Spring Training For The Mind
By Ken Owens, CHt

Spring has finally sprung here in the desert and the parks are filled with people who are out trying go get back into physical shape from a long cold winter. Since summer is approaching, we all know that we need to fit into our new bikini or Speedo. This is also a great time of the year to give our mind a work-out and apply some principles of mental fitness for success.

What do you think is the difference between an Olympic medal winning athlete and one just as physically talented, but who does not make the Olympic team? Is it due to physical training, conditioning, and/or endurance? Typically the answer is No; most of the time, the difference lies in mental training, mental conditioning and mental endurance of the athlete. The members of the Olympic team have disciplined their minds to the same degree which they have disciplined their bodies. The aspects of concentration, control, confidence, and ‘keeping an eye on the finish line’ are just as important as strong muscles, strong heart and strong lungs.

The science of sports psychology has become big business over the past few years and that new science coined the term x-factor for this mental edge. Not only are Olympic athletes now aware of the importance of mental training, but so are professional sports teams, college athletes, and even high school coaches. Many of the world’s top athletes have mental coaches that work side-by-side with their physical coaches.

The three elements which comprise this x-factor mental training are: visualization, confidence, and self-talk. Let’s take a look at these elements in a bit more detail. Oh, but before we do that, should everyone be aware of these elements? What if some of you are like me and could care less about sports? Do these elements still pertain to you? What about a recreational athlete who has no ambition to make it to the Olympics? The answer to each of those questions is, Yes! You will be amazed at how you can totally enhance your life when you start training your mind like an athlete. Business people need to think of your board room as your sport; while salespeople need to think of your customers as members of the opposing team - learn how to have a mental advantage over them. So Yes, the rest of this article is for everyone.

So now, the three elements of the
x-factor:

Visualization. This term has had a lot of use over the past few years and is an important part of hypnosis and many new-age spiritual practices. Is it effective and does it work? It sure does, and it is now starting to be recognized by psychologists, medical doctors, and many hospitals. In 1975, Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi coined the term ‘flow’ to describe the act of visualization as it pertains to sports performance. He says, “To put yourself in a performance state of mind, you have to become completely immersed in each movement of that sport’s action”; or in the case of the businessperson, completely immersed in every aspect of the sale or the contract negotiation. This visualization step includes the ability to see the action as a whole, plus each subsequent component which makes up that action. The act of visualization and its effect on the body is not new; visualization power was first discovered in the 1800’s by English psychologist William Carpenter. Today, more recent studies at Harvard University have shown that visualizing an activity activates the same brain wave functions as actually doing the physical activity. Science now proves that the act of visualization is real and has powerful effects upon the body.

Confidence. Confidence is a combination of courage, tolerance, and attitude. Most top athletes and business people have an over-abundance of self-confidence; of which some is meant to intimidate competitors. Confidence comes from a strong sense of faith within yourself. Faith is determined from setting individual goals, achieving them, and then setting new higher goals. A lack of this confidence can have a negative effect; like when we see actors or comedians who choke when they are onstage, athletes who falter in their game, and even when business people falter during a sales presentation or choke when it comes time to be strong during contract negotiations. Everyone needs to have a strong and healthy sense of self-faith and self-confidence in whatever you are doing.

Self-talk. Self-talk is the leading activity for reducing anxiety and doubt. Many professionals believe that having some anxiety is good because it keeps you humble and on your toes; but too much anxiety will limit your performance - on the field or in the boardroom. The most popular athlete who is the poster child for self-talk is Muhammad Ali; everyone is familiar with his mantra of self-talk, “I am the greatest!”

Incorporating these three elements into your daily routine will help you achieve success. If you are an athlete who participates in an individual sport or if you are a self-employed business person; then you need to individually master these three elements of the x-factor. However, if you are a coach, manager, or team leader – not only do you have to foster these elements within each individual, you also need to maintain an environment that will foster a collective team mentality for each of these x-factor elements. The results of a combined mental and physical fitness routine will propel your personal and professional life to a new level of success.