The remarkable Oprah Winfrey once observed,
”
Not only are you responsible for your life, but doing the best
at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.
”
Do your best in the moment – that’s pretty sound advice.
The remarkable Oprah Winfrey once observed, “Not only are you responsible for your life, but doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.” Do your best in the moment – that’s pretty sound advice.
“Doing my best in the moment” has recently landed me first place in three back-to-back speech contests. If I manage to prevail in three more rounds, I’ll nab the 2005 World Champion Public Speaker title for Toastmasters International. After the last competition, I decided to get serious about reading up on peak performance techniques.
What a spectrum of information! Philosophies, counsel, programs, books, websites and seminars – some useful, some doubtful. Various practitioners offer megadoses of positivism, while others hawk curious ceremonial procedures. Best-selling author and blockbuster speaker Tony Robbins tutors audiences to ‘turn fear into power.’ The president of the International Society for Mental Training and Excellence, Dr. Terry Orlick, advises in one of his mighty missives, “If ‘just do it’ isn’t working, try ‘just think it.'”
Whatever the suggested process or input on the subject, one theme remains constant: Winning is essentially a mental game. Sports champions come out on top when they employ various principles of psyche, many of which can be applied to daily living.
To get the best out of ourselves, here are a few performance boosting reminders:
Peak performers expect to be successful. There’s no question they come to the occasion and the moment with the singular purpose of winning. Superstars have no trepidation about walloping an opponent.
Champions give 1000 percent. They deliver whatever it takes to get it done. They’re willing to press on in spite of pain, bad weather, fatigue, you name it.
Peak performers know it’s all about the dress rehearsal. They prepare ritualistically for the physical and mental battle long before the event. Once the competition commences, they become present to the moment, believe they will do well, and let go of what they cannot control.
Superstars have a drive for constant self improvement. They review game clips, drill for better execution, learn from their mistakes and endlessly set ever-expanding goals to push themselves to maximum human potential.
Among the typical performance psychology fare, here’s a jewel I unearthed. On average, most of us have 2,000 thoughts per day. Champions have only 1,000 to 1,200 per day because they are taught to unfailingly expunge negative thoughts: gossip, worry, anger, jealousy, angst over bad outcomes, and other assorted mind maladies.
The idea is that a less-burdened brain allows freer access to “the zone,” a high octane state of mind superachievers strive for. Being in the zone entails calm focus, relaxation and trust in yourself to do what you already know how to do. The zone is a place that allows no room for the possibility of failure.
Since we all perform in some way every day, peak performance is worthy of reflection if we want to enjoy a full, vibrant life and discover more about ourselves and others.
While mustering mental skills for living, we may want to contemplate Bernadette Devlin’s statement: “Yesterday I dared to struggle. Today I dare to win.”
