Anyone training for peak performance or just attempting to achieve in life must have a mind every bit as strong as the most Herculean body. Obstacles are everywhere in life. Opponents, pretend allies, miscalculations, bad luck, etc. are part of the challenge. Sometimes these factors and more can overwhelm, but we can not afford to be overwhelmed when trying to perform at our peak. We must train a mind that we command and contract just like a muscle.
An athlete or peak performer can train his or her mind to serve him or her in a contest and in life. An athlete should be able to put on their peak performance mind like they put on their cleats. Execute the following exercise often.
Mental Exercise:
Step 1 – Grab a pen or pencil and paper. It is always best to write down mental exercises. Write about how you feel, what you think, see, taste, touch, hear, and smell when you are performing at your worst.
Step 2 – Next, write about how you feel, what you think, see, taste, touch, hear, and smell when you are performing at your best. Provide every detail of the experience.
Step 3 – Consider how your mind influenced your performance in both steps.
Next Step -Keep and consistently update your list from step 2. Practice putting on your “peak performance mind” in training and games or contests. This means that you will recall all the sensations that you experience when you perform your best (the sensations from step2).
By recalling these sensations, you will recall the performance. Over time, this exercise will contribute to developing a very strong mind that provokes a peak performance no matter the distractions.
Note: Keep in mind that mental exercise is to be performed in training so that in a contest it occurs naturally and automatically. Don’t force it.
Finally, take the list that you made in Step 1 and throw it in the trash!
