Because the brain is not able to distinguish between a real event and one that has been highly intensely imagined, mental rehearsal plays a large part in improving sports performance. Almost every interview with a famous sportsperson carries some comment regarding the mental or psychological aspects of their game.
Sally Gunnell talks about mentally rehearsing a race, paying particular attention to being in the right position coming off the last bend. She then rehearses making the right moves to ensure that she finishes the race in first place. What is fascinating is how she discusses dealing with having weak thoughts and (still inside her head) seeing herself not making the right moves and therefore not winning the race. Should this start to occur, she doesn't allow the mental rehearsal to continue but immediately stops it, gets herself back together, re-focuses, then rehearses the race again in her head, this time ensuring that she does everything right and wins the race.
- Source: Equinox TV Programme
Duncan Goodhew talks about swimming the race thousands of times in his mind. Knowing the perfect dive into the water (a major kinaesthetic experience), knowing the right number of strokes in the first length, executing the perfect turn, upping the stroke rate in the second length, even mentally rehearsing the perfect touch at the end.
- Source: MAST Conference
Both Gunnell and Goodhew tell these stories without any mention of NLP, yet their strategies incorporate NLP techniques and can be explained in NLP terms.
One way to get used to mental rehearsal is to consider the way you are already doing it. This might seem a strange comment to make as many amateurs (and even some professionals) would deny that they do it. However, in preparing for, travelling to, getting changed for an event, a little voice might be saying, 'I don't feel so good today', or there may be a lack of ability to concentrate, or a too healthy respect for the opponent. Alternatively the voice could be saying 'Today is the day' or 'This is it and I'm ready'.
Be aware that negative voices and messages in your head are mentally rehearsing and preprogramming you for failure!
Work out the mental rehearsing that you currently do whether you do it consciously or not. Answering these questions will help.
In the time immediately before the event takes place:
Do you feel focused, poised, confident, high in energy, in control, able to get it right without trying too hard?
Do you feel relaxed, calm, tolerant, easy-going, ready to go with the flow, and see what happens?
Do you feel tense, full of nervous energy, uncertain about your game plan or what is going to happen, easily distracted, likely to get irritated by something, burning unnecessary energy?
Do you feel flat, lethargic, not really bothered, not in control, tired, not really ready for it?
If you are in the first state, you are much more likely to achieve success than if you are in the last of these states. In other words, the first state preprograms you for likely success, while the last state preprograms you for likely failure.
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