In the 41st episode of Next Level, the online seminar series, the leading OneMind Dogs Coach Janita Leinonen asks her students to analyze their own performances. The first thing she wants them to focus on is what went well.
For many people it is often easier to point out the faults they make, than to notice the positive things in their performance. The ability to analyze your mistakes in order to be able to correct them is an essential part of the learning process. However, to keep up the motivation and to build up self confidence, it is important to pay attention also to the development.
"A person who decides that agility is his or her chosen sport, needs to be patient in relation to his or her own development," says Vappu Alatalo, a specialist in sport psychology, in her article "What’s So Mental in Agility?". "This sport is very technical and success in a course needs of a high level of competence, right from the lowest competition class upwards. Both enthusiasts and competitors need skills to notice their own progress and mistakes, and the ability to be proud even with the smallest signs of improvement ", Vappu says.
It’s important to keep in mind that the learning process is a different kind of journey for everyone. That’s why you shouldn’t compare your pace of development to others.
Vappu continues: "It is good to learn right at the start, to assess your own development in relation to your own capabilities and objectives, and not to these of your training partners. Everyone has their own pace, their own strengths and their own weakness. Dogs are also different and their strengths and weakness may also vary."
