Remember the Coin

It’s called remember the coin. it’s an exercise I would like you to try. Take a ruler or tape measure. Grab a piece of paper and something to write with. On the paper measure seven (7) inches and draw a line (Shown in red). Mark it in one inch increments (shown in green) like I have more or less drawn below.

Now you are just about ready for one of the toughest exercises you will ever be asked to complete as part of your mental game training. The only thing you need now is a quarter or some marker like say a poker chip. Place the paper somewhere in a room. Now I’m going to ask you not to cheat on this. Please don’t put it right in front of your computer, by the remote control for the TV or your Xbox. This is sort of the opposite of the instructions I would give you if this were a goal setting exercise. In goal setting I want you to be able to see your goals easily and more or less run into them all of the time. With this exercise I would like you to put the paper somewhere less in your path. You don’t necessarily need to hide it in a drawer or behind a moat infested with alligators (well that would make it interesting), but just not where you see it casually.

The next step is to place your coin, marker or poker chip on the first mark. Only if you are neurotic does it matter if you start on the right or left (top or bottom). What I want you to do is each day after the first is to flip the coin over so it sits on the next line. You may only flip the marker once each day. If (or when, I should say) you forget to move the coin you need to start over. It might be a good idea to mark the first line with the day you start.

Generally 80 percent of you will fail the first time. Another 10 percent will lie and say they did it correctly even though they forgot a day or two. Around ten percent will get it right. Remember, one turn only once per day. If you forget a day you restart.

Have fun with this, teach it to some friends.  In around ten days I will post the purpose of this valuable exercise. You’ll love it even when you fail. Remember the Coin is a good way to start your mental training.

This is some text prior to the author information. You can change this text from the admin section of WP-Gravatar  Mike Margolies: Sport Psychology Consultants ; TheMental-Game.com Mike Margolies is a Sport Psychology Consultant, Certified Mental Trainer® (CMT), Author, and Professional Speaker. When you want to be the best that you can be and the one thing you might be missing is the right mental game - what can you do? Well, athletes from all over the country have been seeking out Mike Margolies for over three decades to help them reach their potential. His clients include professional, elite, colligate and youth athletes in every sport. They have sought his counsel and unique teaching style to learn about the game within the game, or what mental training can do to help them become the athlete they want to be. He has trained professional and elite athletes and helped guide many to world championships and even the Super Bowl. Mike has trained more than 2000+ athletes. He has taught at four Universities and completed research at the United States Olympic Training Center. His new book is called The Athlete within You- A Mental Approach to Sports and Business. He currently works with individual athletes, teams and businesses around the world, both in person and via SKYPE. Mike is based out of the Pacific Northwest. Let him encourage you to play the game within the game. The Athlete within You is waiting to come out play. Learn the rules to the mental game to help realize your potential. Read more from this author