Backlash Boston: Mind over Matter, Part 2

I’m looking at the way we can overcome the mental barriers that stop us from skating. This entry will look at the many fine Excuses one can formulate.

It’s cold outside. It’s raining. It’s miserable. Why would anyone want to leave the house in this weather? I’m leading my heater around my flat like a puppy dog counting down the minutes until I should be at training. Notice the wording...until I should be at training.

My friends are having dinner out and I know the restaurant is warm...which means I wouldn’t have to change into an outfit that’s barely there and skate around in a cold basketball hall. In fact, I wouldn’t have to change at all, but I would have to go outside. And then it occurs to me, that [insert favourite TV show] is on tonight! Crap, I can’t miss that! And come to think of it, it’s the only night I can see my girlfriend/boyfriend [pick your preference] this week! Plus my [insert reoccurring injury] is acting up again so I probably shouldn’t be skating anyway because I don’t want to make it worse.

Oh yes, I should go to training. Even while injured. I could be good and bundle up like an Eskimo and watch training because that would show my commitment! But what’s the point in going if I’m not going to skate, and let’s face it: if I really wanted too, I could skate.

Sad to say, there are times when at the end of this deliberation, the girlfriend/boyfriend [pick your preference] gets a text saying: not goin2trainin 2nite wanna come ova&watch TV?

Sound familiar? The mind is a dangerous thing - especially when it is cold out.

Excuses can come at any stage – you don’t need to be a veteran skater! For freshies, it ranges from not having the best skates or padding, to not having a car to get there, to the dreaded “but I’m not a good enough skater yet!”

So where to start? My first recommendation is to get rid of ‘should, could and would’ from your vocabulary – this is not just for derby but life in general. Get rid of the negative self talk. As women, we are very hard on ourselves. Think about it. Yes, there are things in life we need to do we don’t necessarily want to, but there are ways of stating things to create more positive thinking and to focus on the reward of accomplishing something (big or small).

It’s about changing thoughts to change behavior (the things we say or do) in order to get motivated to achieve a result! And this works for all aspects of your life. You won’t be awesome at roller derby if you’re not at training – trust me...I know!

It’s a matter of turning those excuses around and inside out.

It’s cold outside – think about all those poor field hockey players who run around in short skirts and no tights OUTSIDE in the rain and the cold - and quite honestly, you’ll warm from skating in about five minutes and even though it’s fun, you don’t have to wear a mini outfit.

Friends enticing you out – Friends realise that derby takes up a lot of your life, and sometimes, training will just have to come first. Pick and choose what you’re going to go to, let your friends know that you love them, and take the lead and organise outings when you are free.

Favourite TV show – it’s simple... MySky HDI! Record it!

Girlfriend/boyfriend (aka derby widow) – No nana’s need apply. Derby girls need someone who is independent, caring when it comes to bruises, scrapes and torn ligaments, understanding about derby commitments, and who stays up past 9pm!

I’m going to deal with re-occurring injuries and illnesses in general in a later installment.

And feel free to post your best excuse and I’ll turn it around for you – it is after all, a bit of mind over matter!