{Video} You Can Take In So Much Just By Watching
By: Leigh Garczynski
March 8, 2020
Part of our brain is always thinking, analyzing, computing and judging. This mental type of commentary distracts you from performing your best. Your goal in anything that you perform should be focused on the task at hand and not on your verbal static. “Perform with your eyes, not on your ideas.” I take this quote as meaning to basically focus on the target and set your mind to the task.
When you are able to concentrate on the task it helps to diminish performance anxiety. An example; watch the movie “For the Love of the Game”. The main character (Kevin Costner) had to self talk and “clear the mechanism” meaning he had to put himself into a zone of complete concentration and block out the crowd, the hitter, and the player’s around him. He isn’t analyzing the situation. He immersed himself into a deep concentration.
So, how do you put yourself in a zone of deep concentration? For me personally, this isn’t easy to do and definitely does not come naturally. This is something that has to be consistently worked on! Below is a mental training exercise that may help you with this process.
Mental Training Exercise: Pick up an object (dumbbell / tennis ball / golf ball); hold it; look at it; study it; complete the task (end result). When your thoughts begin to wander, return your full attention to the object. This exercise will help to improve your ability to focus and help increase awareness of where your mind goes. A drill from Arnold Schwartzenegger: he visualizes a specific muscle’s contour when he is working out.
As the saying goes… the eyes are the mirror of the soul; but in reality your eyes are the mirror to the mind! Your eyes tell it all and never lie. When a person is defeated their eyes will drop with a look of giving up. When a person is succeeding their eyes are lifted up with confidence.
If you let your eyes wander so will your mind. This usually means that you are not fixed on the task at hand. Mentally we have to train ourselves to stay present and to stay focused on what we want our outcome to be!
