Monday Mindset: The Power of Self-Belief
Earlier last week, I remarked how spectacularly Sean Strickland would likely fail on Saturday against the incumbent UFC Middleweight Champion, Israel Adesanya. And I wasn’t alone — Vegas odds had Strickland over +400 and the MMA community largely regarded this as a “shoe-in” for The Stylebender.
Well, wouldn’t you know it — MMA is a crazy sport, but not only did Strickland win on Saturday, he did so decisively. We often see big upsets in the form of one big punch or one big scramble that leads to a freak submission.
But this was a surgical and relentless domination from start to finish.
Strickland “wasn’t supposed” to win. He “wasn’t good enough” to beat Izzy. Izzy was “on another level.”
I’m constantly reminded how important it is to simply just believe in yourself, even when nearly everything you hear says otherwise.
At the end of the day, there can always be at least one person who has your back. That person is you.
Self-belief isn’t easy, though. The trick is to give yourself something to believe in. Be consistent with your routines. Be true to your word. Act with integrity. Simply put, be reliable. Not just to others, but more importantly to yourself.
Be reliable, so that when times get a little iffy, you can always believe in yourself against whatever odds are supposedly put in front of you.
This strategy works for the new UFC MIddleweight Champion and I’m sure it can work for you.