United States Eventing Association

As surprising as it might seem, imagination is considered one of the strongest of all mental coaching skills. For example, is it possible to lose but still imagine we’re winners? Can we fail but still imagine we're not failures? Is it possible come up short but imagine the lessons learned will help us in the long run?

It’s easy to see that these scenarios can be a bit hard accept…but that’s where imagination comes in. One day we’ll do everything right, and it’ll still go wrong. We’ll give 100% and still come up short. We’ll do our best, but our best won’t be good enough. This statement might sound a bit defeating but it’s neither negative nor pessimistic. It’s simply a fact. It’s not because we’re not good enough or talented enough or smart enough. It’s because success doesn’t mean we’re always going to succeed.

Being a winner doesn’t mean we’ll always win and doing our best doesn’t mean we’ll always be the best or better than the rest. Sometimes we’ll do everything right, and it’ll still go wrong… but as long as we’re armed with a little imagination we’ll be always able to take the high road to find the silver lining (see the little imagination I sprinkled in there).

I’ve copied an expert from my latest book “Bolder Braver Brighter” below because I believe it does an excellent job explaining the big importance of a little imagination:

Imagine leaning against a tree while you horse grazes happily beside you. You feel the warm sunshine and breeze on your cheek, hear the chirping of nearby birds, and smell the fragrance of the grass and wildflowers. Your horse nickers quietly, and all you can think about is how lucky you are to have this horse and this sport and this life…right here, right now.

Now visualize the same scene, only this time image thinking anxiously about the horse show tomorrow. Imagine worrying about all the people who’ll be watching, the judge who’ll be judging, and the 12-year-old rider who beat you last time. Imagine hoping your horse doesn’t refuse the first jump and you don’t forget your course like last time. Imagine dreading you’ll be the only overweight or underprepared rider there, and that you’ll mess up and let down everyone who’s counting on you.

Wow…that kind of ruined the story didn’t it? The second story contained the exact same horse, tree, and field; the only thing that changed was the story built around it. But that’s all it really was. Just a story; a piece of fiction made-up by worrying about what might happen in the future or wishing something hadn’t happened in the past. But it changed everything. It removed the joy, pleasure, and happiness from the story. It changed a feel-good novel with a happy ending (or romantic-comedy depending on your horse!) into a sad story with a dreadful ending. Even though they’re just silly stories, it’s pretty clear they’re going to have very different endings.

So, what kind of story and which kind of ending are you going to write? A story about how you never quit, made excuses, compared yourself to others or shy’d away from challenges. A story about how you overcame fears and failures, remained positive in negative situations, and held it together when it would’ve be normal to fall apart. After all, that is the kind of story that’s inside you.

In the end it’s important to remember that none of us are perfect (nope, not you either), but only you can write your story. Spectators, judges, teammates, trainers, and family members might appear in your story. Failures, fears, mistakes, and mess-ups will definitely appear in it. Riders who are more experienced, stronger, taller, thinner, and better than you will also be in there, but it’s up to you to decide what role they’ll play and what ending they’ll help you create. Becoming bolder, braver, and brighter doesn’t mean you’ll never fail or be afraid, it simply means you’ll always have the imagination to be the author of your own story.

Always remember that none of us will get through life without picking up a few emotional bumps and bruises along the way. Our lives will be made up of a series of mistakes and milestones, struggles, and successes. It's only human to fall down, mess up, and be afraid from time to time. Frustration and failure are in our future, and they’re just as important as our successes. We just need to believe that a little imagination can be a big help when it comes to getting through all the crazy things we’re going through!

I hope you enjoyed this month’s Pressure Proof tip. If you’re a trainer or upper level rider and would like to take my Pressure Proof Coaching Academy’s instructor certification course (Equestrian Sport Psychology) please let me know. The course is entirely online and self-paced. For more information visit https://pressureproofacademy.com/certifications/.