Top 10 Mindset Tips to help you pass your PFA!

Here's how you pass your PFA for the ADF.

Every single day we receive countless messages from hopeful ADF applicants regarding their PFA. The most common conversation I have with people is about their struggle with their mindset towards their PFA. That they feel physically ready but their mindset is kicking their ass!

We hear statements like ‘I’ve done 7.5 before… but every time I try now my head just gets in the way’
or
‘I felt like I could keep going but I just stopped’
or
‘I have so much riding on this. I’ve already quit my job. What if I fail?’
or
‘Any tops on how to get out of my head and stop psyching myself out’?

SO how the hell do you get past this stuff? Well we’re glad you asked. The issue here is simple and we’re going to give you The Barracks Gym’s top 10 tips on adjusting your mindset for your PFA.

Heres the thing right- we’re all capable of passing a PFA. Every single one of us. It might take some of us 6-12 solid months of training but we are ALL capable of getting there!

We’re also VERY good at telling ourselves that we are NOT capable… right?

Well that stops right now. Here are The Barracks Gyms top 10 tips to getting out of your own head and passing your PFA!

​1. RUN YOUR OWN RACE!
Don’t worry about everyone else. Put on imaginary blinkers (you know, those things that horses wear) and just do your own thing. Don’t get caught up in all the nervous chit chat that is going on from other applicants. Step away is you have to. Run your OWN race. This is YOUR PFA.

2. TRUST YOUR TRAINING.
Can you confidently step up to the line and say ‘I’ve done everything I could possibly do to pass this. I’m ready’. If you can’t say that then don’t expect to pass but ACCEPT it. Wear it like a trooper, use it as motivation and keep training. Move forward and smash that next PFA.

3. TREAT IT LIKE ANOTHER SESSION 
We do tests all the time in life. A driving test. Figuring out how much we’ll save on a sale. Seeing how fast we can get ready when we sleep in. This is no different. Just treat it like another little test in life that’s going to get you to where you want to be- the ADF.

4. STOP WORRYING ABOUT THE FUTURE.
Get over worrying about all the things you can’t control and start working about the things you CAN control. Like the right here. Right now. Right now all you can control is getting through that PFA. You can’t control what goes on after that!

5. INNER DIALOGUE.
Some of the stuff you girls will say to yourselves is really disheartening. How about cut it out right now? You’re all deserving. You ALL work hard and you ALL have what it takes. I always say to people ‘would you let your best friend talk to themselves like that’ or ‘imagine if your daughters heard you talking like that about yourself’ or ‘if your partner was talking to him/ herself like that… what would you say’? Be kind to yourself. Treat yourself well and allow yourself the expectation that you’re going to PASS!

6. GIVE YOURSELF NO OPTION BUT TO PASS
Don’t go in there all ‘but what if I fail’ and don’t worry about a plan B.
Go in there giving yourself NO option but to pass

7. VISUALISE YOURSELF IN UNIFORM
This one always gets people pumped. The visualisation of yourself wearing the uniform. The pride you’ll feel at putting the uniform on and serving your country is so powerful.

8. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.
You used to believe in Santa Claus for about 6-8 years, right? Surely you can believe in yourself for 7.5 levels worth of shuttles?

9. YOU EITHER WANT IT OR YOU DON’T
It’s as simple as this guys. If you want it. Go and get it. If you don’t want it. Don’t bother. But we all know that you’re here conducting that PFA because you DO want it. So go hard. Give it everything you’ve got and smash it

10. DO NOT STOP
So many of you stop before you’ve reached 100% capacity. You stop with energy still left in the tank. You stop when you could have kept on going. Keep pushing. Push until you get yourself over the line. Push harder then you’ve ever pushed yourself physically and mentally in ANY training session. Give it 100% and then give it some more. .

Have a look at these top 10 tips and take from them what you need. If you’re already doing some of them...great!! Keep doing them. If you’ve found some new tips....awesome! apply them at your next PFA and get ready to SMASH it! 

If you would like more advice on improving your mindset to help with your fitness for the ADF then please feel free to get in touch with The Barracks Gym.