Mental Focus, Fitness, Flexibility

Mental Focus, Fitness, Flexibility: Ten keys to Performance Excellence By: Dr. Adrianne Ahern

What makes athletes like Tiger Woods excel? How is he different than other pro golfers? What do some people have that make them seemingly unbeatable at what they do?

Peak performers are not guided by luck or circumstance. Though luck and circumstance may play a role in one victory or another, the substance of their success lies in what they expect from themselves and how they handle obstacles and stress. Here are what are considered to be the ten keys to performance excellence. I adapted these from information gleaned at the 2006 AAASP Conference in Miami:

The peak performer is not affected by his opponent’s good and bad performance—he competes against his own standards. You can’t do anything about how good your opponent is – whether you’re facing him on the pitcher’s mound or across the boardroom table. You can only affect your own abilities, which is what peak performers know and accept.

The peak performer has an insatiable internal desire to succeed. You’ve heard people say of winning athletes or teams, “they just wanted it more.” This is true in any endeavor. If you truly want something, you’ll put your all into it. That alone can help push you that extra bit to victory or success. It’s also called “heart.”

The peak performer enjoys an unshakeable belief in his unique abilities that make him better than the competition. Confidence, confidence, confidence! You have to be confident in your abilities. If you aren’t, it will show and it will affect your performance. If you know you are not 100% in one area or another, get better at it. Take the time to identify your weaknesses and then take action to strengthen them.

The peak performer believes in his ability and in himself — any form of doubt is banished. Self doubt is like a little seed that plants itself into your psyche – ready to explode at any moment and destroy your confidence. Have faith in your abilities and in what you can achieve. If you doubt yourself, you’re contradicting several other keys to peak performance.

The peak performer bounces back from setbacks with optimism. Losing or failing is not the end of the world. Athletes and professionals alike will suffer setbacks in their careers – no one is perfect. Getting “back on the horse,” is imperative. Learn from mistakes, better your game, and move on.

The peak performer remains fully focused on the task at hand in the face of distractions. It would be ideal if everyone on the golf course would mute themselves when the pro is trying to make a difficult putt, but that isn’t possible. Peak performers must be able to work under pressure; on the golf course and everywhere else you wish to be successful.

The peak performer regains mental/emotional/physiological balance following uncontrollable events. Okay, so your flight was canceled due to a winter storm and you weren’t able to make an important presentation the day you scheduled to do it and you lost a sale. What can you do? Damn the universe? Sure, but where does that get you? Letting go of the things we cannot control is one of the first things peak performers must learn to do. It’s not your fault. You couldn’t have done anything unless you had a crystal ball or weather-controlling machine, so let it go.

The peak performer accepts competitive anxiety and knows that he can deal with it. Being at the top of your game is stressful. Someone is usually on your heels, hoping to see you falter and someone is usually above you, expecting you to achieve more. Competition is a natural accelerant for anxiety. Accept it and find a way to deal with it.

The peak performer experiences the joy of competition— thrives under pressure. Not only must you find a way to deal with pressure and anxiety, you must find a way to transform what could be considered an obstacle into energy that you can feed on. If the pressure is on, you must be doing something right. Accept that as an indication that you’re headed for success and use that fuel to follow through to the end.

The peak performer pushes through the limits and gives a little more when stressed—he takes advantage of situations in which he can stretch his comfort zone. Here are a few clichés you’ve certainly heard: “Give 110%!” or “Work hard, play hard.” These are the mantras of peak performers.

Sometimes you need to have a little left in the tank to finish first, like a thoroughbred that appears to kick into another gear when another horse challenges his lead down the homestretch. And when it comes time to relax, peak performers must be able to do that at “110%,” too. Boxers train for months prior to a major fight, but once it’s over, they settle into some serious down time. Physically, they have to. The same is true of professionals in any field. Once you’ve exhausted your body or your mind, you need time to recoup. Most often, especially for people in the business world, that downtime amounts to a day or so away from the office. It might not seem like much, but peak performers must exploit every minute they have to relax.

Performance excellence is not attainable only by those blessed with natural-born talent or skill. These ten keys can be exercised by anyone who seeks to be success in their game, wherever it is played.

Byline: Dr. Adrianne Ahern is a peak performance psychologist and author of Snap Out of it Now! Her innovative tools, including neurofeedback, inspirational lectures, and life-changing workshops offer practical tools and techniques to train our brains to work for us, not against us. For more information, please visit: www.SnapOutofitNow.com.