Introduction
Mental Training has come a long way in the past decade. Motivated by the stories of athletes and performers overcoming impossible odds to succeed, many researchers and coaches have dedicated their careers to finding out how to best prepare for, and what to think about during, performances. This course was built for athletes and any other performer who is searching for detailed “directions” on their journey toward understanding high performance and attaining their biggest dreams.
Using the analogy of a “Roadmap,” we have assumed that everyone taking this course is embarking on a journey to the same destination. That destination is the “Performance Zone,” or simply, THE ZONE. The Zone has for years been described as a highly illusive state of being where performance happens automatically, effortlessly, favorably, but also randomly. Controlling the Zone is compared to controlling the weather – things seem to happen by chance, even illogically. Why is it that we tend to find the Zone when we don’t care as much about finding it? Why does the Zone often go away as soon as we increase its importance? If you have found the Zone, you likely know it to be a highly pleasurable place filled with confidence, focus and enjoyment. You probably recall very few distractions, no fear of making errors, and no thought of the potential outcome. If you’ve found the Zone once, you want it every time you perform.
On this journey to the Zone, we travelers need to know which path to follow, what to experience along the way, when to course correct, and what to expect next. Similarly, we have attempted to give clear directions about which mental skills to use, their benefits, and how to practice them so you can improve the chances of Zoning.
While we may all be going to a similar destination, we acknowledge that different people will choose different paths. This is a necessary reality on the road to enhancing one’s performance. Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses as well as varying motives to succeed. The skills discussed in this course will be combined by each individual in various ways that make the most sense for that individual. We endeavor to give guidelines along the way, much like a travel agent. As any successful travel agent does, we use our years of experience to provide an ‘ideal’ roadmap to follow so that your goals are met in the most beneficial way.
Here’s an obvious statement, but a hugely important one: Before you can embark on any journey, you need to know where you’re going. We find that most performers have left the station and they’re not sure which train they’re on! So, it makes sense that goal setting should be our first section. We’ve developed an easy and straight-forward way to set, follow and update what you’re trying to accomplish.
Where Are You Going?
“If one does not know to which port he is sailing, no wind is favorable.” -Seneca
Creating the Roadmap
Before beginning any journey, it’s critical you know where you want to go, why you want to go there, what roadblocks will likely get in your way, and how you will try to solve those problems if you encounter them. Let’s imagine you want to drive to Canada for a vacation. If you’ve made the trip before, or have someone with you who has, it’s a huge advantage. If not, you can get a detailed map on your phone showing exactly where to go and even when to detour to avoid construction and traffic. You can easily look ahead and make plans to avoid problem areas.
After you finish the exercises in this section, you will have constructed a roadmap to your highest dreams. You will know where you are going and what you will have to do along the way. This will be your first draft that will get more detailed with experience and by applying what you learn from others who have gone before you. Read biographies of greats in your field. Find experienced people who have gone to where you are headed or have helped others to get there. As you gain this knowledge of what difficulties to expect during your journey, you’ll be able to create solutions long before problems ever happen. Even if you can’t avoid a problem, you’ll have a plan to get you through it. The following 4 levels of this course will provide solutions to common mental roadblocks encountered by performers with high goals like you.
“The difference between the successful person and the unsuccessful person is the unsuccessful person stops short of his goals, the successful person surpasses his goals.” Joseph Martino
One of the most important factors that drive people to be successful is their “WHY.” Why are they doing what they’re doing? Why did Michael Jordan, for example, work so hard at his basketball skills even after people acknowledged him as one of the best players in the game? Why was he typically the first to practice and the last to leave? Why did he continue doing his weights on game days and even during the playoffs? Was it because he was trying to prove something to his high school coach who cut him from the team? Was it because he wanted an NBA championship ring? Three rings in a row? Was it because he wanted to be known as the best player of all-time? Whatever it is, Jordan and every other great performer has strong reasons WHY they compete.
The Bigger the Why
When you have a big enough ‘Why’ the ‘How’ becomes easy. Talk show host Oprah Winfrey once interviewed a man who had a big ‘Why.’ His daughter was dying and needed a kidney transplant. He wanted to donate one of his, but he was obese and the doctors refused. They said he had to lose 100 pounds in 8 months. He had been trying for years to lose weight but couldn’t do it. He was in good company – there are millions of people who can’t seem to lose any weight. But this man did it – and with a month to spare. He said it was easy because he had such an important reason why – to save his daughter. As soon as his ‘why’ was big enough, the ‘how’ became clear, and even easy.
Here are some common ‘Why’ examples from successful performers – do any of these sound good to you? Prove it to myself or others; Like achieving; Like improving; Want praise, admiration or approval; To be attractive to others; Take care of others; Give thanks; Show respect to God for giving skills; Leave a legacy; Make the world a better place; To be happy; To feel good about self; Have more time; Have more money; Become healthier; Improve a life; Save a life.
Why will you go through all the sacrifice and pain to be successful? Use the list above when completing your Reasons Why worksheet for this section.