Channeling the mind of an elite athlete
Have you ever experienced being so focused on an activity that time flies? When the world seems to go away and there’s nothing else that matters but you and your task? It sometimes may even feel like you and your task become inseparable.
If you have, then you have the mind of an Olympian. That intense focus is what we call being “in the flow.”
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi defines flow as that state of laser-beam focus and engagement on an activity so there’s a sense of effortlessness and enjoyment. Most of us would experience this in some activity. It could be in sleeping, eating, playing video games, watching TikTok.
The good news is, we can create this state for any activity that we want, so we can make work and life more enjoyable. We become more creative and productive as a result, too. Wouldn’t that be a treat?
Being in the flow state is being all there, when all our mental and emotional capacities are zoned in on a single activity at that moment in time.
In her interview with CNN’s chief medical correspondent Sunjay Gupta, three-time Olympic champion Dominique Dawes talked about the mental fortitude of a medalist. She said that what sets them apart is their ability to shut out the rest of the world and compartmentalize aspects of their lives that will negatively impact their performance. She said this made the difference between her winning the medal, and the times when she could have, but she choked instead.
Cognitive scientist and Dartmouth College president Sian Beilock said that the best athletes can tune out pressure, quiet their minds, and get out of their own way. These two experts described the state of flow as being “in the zone.”
What if we could learn from the elite athletes the right mindset that will allow us to achieve peak performance in any activity we choose?
In Neuro-Semantics, Michael Hall created a coaching pattern to get into this zone. He wrote a book called “Achieving Peak Performance,” where he created the strategy of how to get into the zone at will, so that we can step in and out of it as we wish. Here are the key steps to getting there:
Key steps
1. Accessing personal genius. Create a template for what being in the zone looks, sounds, and feels like for a particular activity. Your personal genius while reading will be different from your personal genius while delivering a motivational speech. What behavior will you be exhibiting, how will your face look, how will your voice sound, and what thoughts will be there? These are the elements that would make up the template for your genius.
2. Elicit your biggest “why.” Friedrich Nietzsche said, “He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” Most of us would think that the meaning behind why we do things is for reasons like social relevance or financial security. While that could be part of it, most of us have higher meanings that make it worth it to go through any challenge. Find out what that is for you.
3. Super-charging your attitude. Define the attitudes that will help you get into your best state. Do you have them already? If not, how do you build and develop them? How will you have easy access to them? In the same vein, what attitudes will get in the way? If there are internal dialogues that disrupt your focus, recognize them and think of a strategy to get rid of them.
4. Aligning behavior with mindset. In her CNN interview, Olympic champ Dawes talked about her body already knowing what it needed to do, and she just needed to let her mind allow what was autopilot for her. She talked about her D3 motto, which stood for determination, dedication, and desire. And she used that to block out self-doubt or pressure that would get in her way. What would it be for you? What would you be thinking as you are doing what?
5. Auditing for efficiency. This is the quality control part. Is there anything you’re doing that doesn’t contribute to your objectives? What steps need to be streamlined so you get the exact performance that you want?
Peak performance is not for the special. It is at everyone’s disposal if we want it, and if we are willing to strive for it. In any field—athletics, business, academics, parenting, relationships—being in the zone means we are all there. Our whole being is focused on one single thing.
If we can achieve this, we elevate the quality of our experience, the quality of our performance, the quality of our being human. Wouldn’t you want that for yourself?
The author is an executive coach and an organizational development consultant.
