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Leadership from the inside out 3
- 1. Federal Executive Institute 19 SEP 2012 Nathaniel Zinsser PhD
- 2. Starting Stuff: I am not a soldier I am not a “psychologist” You are all “athletes” too! There’s nothing “new”… Use a few key points about: the Mind Performance Being Human
- 4. Think back to: the most successful the most fulfilling the most enjoyable “performances” of your life Narrow down to one truly memorable performance, one that stands head and shoulders above the rest. What word describes your “state of mind” at that moment?
- 5. “EMPTY”
- 6. “Confident, Relaxed, Energized, Determined, Clear, Open, Automatic, and Instinctive.”
- 7. Look at the theme here: Humans perform their best when they are not “thinking” THIS IS .THE WAY YOU WERE MEANT TO PERFORM! This is how human beings are “designed” to operate
- 8. Eliminating or minimizing these “obstacles” on a daily basis will make your daily “practice” more effective and more meaningful. Improve the quality of your work by improving the quality of your thinking. …and you just might open the door to that Zone a little more often
- 9. The Need to Win When an archer is shooting for nothing, He has all his skill. If he shoots for a brass buckle, he is already nervous. If he shoots for a prize of gold, He goes blind or sees two targets. He is out of his mind! His skill has not changed, But the prize divides him He cares He thinks more of winning than of shooting. And the need to win drains him of power.
- 10. Encourage the “Real You” to show up! CHANGE YOUR MIND! (SET)
- 12. Frustration Disappointment Impatience Fear “I don’t want to fail” High Muscle Tension “I’m in trouble” Raised Heart Rate “This sucks” “Stress Chemicals” Decreased Performance This interaction is a part of being human. Once you understand this, you have an edge!
- 13. Effortless Automatic In Control “I can’t wait to succeed” Low Muscle Tension “This is my chance!” Raised Heart Rate “This could turn out great” “Joy Chemicals” Best Performance This interaction is a part of being human. Once you understand this, you have an edge!
- 15. BUILD CONFIDENCE The BS The Truth The Tools Dictionary definition: “A state of assurance…” Functional Definition: “A sense of certainty about your ability that allows you to bypass conscious thought and execute unconsciously”
- 16. Either you have it You already know how. or you don’t. It’s a skill and a choice. Confidence equals loud, Confidence is an internal outspoken arrogance. belief. Arrogance is posturing. Success automatically Thinking of success as brings confidence. permanent and personal qualities. Confidence is always destroyed by failures. Learning from failure builds confidence. In any task, you must first be successful in order to Confidence is transferrable. be confident.
- 17. NFL 2nd round draft pick Starting lineup 7X Pro Bowl “The thing that haunts all players is self-doubt… Leads the NFL in sacks Toward the end of 1998 I had 10 sacks in 10 games, but I thought I sucked… It was like we had no hope” - Sports Illustrated 29 January 2001 Multimillion dollar contract CONFIDENCE HAS TO COME FROM SOMETHING ELSE BESIDES “SUCCESS”
- 19. 1. Selective Perception Using your mind effectively to create energy, optimism, and enthusiasm. 2. Self-Talk: Playing Offense Using belief statements to train your brain to develop a powerful self-image. 3. Self-Talk: Playing Defense Using thought stopping techniques to “Get In the Last Word!” The key to gaining confidence is using the mind selectively!
- 20. Deliberately focusing your mind on certain thoughts and certain memories which create energy, optimism, and enthusiasm. Reflecting on your weaknesses builds your competence. Reflecting on your strengths builds your confidence. YOUR PERFORMANCE Energy REQUIRES BOTH! (Video: Dumb Introduction) Optimism Enthusiasm CREATE YOUR OWN REALITY
- 21. (Burton & Raedeke, 2008; Zinsser et al., 2005) I am a Noncommissioned Officer, a leader of Soldiers. What you say to yourself and think about yourself matters! Belief Statements: Your self-fulfilling something you want, phrased prophecies operate 24/7 as if you already have it! TRAIN HOW YOU WANT TO THINK!
- 22. Self-Talk: Playing Offense Belief Statements Belief Statement Checklist Is it phrased in first person? Is it phrased in present tense? Does it use affirmative language? Does it create vivid imagery? Does it create the right emotions? Is it powerful? Is it personal and meaningful?
- 23. The constant voice in the back of your head Is it an asset or liability? 5000 4000 Control follows awareness 0 0 What do you really say to yourself?
- 24. There was a disquieting intimacy to the idea that something uninvited was living in my head. When something climbs straight into your mind, that’s way personal. I decided to get personal right back, and I began to talk to it, engaging in an inner conversation with cancer. I tried to be firm in my discussions. “You picked the wrong guy,” I told it. “When you looked around for a body to try and live in, you made a big mistake when you chose mine.”
- 25. (Zinsser et al., 2005) 1. Recognize the negative self-talk 2. Interrupt the thought out loud or silently 3. Attach a kinesthetic cue to “reset” 4. Take a deep breath and exhale 5. Replace with a more helpful thought STOP, RESET, & TAKE CONTROL!
- 26. The BS The Truth The Tools Formal Definition: “Attaining a specific standard of proficiency on a task, usually within a specified time.” Functional Definition: Defining a Vision, Establishing a Plan, Committing to the Journey
- 27. Identifying: • Why do you play/participate? • What do you really want to accomplish in your field? • What kind of player/professional do you want to be? • How will you get from where you are now to where you want to be? 7 Step Goal Setting Process •Define your dream •Know where you are right now •Honest Assessment (develop Sub-Goals) •Personal Plan of Action & Affirmations •Set and pursue short term goals/tasks •Commit yourself completely •Continually monitor your progress
- 28. Matt First Team All American Best ever fitness level at 225 •I eat single portions at each meal Luyster Practice like a first team All American •I make sure there are green vegetables on my plate •I come to practice each day with a specific goal, for lunch and dinner each day like winning every one on one, or shutting down Walker •I do one, and only one Powerade at lunch, and one •By the time I arrive at Truxton there is nothing in my and only one Powerade after dinner mind but my dream of winning the National Championship •I drink water throughout the day and alternate with •I take full advantage of the opportunity to improve in each drill water each time I have alcohol •I use each drill as a chance to coach, reinforce, •I go into every workout with specific goals that fire me up and bring up the younger players •I go all out on each run to finish first in my group •I know I only have a few short weeks of Fall Ball, •If I’m not the first finisher in my group I stay positive and so I make each day count expect to be first the very next run •I take the lead to create the competitive atmosphere in I take a positive, proactive view of my training – practice that brings out the best in our defense this is what makes me a better lacrosse player •I bring the defense together to make sure we start right, •I love striving to be in the best shape of my life leave school behind us, and we set a goal for today •I am a rock solid 225 lbs with a full-time, full-tilt motor •When it comes to lacrosse, I am on a mission! Be a great team captain both on and off the field Play like a first team All American •I make sure everyone knows what D we’re in and •I am positive and encouraging to each member of the team, who’s hot and who’s cold • especially when things are tough •I play with great body position and great feet, •I set the example for enthusiastic buy-in to throwing the smart checks that keep my man rattled • Coach’s philosophy and priorities •My stick finds the passing lanes and brings the ball down •I hold the firsties accountable for creating a great atmosphere •I play within the defensive scheme and make other players better • in the locker room, in the weight room, and on the field •When the ball’s on the ground I become a total animal •I am loud and upbeat in the weight room, •When the ball’s in my stick I see the field and make great decisions • showing that a great work ethic can be fun, too! •I take the ball up field and force them to adjust to me •I put aside every distraction when it’s time to lift or run and •At all times I model great poise, great attitude, • show the team how a leader conditions himself to be the best great emotional control •I remind younger players of our need to bring •I am always in the game, everyone knows • our best out every day that I’ll come through with a big play when the team needs it •I know every eye is on me in the weight room and on the field •I love the close games, the tough battles to the end. •I keep it moderate when it’s time to celebrate and cut loose •This is my year to take my game and Army lacrosse to the very top •My behavior off the field shows that I care about my teammates •I am a first team All American!
- 29. Graduate Ranger School The process begins with a powerful in 2010 and personally meaningful dream goal Does it give you goose bumps when you envision it? Does it keep you awake at night because of excitement and anticipation? Does it send chills down your spine when you think about achieving it?
- 30. • First African-American to attend and graduate from Diving & Salvage School • First African-American U.S. Navy Master Diver • First amputee diver to be certified or recertified as a U.S. Navy diver
- 31. Your 1st Priority Area Your 3rd Priority Area 3 to 5 action statements 3 to 5 action statements aimed at this priority aimed at this priority 3 to 5 belief statements 3 to 5 belief statements to bring to your actions to bring to your actions Your 2nd Priority Area Your 4th Priority Area 3 to 5 action statements 3 to 5 action statements aimed at this priority aimed at this priority 3 to 5 belief statements 3 to 5 belief statements to bring to your actions to bring to your actions Summary statement, unit motto, or relevant quote
- 32. The BS The Truth The Tools Formal Definition:) “The process of bringing one’s full sensory awareness to the present moment and keeping it there.”
- 33. You have to learn how. You already know how. It’s only possible It’s a natural ability that improves for a lucky few. with practice. It means “trying harder” “Lose your mind and come to your and “thinking more.” senses.” It means blocking Tune into your target - Don’t out distractions. don’t…
- 34. “Multitasking” as a misunderstood concept “Multi-Doing” versus “Multi-Attending” While we can do several things at once, our brain can attend to only one sensory target at one time. It’s how the human brain is hardwired! In truth, attention is shifting between two or more “targets,” limiting its effectiveness to varying degrees. Science has shown that… (Kirn, 2007) – This shifting is 30% less efficient versus attending to one task at a time. – Individuals who “multitask” have significantly elevated levels of stress hormones compared to matched control groups.
- 35. 30 Seconds “Heads Up”
- 36. What’s Important Now Identify your “target” and your “one thing” How to Get There Develop cue words and phrases, and make it routine How to Stay There Let it happen and rely on predatory instincts to take down your target How to Get Back When Distracted Capture your attention thieves
- 37. (Nideffer, 1987; Schmid & Peper, 1998) The brain and nervous system respond best to very specific and precise targets. What’s important right now? What’s most critical to my performance?
- 38. Diverts attention away from irrelevant aspects of the immediate environment Keeps you in the present moment Directs attention to the controllables Directs attention to the execution, rather than becoming consumed by consequences
- 39. Develop a personal routine to bring your senses and mind to the selected target… Develop 3-5 steps resulting in complete trust, focus and control Include physical and mental strategies Include cues and belief statements Write it out, edit it, finalize it on paper, and visualize using it!
- 40. BRM Example Routine Step 1 Settle into my natural point of aim Step 2 Take a few big deep breaths Step 3 Confirm natural point of aim Step 4 Say a little prayer “Every shot, Step 5 first shot” Control, Trust & Focus (modified from Ravizza & Hanson, 1995)
- 41. Pro Hockey Example Routine Step 1 Come off the ice and replay the shift Step 2 Let go of any mistakes and replay every little success Step 3 Recharge w/ 3-5 long slow breaths Step 4 Focus on game follow the puck “Let’s start a Step 5 new game” “BEAR DOWN!”
- 42. “Unleash the Predator” Do not concern yourself with whether you are doing it right or wrong. Just allow your mind to do what it is naturally designed to do. Trust your training, trust your senses, and allow instinct and intuition to guide attention.
- 43. Fatigue and pain Unfamiliar surroundings and stimuli Fear and anxiety Lack of interest
- 44. MANAGE ENERGY The BS The Truth The Tools The art of operating at full intensity while remaining fully rested
- 45. 1. Only negative experiences cause stress 2. Stress is bad 3. Nervousness results in failure 4. Recovery is for the weak 5. Sleep is the only option
- 46. “THE NONSPECIFIC RESPONSE OF THE BODY TO ANY DEMAND MADE UPON IT” - Hans Selye Your natural energy mobilization in response to the difficulties and joys of life
- 47. Chronic (long-term) stress is bad for you. Short-term stress helps you! The body and mind require stress to grow The key is BALANCE… Hard core stress requires hard core recovery!
- 48. Reinterpret What Your Body Gives You: Understand and Embrace Physical “Nerves” The Human Body is Hardwired to Perform Best When “Nervous”
- 49. “I’m good every day in the room, but as soon as I get to a match I kinda get psyched out.” “I get real nervous and real tight and my mind starts going a million miles an hour.”
- 50. HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU’RE “NERVOUS”? WHY DOES YOUR BODY DO THESE THINGS? HOW DO YOU CHOOSE TO RESPOND TO THEM?
- 51. Do you misinterpret simple physiological arousal, the kind that precedes matches, as a signal that something is wrong with you? Do you get a little psyched out by your own adrenaline? Fear of, and misinterpretation of, your natural adrenaline surge is the greatest psych-out in the world of human performance
- 52. Bottom Line: The adrenaline/arousal that naturally occurs prior to and during competition is your friend and ally It comes for the sole purpose of helping you perform at a new level Here’s how it works…
- 53. “All units prepare for action!” “Big match today!”
- 54. What does all this adrenaline do? Accelerates HR Infuses muscles w/ blood Opens up pupils End Results: Stronger Faster More perceptive More reactive You have a state of the art performance enhancing chemical custom made for your personal biochemistry delivered in precisely the needed dosage exactly when it can do you the most good and it doesn’t cost you a dime. And it’s legal!
- 55. This performance enhancing chemical has its side effects: Pounding heart Butterflies in the stomach Sweaty Palms Jitters Etc Etc These are all signals that your body is getting Ready for Excellence If you have any of them, then something great is happening!
- 56. So how will you “respond” when the adrenaline/arousal/nervousness hits you? As something naturally and marvelously sent to help you be great at a key moment? Or As something frightening that must be driven away? Choose Wisely!
- 57. • Expedition race • Co-ed teams of four • Non-stop for 6-12 days, 24 hours a day • Traverse the rugged 300-mile course • Must finish together
- 58. Balancing stress and recovery l ize Res Res M o bi Energy when you need it! t o re t o re
- 59. Excessive stress and inconsistent recovery The body forces you to stop and recharge!
- 60. Deliberate Falling Recovery Asleep Oxygen Consumption Nervous System Activation (Benson, 1975)
- 61. Energy Management Tools: Energy is a scarce resource – Be greedy with it! Hit the Gas! 1. Reinterpret what you’re up against 2. Seize grip forces and reinterpret gravity forces 3. Tactical Breathing techniques Composure and control during extreme stress Deliberate recovery during breaks in the action Top off the Tank! (Video: “The Cougar”)
- 62. Reinterpret situations as challenges and opportunities rather than threats to improve performance. (Lazarus, 1999) What opportunities does the situation provide? How can you benefit from the situation? How can you grow stronger from the situation? “They’ve got us surrounded again, How can you use the situation to move those poor bastards!” closer to your goal? ~ General Creighton W. Abrams ~
- 63. Knowing what you can and cannot “GRIP” control FORCES Be greedy with your energy! Things you can “grip” and Set daily goals and take action to control influence the things you can control (controllable forces). Accept what you can’t control. Focus attention on managing your perception of these things instead. “GRAVITY” FORCES You can only truly control what you Things that are think, what you say, and what you largely out of do! your control or influence.
- 64. 1. Physically, relax the body Breathe deeply to a slow cadence Unlock tension during exhalation BREATHE SLOW, LOW, & DEEP 2. Mentally, quiet and focus the mind No racing thoughts or mental chatter Direct attention to your present “target” 3. Emotionally, shift gears to move forward From “Reverse” to “Neutral” or “Drive” Recall feelings of purpose, perspective, EXPAND CORE W/ INHALE opportunity, appreciation, or gratitude The physical aspects make it deep breathing... The mental and emotional aspects make it tactical!
- 65. (Benson, 2006; Benson & Klipper, 2000; Grossman & Christensen, 2008) DURING DURING BREAKS EXTREME STRESS IN THE ACTION 1. Promotes ATP PHYSICAL Synthesis Precision, Accuracy, And Motor Control Reduces Lactic Acid 2. Restores Energy Memory and Recall MENTAL Healing and Composure, Poise, Daily Recovery and Self-Control 3. Manage Pain Enhanced EMOTIONAL Concentration & Helps Insomnia Mental Agility Helps Anxiety & Depression
- 66. Mental and emotional states impact healing and recovery from injury, intense physical exertion, and surgery. (Kiecolt-Glaser et al., 1998; 2005; McGuire et al., 2006) Thoughts and emotions affect the body’s biochemistry which affects healing and recovery. Performers must deliberately and relentlessly manage their thoughts, emotions, and physiology to set the conditions for healing and recovery to occur.
- 67. The BS The Truth The Tools Formal Definition: “Using the senses to create or recreate an experience in one’s mind” Functional Definition “The primitive thought process that involves the senses and the emotions
- 68. Extensive scientific evidence… Imagery improves performance on a wide variety of motor skills and tasks. (Martin, K.A., Moritz, S.E., & Hall, C.R., 1999). A combination of actual training and imagery is more effective than physical training alone. Imagery, by itself, is less effective than actual training, but better than no training. Imagery works best when it supplements actual training, not replaces it. (Hird, J.S., Landers, S.M., Thomas, J.R., & Horan, J.J., 1991) Successful and highly skilled performers use imagery more than lesser skilled performers. (Cumming & Hall, 2002)
- 69. The human brain speaks a preverbal language of images and sensations. The brain and nervous system are wired to respond best to imagery. In many ways, the mind cannot distinguish a highly vivid image from the real thing. The nervous system processes imagined information much as it does an actual experience. Imagined events produce effects that are similar to, if somewhat weaker than, the effects produced by the real thing. (Marks, 1997)
- 70. MUSCLE MEMORY MENTAL BLUEPRINT THE RESULT: (grooved response) (déjà vu response) Mental Agility Tactical Intuition Instinctive Execution
- 71. Controllability Write your own script Vividness Add special effects Perspective Select the best camera angles
- 72. WHAT The brain’s COMES default setting TO MIND Relax and clear your mind Only successful Images Meaningful and genuine Consistent practice: Repetition builds strength
- 73. Imagery works best when it’s a total sensory experience: What you see – location, day/night, terrain & enemy What you smell – sweat, cordite, gun powder, exhaust What you hear – radio traffic, concussions, small arms fire What you feel – externally (touch) & internally (kinesthetic) What you taste – dry mouth, dirt, sweat Your “sixth sense” – emotions, time, distance, effort, etc. Accurate, lifelike images benefit performance more than blurry, fleeting images. (Isaac, 1992)
- 74. Are you ready to be “one in a million”?
- 75. Nathaniel Zinsser PhD 914 475 1445 SPORTPSYCHDOC @OPTONLINE.NET
Editor's Notes
- In order to use the mind in the most effective manner possible, we must first understand how the mind influences performance. Simply stated, thoughts directly affect feelings and ultimately actions. More specifically, performance starts with the way we think. This then affects our nervous system and physiology. Because emotions are actually biochemical events, our emotions are directly affected by our thinking as well. These changes to our feelings and physiology then produces a performance that, more often than not, is directly related to the initial thoughts we were having. In other words, we get more of what we think about, and we do, in fact, become what we think about most! This is nothing new, and great performers throughout history have learned to leverage this relationship. Self-fulfilling prophecy research has been around for 50 years strongly documenting its existence, and recent research has shown that there is a direct connection with the mind (thinking) and the body (physiology), either positive and negative thought and emotion can trigger strong physiological responses (e.g., increased heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, etc.) which then influences performance to a large degree. This interaction is a part of being human. We can’t change it, so our best bet is to understand it and learn to leverage it in order to perform closer to our potential. Let’s take a look at this relationship from both a positive and negative spin…
- So, how do we use the mind in the most effective manner? We’ll it’s important to recognize that there are direct links between a Soldier’s thoughts, emotions, physical state, and resulting performance. Once we recognize that this relationship exists, we ultimately start taking advantage of these unbreakable connections. The experience of tension, apprehension, fear, worry and doubt, which so many of you identified as common during your average mediocre performances, follow naturally and inevitably from these worrisome and doubtful thoughts. In turn, the resulting negative emotions and feelings are directly connected to human physiology (the active mind-tight body connection we looked at previously). And this compromised physical state with overly tense muscles and all kinds of debilitating chemicals being pumped through the bloodstream and the nervous system naturally leads to less-than-optimal levels of performance. It starts all over again when the memory of the poor performance starts producing more negative critical thoughts and we get trapped in the same worrisome thought-performance loop. This interaction is a fact of human nature. We can’t change it. But we can work with it by altering the one element where we DO have some control.
- If these are the experiences we want to have in crucial performance moments, then the best chance is to take advantage of this interaction by disciplining the mind to be confident and trusting at these moments. The thoughts will enable the feelings which in turn will create the physical state (the optimal muscle tension and the chemicals in the bloodstream and nervous system) most conducive to performance breakthroughs. Again, this interaction is a part of human nature, and our best chance for consistently high-caliber performances is to take advantage of it.
- Just playing around…
- This brings us to the simple truth about what confidence is and where it ultimately comes from. The moral of these morals, so to speak, is that CONFIDENCE HAS RELATIVELY LITTLE TO DO WITH WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU. Instead, CONFIDENCE HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH HOW YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU. Confidence is the result of how you internally process, evaluate, and perceive all the events in your life. This becomes even more critical for injured performers when the events in their life have recently taken a moderate to drastic turn for the worst and future events are unclear and uncertain.
- The simple yet unconventional truth that we come to is that confidence is the result of using the mind both proactively and selectively. That means deliberately focusing your mind on certain thoughts and certain memories which create energy, optimism, and enthusiasm. This ability is the primary mental skill for all human performance, including healing and recovery. It is the skill of selectively interpreting your personal experience so that you mentally retain and benefit from experiences of success, progress, and effort, while simultaneously mentally releasing or restructuring experiences of setbacks and difficulties. There will be a lot of small successes at the WTUs. There will be a lot of times when these numerous small successes get overshadowed by emotional setbacks and challenges. Both the good and bad experiences require using the mind deliberately and selectively. Confident performers, Soldiers, and athletes have mastered this process. Whether by natural inclination or learned habit, they deliberately focus their mind on the certain thoughts and certain memories which create energy, optimism, and enthusiasm. (Lance Armstrong overcoming cancer, etc.) Broken down into its components, this thinking process consists of: Deliberately focusing your mind on certain thoughts and certain memories Consciously controlling the way you talk to yourself Intentionally cultivating a powerful self-image Effectively interpreting screw ups and setbacks These are your tools, your mental strength techniques, for building the SENSE OF CERTAINTY (remember that is our functional definition of confidence that directly reflects the qualities associated with the trusting mindset – Absolute certainty, complete acceptance, unconditional support), that minimizes all those obstacles to great performance that we discussed in our last class. These techniques are the nuts-n-bolts, the X’s and O’s, the core fundamentals of MENTAL TOUGHNESS.
- Let’s take these core principles one at a time. This is first and foremost: The Key Concept - The Filter in Your Mind. Possibly the most underestimated and undervalued force on earth is the power of human perception. Every human being develops during childhood the ability to selectively focus his or her mind on a particular thought, feeling or memory, and in the process, screens out, or de-emphasizes other thoughts.
- The next mental skill for building confidence is one step deeper into the control of self-talk. In the last section we were mainly concerned with making sure your self-talk was not undermining you by taking the form of criticism and negative labeling. The last section was a reactive approach to mental strength. And, there are certainly times when a reactive approach is necessary, as we’re all human and prone to moments of negativity and cynicism. In this section, however, we are concerned with taking a portion of all that self-talk, a proactive and planned portion, and making it really work for you. Consider two facts of human nature: First, people talk to themselves constantly. Second, the way people talk to themselves both reflects their present level of confidence and influences their future level of confidence. Put those two facts together and you come to the conclusion that if you want to build confidence, it’s important to talk to yourself and think about yourself in powerful, positive, optimistic terms. The particular type of self-talk that evokes these positive feelings and thus positive behaviors is the self-statement commonly called an affirmation . Affirmations are statements about something you want, phrased as if you already have it . Phrases like “My body is resilient and recovers quickly," or “My last repetition is just as focused and strong as my first," are examples of affirmations. When used frequently, that is, rehearsed or written many times a day, these statements promote confidence in the ability to do whatever action is being affirmed. Used year in and year out, as the famous boxing world champion Muhammad Ali did with his famous statement “I am the greatest,” affirmation statements get the mind focused and refocused on a desired state or outcome. And whatever your mind focuses upon tends to become more and more real for you. For instance, many critics would argue that it’s easy to say “I am the greatest” when, in fact, you are. Muhammad Ali, however, began using his famous affirmation as a young teenage boxer who had not yet been tested during a professional fight. In its simplest terms, affirmations work because you get more of what you think about, and you ultimately become what you think most often – A very real concept typically referred to as the self-fulfilling prophecy. The reality of the human mind is that every statement you make to yourself about how you perform, (whether you speak it out loud or just think it in your mind) is recorded in your subconscious and becomes part of that running total we’ve mentioned before. Each one of those thoughts becomes part of a subconscious self-image, basically a collection of thoughts, beliefs, and expectations you have about yourself. That subconscious self-image is the template that the conscious mind follows when it’s time to perform. Usually, your performance is only as good as your self-image. Most people aren't aware that they have a subconscious self-image so they passively react to what they do and to what they are told and allow all kinds of debilitating thoughts and images into their self-image. This is what people mean by the term “self-fulfilling prophecy” – You have a set of ideas and expectations on the subconscious level, (a “prophecy,” so to speak, about what you think is supposed to happen), and that drives your conscious behavior, what you actually do. Your actions are expressions of your expectations and the results of those actions tend to confirm or “fulfill” the original expectations. This fundamental fact of human life, this self-fulfilling prophecy , operates on many levels in nearly every activity. Female Soldiers fall victim to it during the APFT when they passively believe that they lack upper body strength because of their gender. WTs fall victim to it when they allow naysayers and contingency planners to shape their expectations about what’s possible. Think for a moment of the best parts of your professional skill set, the skills that you execute particularly well. Do you not remind yourself often of how good you are in these skills? And conversely, do you not remind yourself of how poorly you execute other skills, or of how ineffective you are in certain other situations? You may be tempted to think that the words you say and the beliefs you hold are natural reactions to the quality of your previous experience, that you talk to yourself in a certain way and believe certain things about yourself because that is simply how you perform…because it’s the truth. If so, stop for a second and consider that the words you say and the beliefs you hold are actually the cause of your performance and not the result of it? What if your words, your beliefs, and your subconscious self-image cause you to approach different parts of your professional duties, and different parts of your life with varying degrees of energy, effort, and enthusiasm? If this is true, and philosophers, scientists, and successful individuals in all walks of life throughout human history argue that it is, then it would be important to improve that self-image by working on it just as you work on your physical skills – Through repetition of “what right looks like” – In this case the right thoughts and images. What are those right thoughts and images? – The ones of you doing what you want to do, being the way you want to be, accomplishing what you want to accomplish. Not in some wishful, “wouldn’t it be great if…” way. Instead, you think about what you want to do as if you already do it that way beautifully, you think about how you want to be as if you already are that way full-time, and you think about what you want to accomplish as if it’s already happened.
- NOW LET’S LOOK AT A SUBSET OF USING THE MIND SELECTIVELY – BEING SELECTIVE ABOUT WHAT THAT VOICE IN THE BACK OF OUR HEAD IS ALLOWED TO SAY. One of the unique features of being human is the capacity to engage in an internal dialogue; To reflect on our past experience, to comment and analyze our present experience, and to prepare for future experiences through an internal barrage of conversation. Most of this internal dialogue, this self-talk, takes place outside our conscious awareness, and therefore we are not even aware of the voice, much less aware of its specific content. However, if you are to perform at your best, you must become aware of, and then achieve control over this internal dialogue. Why? Because the thoughts that make up your internal dialogue directly affect how you feel physically and ultimately effect the way your body heals and performs throughout the rehab and transition process. Some cognition experts have estimated that the typical human performer has approximately 50,000 distinct thoughts run through their conscious and sub-conscious mind daily, and a content analysis of these thoughts revealed that approximately 80% of this constant stream of mental chatter is hurtful and destructive to performers’ emotions and behaviors (from Saul Miller’s Hockey Tough book, and cited elsewhere in presentations). While these numbers may seem staggering, the bigger picture message is that we think almost constantly throughout the day, and rarely think about our thinking and whether or not we’re using it to leverage performance versus letting it occur haphazardly in response to the events of the day. So, as these numbers reflect, self-talk is a two edged sword that can be either a performer’s greatest asset or his/her most serious liability, depending on how it is used. On the positive side, it (1) provides you with a method of positively reinforcing yourself , (2) helps you stay appropriately focused in the present moment , instead of dwelling on past mistakes or projecting into the future, and (3) allows you to build self-esteem by focusing on strengths and accomplishments. Conversely, self-talk becomes a liability when it takes the form of excessive self-criticism, which has the effect of steadily eroding confidence, when it becomes so frequent that it disrupts the automatic performance of skills, and when it takes the form of negative self-labeling or self-condemning, where you evaluate your performance and then label yourself based on that evaluation (“loser”, “choke artist”, etc.). The first step in this process is becoming aware of what you actually do say to yourself, especially during important moments throughout the day. Have you ever honestly evaluated the quality of your self-talk? What would you find if you did? Would it be generally beneficial and supportive? Would the voice be talking about what you want to happen, and about how well you have done in the past? Or, would it be generally negative, focused on things that you don't want, or are afraid of? At what times and in what situations is your self-talk negative? What is your self-talk like (a) prior to OT/PT sessions, (b) during OT/PT sessions, (c) following OT/PT sessions, (d) during medical examinations and evaluations, etc.? If your answer is “It depends on how I’m doing”, then you’re just passively responding to your experience and not in control of your mind. Borrowing from Terry Bradshaw, you’re “letting the situation dictate to you” rather than “you dictate to it.” Once you become more aware of your self-talk tendencies, you may notice that it starts to change all by itself, just because you’re paying more attention to it, and it becomes more helpful and constructive. This is both a normal and natural by-product of self-awareness. If it doesn’t, despite your greater awareness, you will have to start editing and controlling that voice so that it feeds your mind with accurate, helpful instruction and encouragement instead of criticism, worry and fear.
- Note to Trainers – You have to nail the point that Lance chose to selective perceive the events surrounding his cancer and his treatment. He didn’t simply adopt the victim role. He took an active role in controlling his mind and his thoughts about his cancer – In this case, he actual maintained a daily running dialogue with his cancer…talking smack to it…trash talking to his cancer every day. To tie it back to the previous slide, Lance consistently got in the last word! More Details: From the chapter “Conversations With Cancer”, in Lance Armstrong’s book, It’s Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life. It’s important to note that Lance was given less than a 3% chance of survival when he was diagnosed with cancer. This was just one of the many ways that he deliberately managed himself…his cognitions and self-talk…throughout a largely unmanageable illness. While this is a remarkable tale, it’s not surprising considering the way Lance Armstrong leveraged the mind-body relationship to maximize his body’s natural healing abilities.
- This self-talk editing process is shown in five steps… It starts with the awareness, the recognition of the negative self-talk, followed by the immediate decision to “STOP”, and refuse to allow that internally spoken thought to continue. Next, do something physical or kinesthetic…Perform some simple physical action like a finger snap, hand clap, or hip slap to formally signal the end of that thought and the start of something better. Then breathe deeply once or twice and deliberately remind yourself what you want to accomplish at this moment and what you should be paying attention to in order to accomplish it. This simple five-step sequence can become routine and automatic in a very short time with just a little practice. Taking over the content of your self talk is one of the clearest examples of how you can take charge of your mind and your attitude, and use them to help you get ahead. Instead of letting your mind take you for a ride, you can gain control and turn your mind into your best friend, your biggest fan, and the greatest coach on earth. EVERYONE, at some point, no matter how skillful or experienced, will have episodes of negative self-talk. There is a two-fold misunderstanding that once you are an experienced and capable performer, your negative self-talk will disappear altogether, and that if you are having some negative self-talk (and you will, because you’re prone to “humanness”), it must mean that you are not fully capable. Throw these ideas away and replace them with the understanding that even though negative self-talk occurs, you need not be a victim of it. Unlike the average Soldier who will allow it to continue under the guise of being “serious” about their recovery, you will STOP it when it occurs, COPE with it using the tools you have, and TAKE CONTROL of your own mind.
- Two clouds represent two dream goals. The dream goal should be powerful, emotional, and meaningful. So, “financial stability” was personalized a bit and made a bit more emotional (the cutting of the cards and escaping from debt), and the fitness goal was made a bit more powerful and personally meaningful by adding the concept of age and getting back to your best shape ever. Note to trainers –This example and the fitness example accomplish two extremely important tasks. They show the process of goal setting and as important, they serve to educate the audience about finances and fitness. We have added a slide for each Intermediate and short-term goal that provides additional information. Family members will be equipped to discuss finances and fitness with their spouses upon their return from the initial evenings brief. At this point allow for audience participation. Discuss different dream goals. How to brief this – The first build is the Dream Goal (Financial Stability). The next build shows the Intermediate Goals. After the five Intermediate goals are shown, then each is discussed with a specific slide. It is EXTREMELY important to highlight the next step in the process is to determine the CURRENT STATUS of each Intermediate Goal. We do not cover this portion. After the five slides are presented that discuss each Intermediate Goal then the build presents all Short Term goals in sequence. There is a specific slide for each short-term goal. Financial stability is an important goal for a successful family unit. The components of financial stability are the Intermediate Goals. Some families may want to add a different goal, such as a family vacation, retirement, college for kids, purchase of home, remodel of home. Encourage them to keep a picture of this dream in their wallet so they see it every time they spend money to help them eliminate unnecessary spending in pursuit of this goal. Write down the goals and outline how you will reach the goal. You can’t reach your destination if you don’t know where you are going. Finances are no different. Everyone needs at least the basic goal of financial stability because it’s a crucial part of taking care of ourselves, our families, and our lives. Financial confidence and stability is a life choice – take control of your money and don’t let your money control you! Financial freedom gives you power over your fears and anxiety about money. Setting a goal for financial stability is one of the most important goals a family can make. For military spouses, getting to a place where finances are not overwhelming takes away one of the biggest stress factors and allows you to focus on the most important things in life. When so many facets of military life are uncontrollable, we can set goals to be financially free and control this one very dominant aspect of our lives. The finance discussion needs to occur prior to the deployment. It is imperative to have this discussion in order to set conditions for the discussions that will occur during the deployment.
- Prebrief: The story of Carl Brashear began when he entered the Navy as a young man to make a better life for himself and to make his father proud. He was immediately made a cook and shipped off to sea. Early in his career, Brashear dreamed of becoming a Master Chief, the highest enlisted rank a Sailor can hold in the Navy, and a Master Diver, a salvage and retrieval expert…one of the most dangerous jobs in the Navy. He became the first black diver in the Navy after passing dive school, and shortly afterwards lost his leg in an accident while retrieving a lost nuclear device at sea. Brashear never let go of his dream and worked outside the box constantly to keep his dream alive with only one leg. He became proficient using a prosthesis, and eventually was reinstated back to full duty. In fact, he was the first Navy Sailor with a prosthetic leg to be reinstated to full duty. As you watch the scene, think about how Brashear’s dream became the driving force in his life, both before and after the accident. Think about how it guided all of his subsequent choices and actions. Also, pay attention to the attitude that Brashear brings to his dream outcome goal of becoming Master Chief. Debrief: Ask for audience insights. Highlight the following… The dream was the driving force, the motivating source of his successful Navy career The dream directed focus, and increased persistence in the face of adversity The dream provided new and innovative ways for Brashear to realize his true potential following the injury. Carl not only took specific actions, but also cultivated a powerful self-image by filtering his experiences and managing his self-talk. “ The question is, can they keep up with me?” “ Cut it off, schedule a fit-for-duty hearing in 12 weeks, at which time I will pass, and you will reinstate me.” Brashear was motivated by his beliefs that "It's not a sin to get knocked down; it's a sin to stay down" and "I ain't going to let nobody steal my dream". Now that you’ve seen the motivational power that the outcome goal provides, let’s look at the next step in the process…determining where you are right now!
- Just playing around…
- (Note to Trainers: I know it has been challenging to “sell” this and to make it stick…People are very tied to their misguided belief that they’re great multitaskers and that they have to be. For now, we’re keeping the slide – I will pull together a supplement sheet that will help you better brief this slide in a way that’s well-received by the audience. You will have this shortly.) A key fundamental of effective concentration is attending to one thing at a time. Contrary to common belief, we effectively can really only attend to one thing at any one moment. Today many people take great pride in their ability to multitask. In fact, research has shown that multi-tasking is relatively a lower efficiency and lower effectiveness capability due primarily to the attention factor. Specifically, this research confirms that multitasking is slower and less effective than executing one task in response to one target and then shifting to the next task and engaging the next target. There’s a big difference between “can” and “should.” Can you drive and talk on your cell phone at the same time? Absolutely. Should you do so? Well, it depends on how much absorbed concentration you want to be able to bring to each task. Certainly, under normal conditions, there are few consequences to driving and talking on a cell phone. Nine times out of ten, things work out just fine. However, under adverse or unpredictable situations, attention is drawn in multiple directions and performance suffers in one area when something out of the ordinary requires our immediate reaction. Even under ideal circumstances, most of us have tried to drive and dial our cell phone, and we take our eyes off the road for only a second to push the “send” button, only to look up and realize that we’ve drifted 2-3 feet offline. Or, we successfully navigate the road, but end up missing 1/3 of the conversation details. Our unconscious mind intuitively knows this at some level. Most of us automatically turn off our radio as soon as we realize that we’re lost. Or, we’ll stop walking during the most critical parts of a cell phone call. Why? We all have driven tens of thousands of miles with the radio playing, so why turn it off during the ten minutes required to find our bearings when we’re following unfamiliar directions?! We’ve walked while taking all our lives, so why stop when receiving important information over the cell phone?! Well, it’s our unconscious mind insisting that we direct our total attention to one target rather than splintering conscious attention across numerous tasks. And, while our unconscious mind keeps sending us clues to the ineffectiveness of this approach, we continue to hold steadfast to the importance of multitasking in today’s fast-paced environment. So, it comes down to this. Can you multitask? Of course you can. But does it maximize your attention control capabilities? Of course not. In fact, research has shown quite the opposite, in that everything suffers as a result of multitasking. Ultimately, you choose whether or not you split your conscious attention across multiple tasks and miss the true experience that each moment offers. You choose whether or not you devote total conscious attention to the task at hand and experience that moment accurately and completely. It’s your choice, and that’s a good thing because you have total control over a very limited number of things, and your concentration is one of them.
- “ Before we talk about attention control, let’s take a minute and experiment with it right now. This exercise will help you become more aware of your attention and how it works.” “ I need everyone right now, wherever you are, to stop what you are doing and give me complete and undivided attention for the next 30 seconds” (remove wristwatch and ready stopwatch function). Ask the front row of the audience if they can commit to the 30 seconds. Confirm their commitment or lower the time until everybody commits to it (nearly every time, everybody commits to giving 30 seconds of undivided attention). Explain to them that there’s no trick and that you’re not going to try and trip them up. Rather, explain that you’ve become the target that they’re supposed to attend to at this moment and that they should focus on you as though what you’re going to say is very important to their future success. “Ok, Everyone focus on me with total concentration for the next 30 seconds. Here we go” (start stopwatch). “ Right now, you are totally in control of your attention. For short periods of time, you can direct your attention at will. Right now, you directed your complete attention to me. This is what it’s like to bring every bit of your attention to right here, with me, right now. You alone are in control of this process and you alone are letting it happen. This is your concentration at work here, you are able to control it anytime and any place. Notice the way that it feels different right now. Remember this feeling. Notice how your concentration feels different than it did one minute ago, two minutes ago, five minute ago. You are truly controlling your attention right now, and it is changing what you experience at this moment.” “ Ok, 30 seconds is up, stop, blink your eyes, roll your neck out, and relax.” Debrief: Use the following process questions to engage the audience… What was your experience of total concentration? What did you do to achieve this “undivided attention”? How did you learn to do that? Did you try to “not do” something or “block out” something? Is this the “way you are” every day when you practice and perform your trade? Each time you perform actions related to your goals? (Get several responses from audience) During the debrief, you want to highlight the following: It’s something that everybody could do – Everybody succeeded for the most part. Nobody had to learn how to do it for this activity – It’s just something that they know and COMMITTED to doing. It’s something that was done using their senses more than their conscious brain…When they explain how they did it, they’ll say things like, “I watched your eyes/mouth,” “I locked my gaze onto you and everything else blurred out,” “I listened carefully to the words you said while watching your mouth create those words,” etc. Although they won’t say, you’ll see the entire audience sit up and lean slightly forward, suggesting that there’s a kinesthetic element to concentration as well. That this is typically NOT the way that most people are when they perform daily actions related to their goals. Most of the time, their attention is split between 2, 3, 4 or more different things, and the experience doesn’t feel the same way.
- So, let’s start exercising this control… We’ll do it by first finding the right target , the signal to tune our sensory radar to… In other words, finding that thing that’s most relevant right now, and directing most of our attention to it, without sacrificing the general sensory awareness that our immediate environment might require. Next, we’ll make sure we can hone in on that signal consistently by utilizing a well-established, dependable routine. Then, we’ll let that signal totally take over and trust that it’s going to give us the information we need, and that we will respond to that information appropriately because we’ve trained our body and nervous system to do so. Then, we’ll look at practice methods that we can use to improve our attention control and concentration, just like we can use a variety of methods to improve physical strength, speed, and endurance.
- The first step in gaining greater control over your attention and developing greater concentration is choosing a target for it. When the mind and the eyes are committed to a target, the rest of the human organism has a chance to work at optimum efficiency. Without a precise target, the brain jumps from one stimulus to another, wreaking havoc on sustained concentration and inefficiently consuming oxygen and nutrients that are needed elsewhere in the body. (Consider removing) In the movie "City Slickers”, comedian Billy Crystal plays a burned-out executive spending two weeks on a cattle drive to regain perspective on his life. At one point in the film, a wise old cowboy takes Crystal aside and explains to him "the secret to life." The secret, he says, is sticking to "just one thing," because when you do that, everything else dissolves into insignificance. That is the power of having a small, precise target to focus on. Concentration begins and ends by having your attention primarily focused on "just one thing.“ That “ one thing ” could be the page in the book in front of you, or the sensation that one feels when their feet are hitting the pavement as they run. It could be the precise alignment of an arm or leg during a movement, or ensuring that you listen for “what’s not being said” when talking with your WTs, a critical life coaching skill. The first step to improving concentration on a certain task is to identify the precise target, the “one thing” for that task. This is best accomplished by asking yourself: What is it about _____ that’s most critical to my performance right now?” If this question does not produce an immediate answer, proceed to the question "What part of my duty position is most important for me now?“ The idea that first comes to mind contains the seed for your "one thing.“ Note to trainers: Have an audience member focus on balancing the presentation pointer (e.g., the stick that’s found in nearly every classroom) first by focusing their undivided attention on the point where the pointer meets their finger. In practically every case, individuals will fail at doing so. Have these same individuals next try to balance it by focusing their undivided attention on the top of the pointer, the uppermost tip. What once was a nearly impossible task now becomes almost routine. For this task, you’ve just found your “one thing,” or your target. This is where the majority of your attention needs to be directed when performing this task. Great marksmen, leaders, and athletes have always done this – instinctively finding a single, specific target to focus on; a target so exact that it challenges their nervous systems to find it and stay on it. Interestingly enough, the human nervous system seems to function better when pursuing a single, specific, exact target than a vague one. Contrary to common belief, we can effectively really only attend to one thing at any given moment. Today, many people take great pride in their ability to multitask. Let’s take a closer look at multitasking and its impact on performance… In fact, research has shown that multitasking is slower and less effective than executing one task in response to one target and then shifting to the next task and engaging the next target. We’ll spend more time talking about this point when we discuss attention “thieves” later in this lesson. In order for performers’ targets to have the desired effect, attracting their attention and keeping it riveted, it must become so familiar and well-known that their attention will automatically gravitate toward it. This programming process requires two actions: (1) deliberately picking out the most appropriate target during actual training/rehearsal and committing attention to it, and (2) mentally rehearsing being completely locked in to this target and performing superbly as a result. To facilitate this process, select a meaningful cue, a single word or a short direct phrase (affirmation), that serves to trigger the focusing process…
- How does a routine accomplish this? First, it diverts your attention away from irrelevant stimuli, because by consciously putting your attention on something, or on a series of something’s, your attention cannot be grabbed by something else. A routine allows you to focus your attention on the process of doing what you want to do and away from the outcome or potential consequences of what you are doing. It helps you stay in the present moment and not get caught up in worrying or fantasizing about what might happen. It is important to separate the effective use of a routine from slavish obedience to a ritual. While many Soldiers and performers feel strongly about personal superstitions, (lucky trinkets or clothing items to wear, music to listen to, or foods to eat), they know that these external influences do not control their performance. The pre-performance or pre-event routine then, simply brings the Soldier back to a state of unconscious trust in his or her ability. You may be familiar with the story “Touching the Void.” In this survivorship account, Joe Simpson identified and relied on a personal routine to help him survive a near-death fall, escape from an ice cave, and climb his way down a near vertical decent back to base camp, all while Simpson and partner, Simon Yates headed were ice climbing in the Peruvian Andes in 1985 when the team lost control, resulting in Simpson ended up hanging 100 feet off a cliff in midair and attached by a rope to Yates who was barely anchored on the ledge above. The two couldn’t communicate, Simpson tried in vain to climb out and eventually gave up, and little-by-little, Yates was sliding down closer to the edge and losing his footing. After an hour, Yates finally made the decision to cut the rope, saving himself but sending his partner plummeting to his death, or so he thought. In fact, Simpson did survive the 100 foot fall, crashing through an ice bridge and landing in a dark ice cave. He suffered a severely broken leg. Simpson spent the next three days trying to find his way out of the ice cave, down the mountain face, and back to base camp, all the while trying to survive the near-paralyzing pain of his broken leg, dehydration, hypothermia, and delirium. While moving across a near-vertical cliff face, Simpson developed a rhythmic routine of placing his ax, plunging his other arm into the snow face, and then making a frightening little hop with his good leg. “I meticulously repeated the pattern,” he wrote later. “I began to feel detached from everything around me.” He became absorbed by his routine, repeating it over and over, until three days later, he found himself 100 yards from base camp, where he met up with a grieve-stricken and relieved Yates. In his later writings, Simpson attributes his survival to this routine. As we’ve discussed already, the routine kept Simpson focused on executing a relevant pattern of movements. It allowed him to remain in control of himself and his emotions, while diverting his attention away from irrelevant aspects of his immediate environment and thoughts of the potential fatal consequences of not making it to base camp.
- Once you know what your target is, you can establish a direct path for your eyes and your mind to use in finding it. The path that you take to get to the one thing is called a routine and it is a crucial process for achieving your desired concentration. A routine is simply a sequence of three to five steps that progressively directs you focus onto your target and creates a sense of unconscious trust. Each step is a sight, or a sound, or a feeling, or an action, that brings you closer and ultimately right to your ideal performance state. The sights are pictures in the mind's eye of what you want to happen during the next interval of performance – (performing the OPORD brief smoothly and completely, biomechanics of the movement being performed correctly, Individual APFT events being maxed, etc.). The sounds are the phrases that you say to yourself in order to make yourself feel great; (“This is my time,” “Go all out,” “I shoot center mass every time,” etc.) The feelings are sensations of the correct execution and/or the specific emotion that you want to feel as you execute – (Controlled leg turnover, stable base, complete composure at all times, etc.). Lastly, the actions are the small movements that unlock tension and the breathing that allows you to perform smoothly while under pressure – (breathe deeply, loosen shoulders and fingers, etc.) With a solid routine, your mind is anchored to a process, helping your performance become more automatic and hence more Zone-like. One way to think of a routine is as a combination for a padlock. The steps you go through allow you unlock the door to your best performance. The routine is what you deliberately do to make the transition from preparing to do something (training) to actually performing (trusting). The routine is also what you use to compensate, adjust, and refocus when your concentration has been interrupted.
- Another Example: Preparing for Heart Surgery Scrub, gown, and gloves Arrive at hallway to OR Take a few big deep breaths Walk tall and “Get Big” Enter OR exuding confidence and leadership
- Another Example: Preparing for Heart Surgery Scrub, gown, and gloves Arrive at hallway to OR Take a few big deep breaths Walk tall and “Get Big” Enter OR exuding confidence and leadership
- Once you find your target, program yourself to respond to it, and get there through your routine, then it's time to LET your concentration happen. At this point, concentration becomes more unconscious and instinctive and less deliberate, similar to the mental process of letting yourself watch a great movie and get totally into the plot to the point where you lose all track of time, or watching a sunset and letting yourself get carried away by the colors and shades in the sky. Letting concentration happen means that you do not concern yourself with whether you are doing it right or wrong, just that you allow your mind to do what it is naturally designed to do. The idea of letting concentration happen as opposed to "making" it happen is often difficult to accept and put into practice for people who have become accustomed to "making" things happen, and who have achieved some measure of success by "making" things happen. The concept may be easier to internalize if you consider how many human accomplishments and natural wonders occur through the automatic “letting” process rather than the active “making” process. No better example exists than that of a very young child learning to walk. A very young child learns to walk before the mind has developed the capacity for self-reflection and self-consciousness and thus cannot “try hard” or “make himself” walk. Yet the developments that occurs in the human skeletal, muscular, perceptual, cardiovascular, and autonomic nervous systems between the crawling stage and the walking stage are nothing short of miraculous. Consider the reorganization that must take place in these systems as the child rises from the floor, teeters on two feet, and takes those first tentative steps. In only a few short weeks, all those systems become completely reorganized and the child is unstoppable, flying throughout the house! The child sees his/her target across the room --- Mom! And, in an instant, s/he’s up and scrambling across the floor, eyes on mom and the body following naturally in tow. A stumble results in a momentary look of shock, followed by several more aggressive steps until s/he reaches the destination. The capacity for intense concentration is as natural as that for walking and running, and is unleashed through the same natural process. Trusting in this process and surrendering its control to the incredibly competent and complex machinery of the human being, after having taken all the necessary active steps (identifying the target, programming oneself, establishing a routine) is the final and crucial step in releasing the incredible potential that you were born with.
- Interfering Factors There are several factors which have the potential for interfering with your concentration and getting you away from your target and routine. Honest awareness of these factors and their impact on you will help you rise above them. 1. Fatigue/pain: There is no denying that it's harder to focus when fatigued or injured versus when you’re fresh. WTs will face increasing challenges with bringing complete attention to the task at hand during times when pain is high and energy is low. You can help guard against this by ensuring that they follow their sleep routine, eat several small meals daily, drink appropriate amounts of water to offset that lost during their physical rehabilitation, and use some form of deliberate relaxation exercises (we will describe these in more detail during the energy management lesson) to maintain the highest energy levels possible and leverage the body’s day-to-day healing. Since your WTs will certainly have to perform in some pain and while fatigued, it makes sense to come to terms with these factors and learn to view them as catalysts that promote personal best efforts, rather than as enemies to be avoided. Like a surfer who wants the biggest wave possible because it presents him/her with the biggest challenge and biggest opportunity, you have to look forward to confronting and overcoming the conditions that threaten and challenge your concentration. Those are the conditions that draw forth all your courage, all your skill, and hence reveal your true capabilities. Since discovering your true capabilities is one of the unspoken goals of this journey, these conditions are to be embraced with a sort of pragmatic curiosity to pursue the limits of potential, rather than feared and avoided. 2. Unfamiliar surroundings and stimulation : The well-known "home field advantage" is a perfect example of the effects that unfamiliar surroundings have on performance. On a simpler level, any loud, sudden, or unexpected noise automatically grabs attention, and should this happen in the middle of a performance, you can easily be pulled away from your target and out of your routine by this sudden stimulation. Taking the time to familiarize yourself with every new performing environment possible (and this may not always be physically possible, but certainly can be supplemented using imagery), being ready for interruptions, and having a plan of action ready for returning attention to the target once diverted are all important in protecting your concentration. 3. Fear and anxiety : This factor takes your mind out of the present moment and into a future world of “what if’s” and “what might's.” The moment that process is engaged, sustaining focus on the thing that is “most relevant right here and right now” is next to impossible. Being honest with yourself, acknowledging the situations that tend to make you fearful, then deciding to throw away this fear and act with complete conviction and trust is an essential part of becoming a great performer. Fear and anxiety increase mental noise and internal analysis which disrupt the quieter and instinctive qualities associated with true concentration. By rehearsing your Training Mindset often and developing a powerful self-image, you will find it easier to manage your fear and anxiety, thereby improving your concentration as well. 4. Lack of interest : There will certainly be days during your transition when your energy quotient is low or when your selected target no longer grabs your attention like it once did. If your energy quotient is low, it’s important that you reflect on your transition goals and determine their relevance. Motivation follows goals, and meaningful transition goals will help sustain consistently higher levels of energy. Waning interest also reflects a need to review your energy management techniques. Are you doing something deliberate each day that brings energy back into your body? If so, have you made this thing a priority? Sometimes, simply changing from one target to a more relevant one is just what’s need to regain interest and momentum.
- Note to Trainers – This slide is merely an overview slide and should take no more than 1 minute to brief. You will highlight some of the common misconceptions and explain to the audience that you will be covering each one in more detail over the next 15 minutes. These are the misconceptions that most people believe about stress and energy management. Over next few minutes, we’ll examine each of these inaccuracies in more detail, and clarify the actual “truths” that correspond to each misconception.
- Anything important (good or bad) depletes your tank, and requires energy management techniques to be at your best
- Note to CSF Trainer- hit key points on de-brief: Exhaustion backlash: Letting your guard down after extended operations Strategic Recovery Plan: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=course+map+eco+challenge+new+zealand+2001&FORM=BIFD#focal=e938c631917991791e2667e7bad3384b&furl=http%3A%2F%2Fbenjamin.co.il%2Fblog%2Fentries_images%2Feconz%2Feconz_08.jpg Eco-Challenge is an expedition race. Each team of four, comprising men and women, races non-stop for 6 to 12 days, 24-hours a day, over a rugged 300 mile course using mountain biking, river rafting, horseback riding, mountaineering and fixed ropes, kayaking and navigation skills. The first team to cross the finish line together, in full complement, is the winner. If a team loses a member due to ilness, fatigue, injury or a team disagreement, they are disqualified. Only teams that can work together as friends have any hope of reaching the finish line.
- Hard core stress requires hard core recovery. During caveperson times, you hunt or fish when you were hungry, then rested. You ran when you were being hunted, then rested. And you ride the healthy wave of energy mobilization and recovery. This is the ideal approach to energy management…taking your recovery as seriously as you take your trade or profession. As we’ll soon see, this is rarely the case…
- This is more realistic of the modern-day Warrior, the modern-day professional, the modern-day athlete. You mobilize tremendous amounts of energy, but recover only some of it back before you shift into high gear again and mobilize more. Eventually, you hit a point where the body can no longer continue and you crash. You will recovery somehow, whether it’s voluntary/strategic/proactive or unhealthy and reactive. We are a society very good at mobilizing vast amounts of physical, mental, and emotional energy, and unfortunately we are a society that downplays the importance of recovering this energy. This brings us to the next point…
- I use this slide to follow up what John Fernandez had to say and also to lead into the grip and gravity activity. We’ve learned that the terms grip and gravity sometimes confuse people, so we use them synonymously with controllable and uncontrollable for more clarity. The idea here is to identify what we can change, and what we can’t and to develop a strategy for dealing with those things we can change, and learning to live with or dismiss those things we can’t change. By developing a strategy or game plan for dealing with the grip forces, we are empowering ourselves to effectively manage those things we can change in an effective way that doesn’t take a lot of mental energy when we let them run around in our head, worrying about them as opposed to taking action. The harder part of this is taking those gravity forces and adopting a more effective way at looking at them so that they don’t have control over us any more. This directly relates back to the fifth misconception, that we have to be in control of everything. It’s just not possible, especially when it comes to the actions of others. WT Considerations : The transition process is quite frustrating for a good number of Soldiers, because they feel there is a lot that is outside of their control, as I mentioned earlier. It is important to put into perspective that while they can’t control being in the WTU, or that the doctor only sees patients from 8 to 4, or how long they will be away from their family, they can control how they choose to think about all of these things and that can help them better manage their energy and channel it towards what they really need it for: to heal. They can also choose to be active participants in the healing process by asking powerful questions about information given to them by doctors, case managers, etc. They can also make sure to follow their rehab protocol and attend all appointments made for them. They can all these things and more to empower themselves so they feel like they are more in control of their situation and feel less like the situation is dictating to them.
- Note to Trainers: This is a great opportunity to get them practicing these skills as you describe them. When you talk about relaxing the body, instruct them to breathe deeply and push their air low into their lungs and lowering their diaphragm. As you talk about quieting the mind, have them continue with the breathing while you provide a “target”…in this case, a 5-count mental cadence for them to sustain. As you talk about the emotional component, remind them to breathe and maintain their cadence, and then encourage them to give themselves permission to enjoy this moment of peach and quiet and simplicity. Overall, this will keep them engaged, and it’s fun for them to do. Direct attention to a cue that locks you into the one thing happening right now. In this case, what’s happening right now is that you’re breathing. So, lock onto your cadence and make the rhythm of each breath your focal point. You may even find it helpful at first to maintain the cadence by counting slowly in your head for each inhalation and exhalation.
- I read over the benefits of utilizing high quality recovery. WT Considerations : It is important to emphasize that high quality recovery does not take the place of medication being used to treat chronic pain, insomnia, anxiety, and depression because what we don’t want to have happen is to have a Soldier decide on his/her own to stop their medication and say that ACEP told them this would take care of it. With proper training, a Soldier can learn to use high quality recover to have a significant impact on their healing, or on their pain or insomnia, etc. It can be used in conjunction with medication they are prescribed, until they become proficient at it and feel that it can take the place of their medication or other pain management regimen. We’ve had Soldiers ask about this and the last thing we want to do is have them tell their physicians that we said they could do high quality recovery and don’t need medication. A decision to use high quality recovery should be discussed with their physician and integrated into the treatment plan, with the idea in mind that at some point the Soldier can manage his/her pain, etc. without the use of medication.
- CSF RT Trainers: Note Kiecolt-Glaser’s studies – marital distress significantly impairs healing (Soldier and Family ramifications) and stress prior to surgery and following surgery impairs healing following surgery (WT ramification) and stress associated with being a care provider impairs healing (WTU staff ramification) CSF RT Trainers: Be sure to hit the big three take-homes (see WTU MTT slides for the three quotes) How Soldiers manage their thought processes and emotional states is crucial to leveraging their bodies’ remarkable abilities to heal. This means thinking confidently and developing a powerful self-image, setting and pursuing personally meaningful goals, directing and sustaining attention on the right things along their WTU journey, and ultimately cultivating an unwavering sense of trust in themselves, their strengths, their capabilities, their support team, and their future. Now that we all recognize how important this topic is to our WTU Soldiers, let’s take a moment and look at how most people typically, and erroneously, view stress and energy management…