1. Choose and maintain a positive attitude.
2. Maintain a high level of self-motivation.
3. Set high, realistic goals.
4. Deal effectively with people.
5. Use positive self-talk.
6. Use positive mental imagery.
7. Manage anxiety effectively.
8. Manage emotions effectively.
9. Maintain concentration.

Detailed Descriptions of the Nine Mental Skills

1. Attitude:
* Realize that attitude is a choice.
* Choose an attitude that is predominately positive.
* View life as an opportunity to compete against yourself and learn from your successes and failures.
* Pursue excellence, not perfection, and realize that you, as well as others are not perfect.
* Maintain balance and perspective between work and the rest of your life.
* Respect others.

2. Motivation
* Be aware of the rewards and benefits to strive for.
* Be able to persist through difficult tasks and difficult times, even when these rewards and benefits are not immediately forthcoming.
* Realize that many of the benefits come from your participation, not the outcome.

3. Goals and Commitment
* Set long-term and short-term goals that are realistic, measurable, and time-oriented.
* Be aware of your current performance levels and be able to develop specific, detailed plans for attaining your goals.
* Be highly committed to your goals and to carrying out the daily demands of your tasks.

4. People Skills
* Realize that you are part of a larger system that includes your family, friends and others.
* When appropriate, communicate your thoughts, feelings, and needs to these people and listen to them as well.
* Have learned effective skills for dealing with conflict, difficult opponents, and other people when they are negative or oppositional.

5. Self-Talk
* Maintain your self-confidence during difficult times with realistic, positive self-talk.
* Talk to yourself the way you would talk to your best friend.
* Use self-talk to regulate thoughts, feelings and behaviors.

6. Mental Imagery
* Prepare yourself by imagining yourself performing well.
* Create and use mental images that are detailed, specific, and realistic.
* Use imagery to prepare for action and recover from errors and poor performances.

7. Dealing Effectively with Anxiety
* Accept anxiety as part of life.
* Realize that some degree of anxiety can help you perform well.
* Know how to reduce anxiety when it becomes too strong, without losing your intensity.

8. Dealing Effectively with Emotions
* Accept strong emotions such as excitement, anger, and disappointment as part of life.
* Be able to use these emotions to improve, rather than interfere with high level performance.

9. Concentration
* Know what to pay attention to during each task.
* Learn how to maintain focus and resist distractions, whether they come from the environment or from within yourself.
* Be able to regain your focus after concentration has been lost.
* Learn how to play in the “here-and-now”, without regard to either past or anticipated future events.
Taken from https://www.podiumsportsjournal.com/2007/02/17/the-nine-mental-skills-of-a-successful-athlete/