Do What Athletes Do
Top athletes use two methods to improve their performance and rise to the level of star.
One is that they visualize, over and over again, an upcoming competition, event, race, or performance, using mental visualization techniques.
Olympic athletes are especially adept at this. They can spend hours sitting in a quiet place with eyes closed and no distractions, imagining the event they will be competing in. They go through each part of the course, every run, every move and counter move, working out a strategy in their mind of how to get their maximum performance.
They visualize how to counter an opponents moves, how to cut down their time while increasing their speed, and how to best gain competitive advantage. They work out any roadblocks that may hinder their performance, until they reach the pinnacle of their athletic ability.
The best performance psychology coaches help them through this process until they master the outcome they desire. Champion chess players, tennis pros, golfers, rinners, Grand Prix drivers, football, baseball, and basketball players all go through visualization practices.
Nikola Tesla used this same technique to create his greatest inventions. Even before building a single part of a machine, he would create the entire system in his head, then actually run tests (in his head) until he encountered failure. Only when he corrected the mistakes (in his head), would he put them to paper and then set out to build his invention. As a result, his success rate was remarkablly high.
The second tool top athletes use is meditation practice; breathing and quiet contemplation in order to clam their mind, sharpen their focus, and energize their body. Along with visualization practices, this would create a standard for out performing in any area of their profession.
