Focus And Concentration Exercises
3. Relax
Whether you are about to run a marathon, give a speech before an audience, or sit down at your computer to work on your novel, it's important to be relaxed and loose. A certain amount of nervous energy is normal and desirable, because that energy helps to power your performance. But too much nervous energy can paralyze you, physically and mentally.
Relax by taking four or five deep breaths from your diaphragm to flood your body with oxygen and settle yourself down. Visualize yourself giving a brilliant performance, the best performance of your life – and visualize it all happening effortlessly, with a sense of joy and enthusiasm. In your thoughts, imagine that a sense of power is flooding your nerves and muscles, the cells of your body and brain. You are tingling with power, ready to take on the world. Your mind and body, your inner and outer game, are now seamlessly joined and ready to perform.
4. When Things Don't Go Your Way, Think "Feedback," Not "Setback"
If you make an error or fall short of your goal, don't scold yourself. Instead, coach yourself to believe in you. Don't think of mistakes or failures as "setbacks." Instead, think of them as "feedback," as opportunities to learn and grow. Come back from these "feedback" experiences with a renewed sense of confidence and mastery. Always fill your mind with positive and affirming thoughts.
5. Spend Time Around Winners and Positive Thinkers
Seek out friends, teammates, coaches, and mentors who will encourage you and empower you. If you spend time with champions, you'll quickly soak up the mind-set, habits, and actions of a champion.
6. Feed on Positive Thoughts
Australia's Kieren Perkins achieved his dream of greatness as a distance swimmer, breaking a dozen world records and winning Olympic gold in 1992 and 1996, plus the silver in 2000. Perkins believes that positive thoughts are an essential part of living in the moment during competition. "I start months before the event," he says. "I just sit there and visualize the race in my mind. I dive into the pool. I'm swimming strongly. I'm out in front. The crowd [is] roaring, I can hear them. No one can catch me. I even see myself … with the gold medal placed around my neck.''
During the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, a bad qualifying heat in the 1,500-meter freestyle shook his confidence. He struggled with doubts during the twenty-four-hour wait leading to the final race. His worded mind wouldn't stay in the moment – he kept picturing himself losing. He couldn't stay focused on today.
Perkins realized that his negative thoughts might sink his Olympic dreams – so he decided to flood his mind with positive, affirming thoughts by reading a motivational book. He read constantly during every waking minute, fight up until it was time to suit up and get into the pool. On the day of the race, when Kieren Perkins emerged from the pool, he had won the gold medal.
Reading a motivational book was just the edge he needed to clear the negative cross-talk from his brain and keep his mind focused on the present moment. "It's hard to explain," he told reporters after the race, "but when you are focused, you almost have no thought. Sitting behind the blocks I was 100 percent focused and I didn't have a single thing in my mind. I knew what I had to do, and it was just a matter of letting my instincts take over."
Earlier, I related four times I have been "in the zone" as a young athlete. Today my playing days are far behind me, a warm but distant memory – yet I still find myself entering "the zone" on a regular basis. Why? Two reasons.
First, I run marathons. As I write these words, I have just completed the 2010 New York City Marathon. The marathon weekend came at a busy and inconvenient time in my life. I had a speaking engagement in Washington, DC, on Saturday, attended a dinner later that night, then took a four-hour train trip to New York. I had hoped to grab some rest on the train, but I was too keyed up to sleep. The train arrived in New York at 2 AM – but before I could go to my hotel, I had to stop by the marathon expo to pick up my running number. Then I headed for the hotel and finally got to bed at around 3 AM – but I didn't sleep well. My alarm went off at 6:15 AM, and I dragged myself out of bed, got dressed, and took a cab to the Staten Island Ferry.
As I headed across the water to get ready for the start, I thought, There are forty-five thousand runners here today – and I'll bet none of them had the hectic time I've had getting here. What's going to happen to me out here? I might be asleep on my feet before I hit the second mile!
I started the race feeling like death warmed over – but just a couple of miles into it, I seemed to come alive. Where moments before I was feeling sleep-deprived, I now felt energized and fully in the moment. My training took over, and my body became a running machine. My surroundings, which had been a blur, came into focus, and I noticed details with amazing clarity. I was aware of each of my fellow runners, the cheering crowd lining the street, the buildings that towered around me, the smells in the air, the sensation of the pavement beneath my feet.
Most of all, I felt the joy of being there, of running that marathon, of being fully alive. And that sense of joy carried me all the way to the finish line. It was the best marathon I've ever run. Only after it was over did I stop and realize, Hey! I was in the zone!" I started this day as a zombie, and I finished with my best day ever on the trail!
I have a theory about that day. I approach most marathons with my schedule cleared, with time to rest up before I run. That means I have time to think – and time to get nervous. This time, I had such a busy schedule, I had no time to think. I had to just go out there, feeling depleted and off-balance – and my physical training and my unconscious mind took over and locked me into that zone of peak performance.
The second reason I still find myself entering "the zone" on a regular basis is that I am a professional public speaker. In an average year, I deliver about 150 speeches to corporate meetings, sales conferences, conventions, youth rallies, and so forth. And I have learned that these principles truly do apply in every setting, from the sports arena to the public speaking arena. Before I get up to speak to an audience, I apply all of these principles: I prepare myself physically, I prepare myself mentally, I relax, I feed on positive thoughts.
And then, when I go out before that audience and begin talking, I can feel it. When I give a talk, I never read from a script. Instead, I have a conversation with the audience. The general outline of my talk is planned – but I select the words and form the sentences extemporaneously, in the moment. I sometimes go off-script and tell a story I hadn't planned to tell. I often interact with individuals in the audience.
As I speak, I can sense a mystical connection with the audience. We are communicating and connecting with each other. I read the emotions in their eyes, their body language, the nodding of their heads, their laughter and applause. I'm not talking "at" them; we are communicating back and forth, the audience and me. And all the while, my brain is processing at lightning-fast speed – and it feels magical, effortless, joyous, fun!
Why? Because I'm "in the zone," my friend. Because I'm experiencing "flow." And you can do it, too – no matter what your goal, your endeavor, your dream. Focus on today, focus on now – for this moment holds the key to all your dreams. To learn more, you can check out Focus And Concentration Exercises.
Related posts: