Title: Getting Started: Do This Second (Journal Entries)
Course: Sports Psychology

Many great athletes keep journals. The process of journal writing allows you to develop better understanding about yourself and how you view any aspect of life. It allows you to step back and think about your thinking (metacognition). This process allows you to be more conscious of your thoughts and actions and puts you in a position to take control of your life. In this assignment, you will be submitting answers to 11 questions** about the most important topic you will ever study.....YOU. Please put some thought and time into these answers as this begins the process of understanding yourself better. Please copy these questions into a word doc., insert your journal responses, and then hit the submit button below and copy and paste the journal entries into this assignment. **(adapted from Sports Psychology Basics, by Andrew Caruso, 2004)

1. List 3 positive things you have accomplished or 3 successes you have had in all your life experiences aside from sports.

2. Using the above list, now make a list of five things that you think have enabled you to achieve those successes; in other words, your strengths (as a person, not just an athlete), things that have gained you recognition or are simply wonderful things that people have said or written about you.

3. Now think carefully and list the five greatest strengths that you have in your sport. Everyone has made pass, serve, shot, or play at one time or another; you make have done this more often than you realized. Possibly you want a teammate or friend to give you what he/she thinks are your greatest strengths. Or ask your coach.

4. List three ways how you turned a negative event into a positive, first as a person and then three more as an athlete.

5. Write the five most important things you will do in the next six months to attain your peak performance.

6. Think of a role model you have and write down the three best things about your role model and choose which one or two is most important in improving your own abilities.

7. Think back on the responses of champions interviewed on television or in sports articles and how they consistently feel that in the future they can overcome adversity or repeat excellence. Write down an example from a professional and a case of your own where you 'self-prophesized' and it really happened.

8. List five things in your sport that YOU are in total control over. (You can control other things besides heartbeat, breathing, muscle relaxation, and focus).

9. Describe how you would change any of the following to a more powerful and positive posture: your tone of voice, posture, facial expression, hand positioning, body movement, especially your walking gate, eye contact, dress, hair style, maybe even footwear for health and comfort.

10. Mentally go to a place that really made you feel that you were in a power state. Describe that place and the sense of power you feel.

11. Find an area each day that will provide a few moments of solitude in order to practice some of the mentally strengthening techniques that you will be learning about and choosing to use during this course. Describe when and where you will work on these.