Getting in ‘the zone’ or ‘flow state’ is arguably the holy grail of all athletes. The spiritual quality of this state seems to be only enhanced by the way athletes describe this state:
‘I felt so powerful.’
‘I felt that anything was possible.’
‘I wasn’t really thinking about anything but I knew exactly what I was doing.’
‘I felt like success was happening to me but that I was in total control.’
What is interesting about everyone’s experience of the zone is that it isn’t something that athletes can tell you about when they are in the zone. If you attempt to acknowledge the state in the moment you experience it that some how takes them out of the zone. It is this realisation that is key to understanding what the zone state is. It is our ability to be entirely in the lived moment we are experiencing. So somewhat contradictorily you always in the zone, in the moment but it is our ability to acknowledge and limit the blocks to experiencing that moment that is the key to getting in the zone. This is where My Life Gym can come in and make the difference.
By using the My Life Gym System you can come to understand what your blockers are to you being able to experience the zone- the moment. You can not get in the zone you can only reduce and eliminate the blocks to you being in the zone. At My Life Gym we believe that there are five common blocks to help athletes getting in the zone. See if any of these situations and quotes sound familiar…
Anxious Questioning:
Athletes, particularly those involved in very technique based sports, such as golf, rowing or archery can find they over analyse what they are doing.
How is my grip on the club?
Is my blade square in the water?
How is my stance?
By over analysing or questioning an athlete can get caught in their own heads and separate themselves from the rest of their sensory experience of the moment- of the zone. This in turn can produce a state of heightened anxiety that will only make the situation worse and make the type of questioning or statements more of a blocker to the zone.
Why can’t I see this put?
The target seems a long way away.
What am I doing here?
Successful athletes are able to control this blocker and achieve the relaxed focus synonymous with the zone. This is not the same as lacking intensity more that the athlete has total focus and their mind is clear of all negative distractions- in this case clear of negative self talk.
Lack of Focus:
If the athlete isn’t clear about their intentions for the training session or competition it is going to be very difficult to achieve a flow state. If you say I want to win, I want to do better or I want to be the best you are unlikely to have the necessary focus you need as focus is another key element of the zone or flow state. What these statements lack is a sense of meaning for the individual. If an athlete carries these generalised goals they are more likely to find themselves going through the motions and come up with excuses for why they can’t achieve to their optimum.
One Day at a Time:
To truly achieve beyond an athletes expectations and to win what ever their ‘gold medal’ might be will by implication take a lot of hard work, dedication, training and time. Getting their can very easily seem like an impossible task. This is another classic way in which athletes can trip themselves up and block themselves from the zone state, leading to procrastination and even quitting.
The Journey not the Destination:
Another classic way in which an athlete can break their zone state is to think the goal has been achieved before they cross the line. Thinking about the future takes the mind away from the moment- the zone. This type of blocker has a profound effect on the intensity of the athletes performance because their physiological response is to relax, the adrenaline drops and the focus is gone. The zone, like success itself, is a bi-product of the athletes optimal performance so to think you have won the football match, the frame of snooker or the world title before it is in your hand is a sure fire way to break the zone and your chances of success.
Letting Go
Similarly athletes that focus on the past, particularly negative experiences or past mistakes will keep them from achieving the zone state.
I hate this hole, I three putted last time I played this one.
I never seem to be able to defend corner kicks well.
Letting go of these events and focusing on the task in hand and the pleasure that brings is essential to achieving the zone state.
If you would like to see how coaching could work for you click here or go to the Contact Me page and get in touch.
