Tom Hall says

As one of the first shooting-sport-specific psychology books I read, I was initially very excited to apply the methods within. We bought the audio book at The Vegas Shoot in 2017 and it has prompted many discussions over the years. Lanny’s voice is very relaxing, and it’s a great way to absorb the information slowly. However, as I’ve grown my own understanding of the methods I use for performance, I find myself starting to disagree with some of the core principles.

In particular, I find that while thinking and talking positively about upcoming events is important, affirmations often feel forced. For example, in the build-up to a national selection shoot I may talk, think and plan my season as though my selection is certain, but I would find it extremely jarring to say “I have won the selection shoot” as though the event had already happened. As a result, I often stopped reading this affirmation format and eventually stopped writing them altogether.

The WWIM method also strongly relies on protecting the self-image and focusing only on your successes. However, I also want to look back at and analyse any failed attempt at a goal, in order to maximise what I can learn from the experience. Indeed, I will often attempt to perform this analysis in advance by deliberately using smaller events as trial runs or by a “pre-mortem” thought experiment. I believe that by accepting the chance of failure I can achieve the same inner confidence as Lanny aims to achieve, but in a more stable manner. After all, I know I have done everything I can to prepare myself.