Unlock your potential: Lessons from elite athletes on building a winning mindset

She explains her process, “I am aware that I have anxious traits and that I do not perform well if I try meditation, for example. So, I learned to transfer my anxious traits into high energy output by setting my mood and purpose into place. Usually, this would [put] me into an aggressive state, allowing me to release the anxiety trapped within me and set my mood right. After releasing all that energy, I’m able to focus on transferring the energy into my movements and block out the noise.”

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Don’t be disheartened when things don’t go your way. Even the best of athletes know that failures are not the endgame but a stepping stone to success. Michael Jordan, arguably the best basketball player of all time, famously said, “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”   

Tan completely relates to Jordan, saying, “In sports, you lose more than you win. And for golfers, week in and week out on tour, there are 144 of us competing for championship; 143 of us are technically losers. But I don’t look at it that way, because if I did, I don’t think this is the right profession for me. Winning for me is accomplishing my own goals, which can be as simple as controlling my emotions on the course throughout the championship or executing every shot to 100 per cent. Focusing on the process is way more important for me than focusing on the results. I believe that Jordan’s quote relates to every one of us. We will fail over and over again. But the resilience of never giving up and believing we can do it is the most important key to being a winner.”

She shares a favourite winning moment after experiencing setbacks: “I would say winning on the Symetra tour in 2019 was one of my favourites as I came off a couple of tough years where I wasn’t sure if I could rebound. But I kept at it and practised hard, so that win was very meaningful to me.” For 2024, she looks forward to coming back to Malaysia to play in the Maybank championship after not having done well last year.

Sometimes, fear may hold us back from taking action, and this avoidance behaviour can actually strengthen and amplify fears rather than diminish them. According to prominent psychologist Dr Luana Marques, when we avoid situations or activities that trigger anxiety, we miss opportunities to challenge and overcome our fears. And by consistently avoiding what we fear, we give the anxiety we experience more power, which can make the feared situation even more daunting. Marques recommends that individuals face their fears in a gradual and controlled manner. Confronting and engaging with what we fear, despite our discomfort, would help reduce the anxiety.

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Leong, who is now a coach in the national junior programme and started her own diving academy last year, admits, “Previously, I tended to avoid doing things I wasn’t good at and not change the habits I was used to because I was already comfortable. After that, a mentor told me that to improve, I needed to try stepping out of my comfort zone and try other methods.”

As for Yap, she shares an incident that happened prior to the 2017 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur. “I was always known as a mixed pair athlete; I never did well in individual events. But around 2015 or 2016, my coach asked me if I was willing to take up the individual event in the 2017 SEA Games. I felt immediate fear and anxiety within me because I questioned myself, but I also thought that it would be a waste if I did not take the opportunity. I immediately said yes without much thought of how to win for Malaysia or if I had the chance to win at all. I just remembered thinking to myself, ‘What’s the worst that could happen?’ I regretted my answer shortly after because I had doubted myself, and the anxiety kicked in. But in the end, I found a way through and won a gold medal in the individual event and silver in the mixed pair event.”

She then quotes the famous line from Frank Herbert’s Dune: “‘I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little death that brings obliteration. I will face my fear and I will permit it to pass over me and through me.’”

“This is the philosophy that I carry from 2016 to this day in making all sorts of decisions where I’ve doubted myself. In all of these situations, most of the time they turn out better than I expected and have succeeded. I believe that making the best choices is always to trust your gut and recognise what you yearn for most in life, no matter what the odds are, because we cannot predict the future. But allowing fear to take over our decisions may stop ourselves from getting what we truly want, and painful regret would be what we would have to live with for the rest of our lives,” says Yap, who no longer competes but is now a full-time personal trainer and Taekwondo (Poomsae) competition coach.

Tan’s passion for golf keeps her head high on the greens even when she’s facing challenges. “People around me often say that I have resilience and grit. I hate giving up, and I’d rather go through failure than not try at all,” she says before giving this sage advice for those who want to excel in their careers or personal pursuits. “In everything we do, there’s ups and downs. But when you are going through the downs, enjoy every bit of the [challenge], sadness, and loneliness. Because when you get through it, your success tastes so much sweeter!”

As for Leong, failure is seen as an opportunity to learn and improve from mistakes and identify areas for growth. “I missed the opportunity to compete in the 2016 Rio Olympics, and at that time, I thought about whether to retire or continue in the sport. I chose to continue and learned what [areas needed improvement] from my performance at that time.”

When you’re facing a tight deadline, an unexpected crisis, or giving a critical performance, the stress of it can make one unravel and fall apart. The ability to maintain composure during high-stakes situations is a vital skill that enables individuals to handle challenges that come their way. For Tan, her strategy is to have a strong routine. “It helps me focus on what I’m trying to accomplish instead of the result. And talking to my caddy about everything other than golf helps me step away from all the noise and calms my mind.”

Don’t underestimate the importance of having a good night’s sleep. Constant lack of sleep will eventually take a toll, both physically and mentally. It affects not only your ability to concentrate and think clearly but also your decision-making skills. Additionally, it can lead to bad moods, a weakened immune system, and weight gain.

To maintain mental focus during diving tournaments, Leong makes sure she gets enough rest and sleep while minimising distractions around her. She says, “I have previously used a [research-grade EEG headband] meditation device called Muse. It helps me control and calm my emotions and also helps me sleep better.”

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