The human mind does not process negative instructions or eliminations.

If I say “Don’t think of a black cat”, you have to think of a black cat first, so that you can try to carry out the instruction. So for a placekicker in rugby or gridiron, or a free thrower in basketball, “I must not miss this kick” Prayed “Whose miss this release” will be more likely to lead to failure, as the player’s internal dialogue focuses him towards the positive element in what he is saying – “Miss…

Most likely, he is also considering the consequences of missing the kick or throw, and building the pressure on himself, and his physiology will begin to reflect this and harden. You will be consulting the MAP of your world of kicks or throws and remembering previous instances when it failed, what happened, how it felt, how everyone else felt, the responsibility, etc. This map now also highlights all dangers and difficulties. Suddenly it looks like you’re trying to kick a concrete ball into the smallest target areas.

Negative instructions bear particularly bitter fruit when the stakes are raised. After all, playing a wrong note or missing a catch in practice is no big deal. But the same process in context on stage or in a packed stadium adds an entirely different set of pressure variables.

They placed a piece of gymnastic equipment, the beam, on the ground and invited a group to walk on it. At four inches wide, it posed no internal or external problems, no physical or mental difficulties. The same beam was then suspended between two tall stepladders and the group was again invited to walk along it. The reluctance spread like wildfire as the fallout grew significantly. Falling was now a problem, as there was the potential for pain and injury. Small losses of balance (they thought) would be magnified and lead to unsatisfactory results. If that same group had been taught to walk blindfolded perfectly along the beam, would height above ground have been an issue?

Many performance deficiencies can be attributed to our internal dialogue, where our thoughts and words resonate in the navigation room where we keep our world maps.

At times like this it is vital to have a strategy to deal with physical and mental distractions, and internal dialogue, in a positive way.

  • Establish a habitual thought pattern to drive the skill or performance process.
  • Take a deep abdominal breath that provides a good supply of oxygen to the brain and the rest of the body, which helps a more rational processing of thought, relaxes the joints and muscles so that they can function correctly within the necessary technique.
  • Mount an anchor or chain of anchors to be fired at certain moments of pressure. Anchors that will cause a beneficial mental and/or physical state.
  • Use localized trance to activate or shut down certain areas of the body.
  • Use momentary visualization to focus or override input from all five senses.
  • Use a self-talk inhibitor such as a) a floor-to-ceiling eye roll or b) dampen micro-movements of the tongue by gently resting it close to the upper set of gums.

Some of the above are routines, others are emergency ‘tricks’. The routines can be built into a more complex strategy that you know will work for you. Set it up and try it out in practice. Practice is your “beam in the ground” scenario after all! The more you set it up blindfolded, the more control you will have when the real situation arises, when you are “2-3 meters above the ground without any safety net or landing below”.

Dealing with stressful moments and performance pressure that you know will always be there is the key to mastering the process and getting the results you want, without having to rely on that lucky guy. black cat!

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