We admire sportspeople and athletes not just for the superhuman feats they achieve but also for how they always seem to have it together and manage to bounce back from setbacks and failures. Most athletes demonstrate a winner’s mindset that allows them to focus on pursuing their dreams.

Here are the top 5 mental skills of successful athletes.

1. Have a positive attitude

In order to be a successful athlete, you need to be strong-willed and know how to remain undeterred in the face of failure. This does not mean that you should be entirely unaffected by failure; rather, you should learn from your setbacks instead of allowing them to define you.

2. Envision yourself achieving your goals

Athletes need to have a vision of themselves clinching victory that compels them to stay motivated and put in the work to succeed every day, whether that means training hard, sticking to a bland but nutritious diet, or cutting out distractions. Having a clear and compelling vision of what victory looks like for you will also help you get through difficult days when you don’t feel particularly motivated.

3. Be self-motivated

Successful athletes have to count on themselves for motivation. If you wish to succeed as an athlete, you need to remind yourself why you’re doing what you do. Reminding yourself of your love and passion for your sport will encourage you to undertake the work to shine as an athlete.

4. Use positive self-talk and visualise your dreams

Athletes practice positive self-talk with themselves. To do this, talk to yourself like a coach who believes in you and supports your dream would talk to you.

5. Manage your anxiety

For athletes, performing well under pressure is crucial. In a stadium packed with a screaming audience of hundreds of thousands of people, keeping your cool is necessary in order to focus on the game. Even in the heat of competition, when stress and anxiety are bound to occur, athletes have to have the mental capacity to remain calm even when under intense pressure.

The best way to manage anxiety as an athlete is to develop situational awareness and practice breathing techniques that help you stay calm.

My name is Akwasi Frimpong, I became Ghana’s first skeleton Olympian in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Beijing. In addition to my career as a professional athlete, I also travel and work as a motivational speaker and entrepreneur. As Ghana’s first skeleton Olympian, I am passionate about motivating other athletes who dream of representing Ghana at the Olympics. Becoming an Olympic-level athlete from Ghana might sound like achieving the impossible, but I believe that with focus, determination, and the right guidance, there is no limit to what a committed athlete can do.