You’re going to have a slump. I don’t mean to be pessimistic, but it is the truth. You are going to try so hard for success and you’re going to hit that wall and it won’t budge. Some would quit and leave that wall alone, but you are going to keep pounding away, day after day, practice after practice, weeks, months even. And you will be successful.
That wall is going to crumble and you are going to reign on top. Persistence will win out and you will be the better person for it. I am stating this in the context of rodeo, but I think it probably occurs in all sports and I know it happens in real life, school or work. But I know that it is true. I know that chances are you will lose more than you win. And you have to be okay with that; accept it and you will win a little more and a little more until you pull out of the slump.
After the first two college rodeos of the year, I am looking at a season that I wasn’t hoping for, that I hadn’t been practicing for. I’m not going to dwell on that fact though. I won’t look at the standings, and this week I am going to rope for myself. It is something that took me a long time to figure out. For me to be happy and successful I need to do things for me and not worry about other people and what they have going on. I definitely will be happy for their successes, but I cannot compare them to my own.
You need to figure out what is going to work for you and then find the good out of the bad. Learn to build yourself up and not tear yourself down. I hate to sound cliché, but you are your own worst enemy. You hold yourself to a higher standard than anyone else, you expect so much out of yourself so it is easy to get down and out about the situation. The simplest thing to say is don’t do that. Do not get angry with yourself or frustrated with your performance. But I know that is probably the hardest thing to do. Trust me, I am the queen of the mind games.
I have always struggled with this concept. I basically was on a four-year slump in high school, I could be practicing hard and roping well, but as soon as I pulled into those rodeo grounds, it was like I couldn’t do it anymore. I had all the fundamentals, I just was lacking the confidence to succeed. Finally, something changed. I’m not sure what it was, but my success rate started to increase and with that my confidence had grown and I am becoming a better competitor. I have definitely lost way more than I have won. Yet, I have made it a personal goal to let the victories outweigh the missed calves. It is a conscious choice and you have to make it for yourself.
