Who is responsible for your actions? The answer here should be “you” but that is not always the case. While watching the athlete interviews after the United States competed in the 4×100m relay, one athlete made the comment that someone had a voodoo doll out on the US Track and Field team. If you drop the baton in a relay, whose fault is it? In endurance sports, this might be a broken goggle strap, a forgotten nutrition item, a missed start, or a flat tire. When things do not go as intended, who is held responsible?

Locus of control is a term used in psychology to describe the manner in which a person perceives the causes of their experiences. Athletes can develop an internal or external locus of control. Do things happen as the result of our own behaviors and abilities (internal), or from environmental forces such as luck (external)? If you look at this on a continuum, a more internal tendency is on one end with the external focus on the other.

Internal

If you have developed an internal locus of control, you believe that you are responsible for your own success. You determine your own destiny. You tend to accept responsibility as well as credit for your actions. Someone with an internal locus of control might say, “The more consistent I am with my training, the more likely I am to perform well.”

External

On the other hand, with an external locus of control you believe that external forces, like luck, determine the outcomes. If you have an external locus of control, you tend to think that the environment causes the behavioral consequence. You view yourself as a participant in life and have no say over what happens. Here you might hear an athlete say that “No matter how consistent I am with my training, something will happen in my life to keep me from achieving my goal.”

Athletes who have developed an internal locus of control tend to carry that internal focus into their mental outlook, motivation, and resolve to their sport. With this internal focus comes attributing improvements to the development of skills and ability. Here, the athlete is the master of their domain and hard work is a means to improve.

On the other hand, if you constantly are attributing poor outcomes to the environment, this might have a negative impact on your athletic career. It is important to own up to your actions, and acknowledge the things which remain in your control. Not everything can be prevented, but you can prepare for possible misfortunes.

To move from an external to internal locus of control, first pay attention to your self-talk.

Limit phrases such as “have no choice” or “can’t” and replace them with “choose not to” or “don’t like my choice but I will.” Another helpful practice to make this shift is to set goals. Keep track of how you achieve your goals and realize that by achieving small goals you are controlling your performance. Shift your mind and take control of your actions. Enjoy!

Written by Carrie Smith