Connor McGregor confidence. Your first question is simple enough, what is it? To explain, I’d like to start out with what I thought about Connor when he showed up on the US MMA scene. When Connor McGregor started to make a buzz in the UFC I’ve got to be honest, I didn’t like the guy. I thought this guy is making a joke out of the sport, he’s talking nonsense and is way out of his league. The truth is, I now have a totally different perception of the guy, I realized he’s just confident. He knows exactly what he wants, he knows exactly what to do to get it and works his butt off to achieve his goals. He’s a little more flamboyant than most about it, but I can respect the fact that he is just that confident in himself.
We’ve decided to compile some pointers to show you what makes The Notorious One such a confident guy.
1. VISUALIZE YOUR GOALS
Stephen Covey describes it in his book “The 7 habits of highly effective people” as Begin With The End in Mind. It is the power to envision in your mind what you can’t see in the present with your eyes.
The thoughts that you hold in your mind today will decide what you will become tomorrow.
In a 2008 interview, at only 19 years old, long before he got into the UFC, and while holding a record of 4 – 1; Connor McGregor said, and I quote “ Without a doubt you will see me in the UFC in a near future”, he then went on and said “My dream is to be the World Lightweight Champion of the UFC and have more money that I know what to do with; my goal is to be #1 in MMA”.
Today he’s the UFC Featherweight Champion and is vying for the UFC Lightweight Championship.
That is Connor McGregor confidence in action. Having clear goals gives you focus and determination. This is a great way to boost your confidence because now you have a clear view of what you want. Your actions will be more concise and you will be more determined to achieve your goals.
2. ACT EVEN IF YOU ARE AFRAID
It is not enough to just go out and start visualizing your goals. You have to act to achieve them. You’ve got to have a clear blueprint. Sometimes it will be scary, not wanting to make a phone call, not wanting to take a class, but you have to face what scares you and overcome it so that the fear will go away.
Being consistent in taking action, training yourself, will give you more experience. Experience in not letting fear determine whether you achieve or not your goals. This experience is yet another confidence boost.
If you check some of Connor McGregor’s interviews you will notice that he says a lot “ they don’t want it like I want It, THEY DON’T TRAIN like I train”. He is confident in his words because he is confident in the work behind it.
3. FOCUS ON YOUR STRENGTHS AND ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL
Leading up to the UFC 189 fight with Chad Mendes there is a video on YouTube where Chad and Connor are on a press call on the phone. In this video Connor acknowledges that Chad may take him down, but tells him that he will destroy him from guard.
Basically Connor is saying that although I may not be able to defend your takedowns, your strength, I will win doing what I know how to do.
Normally we tend to focus on everything, our strengths but also our weaknesses, and tend to pay more attention to the latter, thus letting negative thoughts into our minds.
Once you have a goal, an action plan, be aware that bad things will happen that could keep you from achieving that goal. But if you focus on your strengths and the things you can control, you will still be able to achieve the outcome you desire.
4. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE
Who you associate with is extremely important. The people you surround yourself with can take you down or they can bring you up. Beware of the people that take you down.
You need to surround yourself with people you respect, not people that are easily influenced by you. You may feel great being surrounded by “yes” people, but you will never have someone challenging you and pushing you to be better.
If you notice, Connor McGregor always says he has been training with the same team he started with. I am willing to say that it’s because these people are not afraid to push and challenge him while at the same time they take care of each other. That’s something he respects.
5. FAKE IT UNTIL YOU MAKE IT
Improve your posture, smile more, make more eye contact and dress better. All these little things can lead to a dramatic improvement in your confidence.
If you notice how Connor McGregor carries himself you’ll know what I mean. From the way he dresses, to the way he speaks and how he stands.
I’m not saying you need to go out and buy $5000 suits today (although if you can afford it, it couldn’t hurt), but making little adjustments can definitely help in the process. You need to present the best version of yourself to the world and to yourself. You need to look in the mirror and say “that’s what success looks like” and mean it. If you can, add a little swagger to it, that way you won’t just feel that confidence, you’ll feel that Connor McGregor confidence.
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