So far we have looked at how to improve movement by focusing on external cues and/or the feeling of the movement itself. We have looked at what a good cue might look like. We saw what happens when there is extreme focus on our movement to the point where we get lost in the movement – the experience of flow. And we examined the benefit of occasionally getting lost in movement by experimenting or playing as opposed to focusing only on structured practice. In other words, where and how we pay attention in everyday practice can positively impact on how we perform. Next, we will look at what we can do in terms of focusing to perform best in high stakes situations, say a sports competition, grading or similar. It goes without saying that ‘good’ focus is particularly important in those situations.
The good news is that practicing the strategies we have looked at so far will give you a good grounding in performing well in competition situations. That is, through focusing on the feeling of smooth and fluid movement when performing a particular dance movement or swimming, for example, you will have practiced directing your attention. In doing so, you will also have practiced ignoring other factors such as the exact position of your knee. In competitions this can be vital. For example, when lining up for a race in an individual event such as swimming or running, you will likely do better when not getting distracted by the hype at the start line or by any niggling doubts about a few missed training sessions and so on.
Along the same lines, your competition performance will likely be better through focusing on your own movement rather than getting caught up in the pace of other competitors. However, completely ignoring what is going on around you is also unlikely to lead to great performance. In fact, you might be at risk of tripping yourself or someone else up in a running event or similar. Instead, noticing these other cues in your environment and, in the case of no immediate relevance or danger, redirecting your attention is the best strategy for optimal competition performance. Now, if you are an experienced mindfulness practitioner, you might say that this sounds very familiar, and you would be right. The idea for mindful focus in sports competition is very much the same as that in meditation.
In team sports, this, of course, takes on a much more complex dimension. Paying attention to the right kind of movement cues of the opponents and your team members, their relative position on the field to each other, to you and to the ball, for example, will lead to increased performance.
Three focus strategies that prepare you for competition:
- Continue to refine your movement practice through the focus strategies learned so far. Repeated practice at directing attention also makes you a better competitor.
- Visualise competition conditions including internal and external stimuli and mentally rehearse your actions or response to them.
- Simulate competition conditions, go through the simulation repeatedly and verbalise your actions with cues that you can refine and use when you tow the start line.
If you are keen to learn more about how your focus, or where and how you pay attention, impacts on your movement over the next couple of months, keep an eye on this spot, follow me or subscribe to the blogpost. To work with me one-on-one to apply some of these principles to your own life and movement, message me for a free call. I look forward to hearing from you.
References (for the extra keen)
Wilson et al. (2006)