It doesn’t matter how talented you are or how hard you work — if you don’t know what you’re aiming for you’ll never get there. Whether setting a new personal record in your sport or at the office, mental focus is a critical part of success for elite athletes and weekend warriors alike. Last month, we talked about the importance of setting goals and being able to name your intentions. Now it’s time to take that one step further, using Athletes for Yoga meditation techniques to not only define your aim, but also believe in your potential to get there. Try it: Meditation for mental focus

Practice this technique as often as you can to refocus on your goals and build confidence in your ability to manifest those intentions. This is a great way to begin your day, or to mentally reset when you feel overwhelmed or frustrated.

• Sit comfortably — cross-legged, knees bent/sitting on your calves, or legs straight out in front of you. If it’s tough to sit up, or if your low back feels achy right away, just sit with your back against a wall, or even in a chair

• Lay your palms face down on your thighs, relax your fingers and close your eyes

• Breath deeply (nice and simple!)

• Once your breath feels steady, begin to focus on your goal — if a few things come to mind try to just focus on one specific thing

• Once you have that clear goal in your mind, shift your focus away from the goal itself, considering instead how achieving that goal would make you feel. In other words, what feeling would achieving that thing create?

• Focus not on the goal itself, but on that feeling

• Sit with that until the feeling is realistic

• Then open your eyes and take that confidence, that belief in your ability to manifest that goal, with you

If the feeling you seek is elusive, no big deal. The more you practice and the more you begin to believe in your ability to achieve your goal, the more readily you’ll be able to access that feeling. Be patient with yourself — stay with it!