow vehicle is an obvious during this time period. But rather than just thinking about getting ready for the first race of the season, think about organizing your trailer, garage, and tow rig for the entire season and think about necessary parts and supplies for the entire season.
5.) Finally this time is a perfect time to practice psychological skills such as focus, eye-training, and relaxation. The best athletes in the country are using this time to get better psychologically and you will be competing with them next year!
With so much to do, make a plan and get to work and don’t allow yourself to procrastinate! By not procrastinating today, you will have a more successful race season and a happier, healthier, less stressful life.
“Procrastination is the fear of success... Because success is heavy, it carries a responsibility with it, it is much easier to procrastinate and live on the ‘someday I'll’ philosophy”.-Denis Waitley
To make the most out of this “pre-competition time” organize your time. Make a “to do” list and put things in order of priority: things to do now, things to do soon, and things to do if time permits. Set blocks of time to do your “To do” list activities. Try to use your best mental times (e.g., the morning) for your most mentally challenging activities and your off-peak mental times to do more physical tasks (e.g., wax the tow vehicle). Also try to complete tasks that you are dreading first so you can move on the rest of the day with a sense of accomplishment rather than a sense of dread. Make sure that you check off or cross off the activities that you complete for the day. Then start a new “To Do” list. Try to have a day “to do” list and a “long term to do” list separate so that you won’t feel overwhelmed by so much to do. If you have one big project, break it into more manageable smaller projects. Try to eliminate the time wasters that can cause procrastination. For many people watching TV or surfing the web are big time wasters that encourage procrastination. Instead, tell yourself that you can’t watch TV or get on the computer until one small task is done.
So finish reading this newsletter and then go make your to do list and get to work! By making the most of this pre-competition time, you will be ready for the race season!
"Until you value yourself, you won't value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it." -M Scott Peck
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