Self sabotage and negative self talk

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Motivated
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Self sabotage and negative self talk

Unread postby Motivated » Wed Jul 19, 2017 3:21 pm

One of the things I love most about hunting is that I get to spend a lot of time with my own thoughts. However, bowhunting is a very mental and emotionally challenging sport. Your success and failure is all up to you, and you alone. Most hunts end without dragging away the big buck. Mental and emotional toughness is something necessary to combat repeated failures. We have talked about confidence here in a great thread. I'm curious as to how exactly this confidence is developed.

Sometimes I feel like my brain is my best resource, and other times I feel like it's my own worst enemy.

Those bad days I feel like my mood varies depending on the situation. External factors will determine how I feel about myself. "Darn I made an extra noise. I suck!" Frustrated, I decided to hurry so I make more noise and make the matter worse. Before I know it I'm not enjoying myself. Before I know it, I've ruined the whole situation and leave unsuccessful.

Thankfully those bad days are much fewer and farther between at this time. I've learned how to recognize it and shut it down right away. However, many times for the first Beast season I had to do battle with negative self-talk. It was difficult, as I placed too much stress on myself trying to be highly successful right away. So many different ways to screw up!

I realized that at times I have sabotaged my own success as well by setting the bar too high or by procrastination. I just found this link on the web. Interesting read.

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTCS_95.htm

I wonder how others have changed over time. I also wonder what makes some guys persist despite these struggles and become experts.


Work hard, stay humble, be kind.
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Re: Self sabotage and negative self talk

Unread postby Tennhunter3 » Wed Jul 19, 2017 3:35 pm

Every once in awhile i have this issue. If i spook a buck on entry or feel im too loud setting up.


Its a mental game of second guessing will he come back did i make too much noise. Should i be 30 yards closer or futher away. Did i pick the wrong tree today.

So i agree the mind can sometimes play with hunters. Each mess up we learn from our mistakes though and will improve on the next hunt in the area.

I do feel more confident in my setups the more times i setup beast mode.I ask so many questions on the beast lol trying to help get second opinions. My first 2 years beast hunting have been challenging but i know i must continue to learn and trust my setups.
Last edited by Tennhunter3 on Wed Jul 19, 2017 3:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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magicman54494
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Re: Self sabotage and negative self talk

Unread postby magicman54494 » Wed Jul 19, 2017 3:40 pm

its alright to set a goal - i want to shoot a big buck for instance. expectations can be your enemy though because what if you dont or what if it dont happen as soon as you want it to. thoughts will manifest if you hold to them. its important to keep your thoughts positive. doubt is a negative thought and will manifest negative results. so if you want a big buck but doubt, you will get negative results. this is where faith steps in. set your goal, have faith, then let it happen. BELIEVE!
Never try to force it. allow it to happen and it will.
this is a very deep subject. one that is worth every bit of study.
i would bet every big buck slayer on this forum believes that he will be successful. id bet that failure doesnt even enter their mind. id bet they assume a positive outcome. when you have thoughts of doubt, realize it and replace it with the thought of you posing for pictires with your big buck.
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Re: Self sabotage and negative self talk

Unread postby Jackson Marsh » Wed Jul 19, 2017 3:42 pm

Everyone is good and confident at SOMETHING in our day to day lives. A guy just has to use that same confidence and mental toughness in other endeavors in our lives.

A guy that can tear an engine apart and put it back together again likely wasn't super confident the first time he did it. He probably screwed up a 100 times and learned from it.

DOING and FAILING will eventually breed confidence, because if a guy doesn't quit eventually he will have success.

This is another option.


https://youtu.be/6ldAQ6Rh5ZI
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magicman54494
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Re: Self sabotage and negative self talk

Unread postby magicman54494 » Wed Jul 19, 2017 3:55 pm

you have to control your mind or it will control you
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Re: Self sabotage and negative self talk

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Wed Jul 19, 2017 4:05 pm

I have been at both ends of the spectrum on this. When I first started I was probably the Happy Gilmore of bowhunting. Very common for me to wrap my bow around a tree after a blown opportunity. Somewhere in the midst of all that I started learning a lil and started setting goals and working towards them every hunt every scout. I find it fascinating how when you set a goal your mind will start working on how to accomplish it. Mix determination, effort, positive thinking, realistic goals and just a hint of luck and it will work for anyone! Nothing secretive about it.
Life is hard; It’s even harder if you are stupid.
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Re: Self sabotage and negative self talk

Unread postby tgreeno » Wed Jul 19, 2017 4:46 pm

Staying positive over a whole season has always been difficult for me. Usually at some point I start getting down with low deer sightings, as I'm sure most of you do. This year I am going into the season with as high of hopes as I've had in a long time, being my first true beast season. My mindset is to stay positive and confident thru the entire season. Even if I'm not successful harvesting a mature buck, I will be successful in laying a foundation of knowledge & skills to built on!
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Re: Self sabotage and negative self talk

Unread postby Bowhunter4life » Wed Jul 19, 2017 9:57 pm

The ups and downs of hunting can get to some. I've seen it many times over the years and was rocking the same boat at one time too. You have to quickly get ahold of that. Failure is the building block to success if you use it correctly. When I was young and was eager to kill a buck in my teens yet I had some terrible struggles along the way. Tons and tons of failures. I took that failure tho and turned it into my fuel. It became the driving force for me to work harder and learn from them. To this day I fail at hunting way way more than I succeed but failure is what teaches you.

I think one thing a person can't let themselves get caught up in is why is this guy or that guy way more successful than me. Why can't I find and kill a buck. Why this or why that, don't let that get in your head. Situation are different for all of us. When I go to the woods now I have a totally different mindset. while in the woods I become very observant. I enjoy nature and everything about it. I never leave the woods feeling like I failed, even if I gained no intel on a big buck there is plenty more to enjoy out there. Been said many times before but really is true, the journey along the way is what it's about.

I would advise everyone and anyone that is in the woods and you get negative thought to do your best to get a handle on that soon as you realize your doing it. Really stop and think about the situation and what your doing. Being able to be out there and enjoy the freedom to persue them animals is a gift in itself. Outside events whether it's real world problems or struggles in the woods, why get upset over the things that are outside of your control? See them for what they are and do something about what you can control and that is your emotions. Keep a positive attitude and you are always successful because you didn't let the struggles defeat you.
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Re: Self sabotage and negative self talk

Unread postby Kokes » Thu Jul 20, 2017 12:00 am

There was a really good wired to hunt podcast with the gritty bowmen recently and one of the topics was mental toughness, give it a listen it was well worth it.

Having a positive mindset is crucial not only in hunting but in all aspects of our everyday lives, its something I try and work on when I think I am traditionally a glass half empty kind of guy.

Regarding hunting, I try and keep it fun the entire time, but the thing is, I enjoy scouting, glassing, getting to my stand, being on stand, then getting down - then on the drive home I cant wait to do it all over again. Those couple times a year I get to follow a blood trail are just icing on the cake :)
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Re: Self sabotage and negative self talk

Unread postby GoInLight » Thu Jul 20, 2017 12:09 am

Bowhunter4life wrote:The ups and downs of hunting can get to some. I've seen it many times over the years and was rocking the same boat at one time too. You have to quickly get ahold of that. Failure is the building block to success if you use it correctly. When I was young and was eager to kill a buck in my teens yet I had some terrible struggles along the way. Tons and tons of failures. I took that failure tho and turned it into my fuel. It became the driving force for me to work harder and learn from them. To this day I fail at hunting way way more than I succeed but failure is what teaches you.

I think one thing a person can't let themselves get caught up in is why is this guy or that guy way more successful than me. Why can't I find and kill a buck. Why this or why that, don't let that get in your head. Situation are different for all of us. When I go to the woods now I have a totally different mindset. while in the woods I become very observant. I enjoy nature and everything about it. I never leave the woods feeling like I failed, even if I gained no intel on a big buck there is plenty more to enjoy out there. Been said many times before but really is true, the journey along the way is what it's about.

I would advise everyone and anyone that is in the woods and you get negative thought to do your best to get a handle on that soon as you realize your doing it. Really stop and think about the situation and what your doing. Being able to be out there and enjoy the freedom to persue them animals is a gift in itself. Outside events whether it's real world problems or struggles in the woods, why get upset over the things that are outside of your control? See them for what they are and do something about what you can control and that is your emotions. Keep a positive attitude and you are always successful because you didn't let the struggles defeat you.



This is so true man. I think a lot of people are so focused on what others are doing and accomplishing it's actually hurting them and they don't know it.... For example the business I'm in is very competitive and while I keep an eye on my competition, they really aren't my focus. I've got my head down givin it everything I've got. I fail, but it doesn't stop me because my focus is on the job at hand. I take that same approach to my hunting and it works for me. Also I would say that the competition MUST be with the animal you are chasing, if it's not you are setting yourself up for disappointment.
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Re: Self sabotage and negative self talk

Unread postby GoInLight » Thu Jul 20, 2017 12:33 am

Kokes wrote:There was a really good wired to hunt podcast with the gritty bowmen recently and one of the topics was mental toughness, give it a listen it was well worth it.

Having a positive mindset is crucial not only in hunting but in all aspects of our everyday lives, its something I try and work on when I think I am traditionally a glass half empty kind of guy.

Regarding hunting, I try and keep it fun the entire time, but the thing is, I enjoy scouting, glassing, getting to my stand, being on stand, then getting down - then on the drive home I cant wait to do it all over again. Those couple times a year I get to follow a blood trail are just icing on the cake :)


Awesome way to look at it!! Same here
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Re: Self sabotage and negative self talk

Unread postby Rich M » Thu Jul 20, 2017 1:21 am

I've had some terrible times with confidence in hunting, choosing stand sites, etc. I also had some times where I just could not shake woes and worries about life circumstances.

It all got better, I finally hunted a place with significant deer numbers, saw I was choosing decent spots and gained confidence.

These days I feel pretty confident when I go. If I ever feel I won't get something on a particular day, I stay home and don't feed the negative thoughts.

Mental definitely plays a key role in our successes at everything.
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Re: Self sabotage and negative self talk

Unread postby Dewey » Thu Jul 20, 2017 3:56 am

When it comes to hunting my advantage is I always keep a positive attitude. This becomes really crucial during bad stretches when you are just not seeing any good bucks or any deer for that matter. Your season can change in an instant so you have to remove the negative thoughts and always have to keep your head in the game so you are mentally ready for that opportunity. I truly believe every day that this is the day I'm gonna kill the biggest buck of my life and if I don't tomorrow will be the day. The beauty about hunting is each day resets to a completely new adventure and I look forward to every single one. Another thing is I won't hunt a spot unless I have confidence that it will produce a good buck otherwise it's just a wasted hunt. This is where your hard work from gaining intel during scouting pays off. Nothing fuels positive thoughts more than knowing a big buck is hanging around the area.
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Re: Self sabotage and negative self talk

Unread postby <DK> » Thu Jul 20, 2017 5:28 am

This isnt exactly what your talking about i dont think but my gut feelings and mental ramblings are what kill me or keep me down. If I see something happen and need to make an adjustment on the fly it almost never fails that my first gut instinct is correct but iv talked myself out of it bc I thought too much... Self sabatoge! Thinking on the fly while hunting really shows us what were made of especially when it doesnt work out. Maybe thats what makes a good hunter idk.
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Re: Self sabotage and negative self talk

Unread postby Peeps22 » Thu Jul 20, 2017 5:35 am

I honestly think part of what seperates great hunters from the others is their determination. The guys that keep their head to the grindstone and just keep going.

Yeah it sucks walking 2 miles one way back into a swamp or marsh, with mosquitos buzzing in your face, or the brutaly cold wind hitting you in the face, but it just takes that one hunt to change things.

Most guys cant handle getting beat down with obstacles or struggles all season long. Theyll have a couple tough hunts and then go back to sitting their easy stands.

A big part of being good bowhunter is being able to overcome those challenges mentally....


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