The IBJJF World Championship is one of the most prestigious competitions in our sport. Whether you’re a blue belt looking to test yourself or a black belt looking to etch your name in the history books, the pressure to perform can feel tremendous. Why? Because entering a tournament is an act of vulnerability, and vulnerability takes courage.

If you look up the Latin root of the word compete you’ll find that “com” means together and “petere” means to strive. So competition is the opportunity to strive together towards excellence. You and your opponent have the opportunity to bring out the best version of yourselves by putting your best against theirs. So how do we ensure that we show up with our best selves? Beyond physical and technical preparation, one overlooked tool for performance is your mind.

What we believe about ourselves and our abilities, also known as self-efficacy, is directly related to our ability to accomplish our goals. It affects how we think, feel, and behave. If you believe that your resources are capable of handling the demands of competition, you are much likelier to perform well and achieve desirable outcomes. Asking yourself some simple questions can help you mentally prepare for competition:

1. What is my definition of success?

Deciding on your own interpretation of winning is key to reaching your goals. In other words, what would make you satisfied with your performance(s)? Winning is not the only determinant of success. Winning is a consequence of successful moments.

2. What is my why?

Purpose drives performance so think about what motivates you. There are two categories of motivation: task and ego. To be task-oriented means to focus on mastering challenges, evaluating your progress based on past versions of yourself, and putting in effort. An ego-orientation is motivated by doing better than others and relies on outside comparison and outcomes. Both are required for performance, but emphasizing the process over the outcome leads to higher self-efficacy. Higher self-efficacy leads to higher chances of success.

3. What are my small goals?

The pressure to perform well can cause beliefs that winning is the only thing that matters. This instills in us the idea that what we do and how we do it is simply a means to an end when in fact, what we do and how we do it determines our success. Focusing on outcomes is a sure way to miss the opportunity to break down big goals into smaller goals. These goals can look like: getting the grips you want, establishing your favorite guard, securing points before submissions, or maintaining good posture.

4. What does my best performance look like?

Imagine what it would take to accomplish your goal. Envision yourself executing the techniques flawlessly, approaching each match with present focus and confidence. List all the qualities and skills you have that can lead to your best performance. By taking inventory of your resources, you are essentially creating a list of reasons you will achieve your definition of success on tournament day.

5. What can I control?

Locus of control refers to the amount of control we believe we have over the outcomes in our lives. How much control do we really have in a tournament match? We cannot control the referee’s choices or interpretation of the rules. We cannot control our opponent as much as we believe we can or should. We can influence our opponent’s performance but we cannot orchestrate it. So what can you control?

Answering these questions is the first step in managing your expectations and the pressure to perform in competition. Introspection is one of the greatest tools we have for building self-efficacy and approaching competition as a challenge that can be overcome. Remember that competing is an opportunity for growth, not a proving ground for whether you are worthy.

In the next article of Worlds mental prep we’ll go over self talk and the ways in which you can guide your inner voice to success. Remember that mental wellness is essential to optimal performance. Caring for your mind is just as important as caring for your body.

This article was brought to you by #SubmitTheStigma, a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to normalizing mental health in the jiu jitsu community. Check out the website for resources and workshops to become mental health-conscious for your academy. Visit Submitthestigma.org