Tips for Elite Performance - by Dr Stephen Simpson

Dr Stephen Simpson discusses the way to find elite performance in sport by using your own potentials more smartly.

 

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Arguably the biggest mistake we make in our lives is vastly underestimating the potential of our mind. The Conscious mind is the only bit that we are aware of, and yet this makes up only about 1% of our brain.

Despite their best efforts, scientists have barely a clue how the Conscious mind works. So what goes on in the other 99% of our brain, loosely called the Unconscious mind? Who knows - but obviously it is busy doing something!

If we could discover how to use an extra 1% of our conscious mind we would improve our brain power by 0.001%. In golf we might do this by improving our will-power, or developing a new system.

 

If we could discover how to use an extra 1% of our Unconscious mind we would improve our brain power by 1%, a hundredfold more than improving the Conscious mind by a similar amount. So that is where we should target our efforts.

 

As a medical specialist, author, NLP Master Practitioner Trainer, MBA, and caddie on the European Tours I have discovered time after time that the secret to playing great sport is keeping life simple. Just stay in the present. Unfortunately most of us find this about the hardest thing in the world to do. The only answer is to adopt a rock-solid proven system that will work every day, in any arena, in any weather, and with whoever you play with.

 

By keeping it simple, and cutting out all the background noise, results can improve in the sporting world massively.  I have seen time and time again with my own eyes how controlling your emotions can help you to find that legendary place spoken of by every person who has ever been at the top of their game: "The Zone".  It is a fantastically empowering experience to be in flow.  You make the right decisions, you don't have that internal chatter going on that too often gets in the way of your game, and everything you do seems to build on the success you were already having.  This is the experience that the world's top athletes and players report.  The key is in the silence of the mind.

 

One of the reasons I caddie for some of the world's top golfers, is in order to observe and understand how they get into "The Zone."  I am glad to report that I have seen with my own eyes how it is done.  As a result of my observations, I have regularly helped my clients to improve their performance - not only in the golfing world, but in the world of all sporting endeavour.  Whether you are an athlete, a footballer, a gymnast, a rugby player - whatever it is that you do, I can improve your game.  Far too often we fail to get that increase in the potential use of our minds because we just don't know how to tap into that 99% that could really help us to be so much better.

 

I use many different techniques and ideas to help you find your best performance, no matter what your sport is.  But the first steps I would suggest, in order to keep it simple and to hush the mind, are breathing exercises, and techniques to do with building a calm and focussed state inside yourself.  For this reason, I would say there is no better place to start on your road to supreme improvement than by learning how to quiet your mind through meditation.  Scientists have shown many positive benefits to this practice.  Your stress levels fall, your blood pressure drops, and your concentration increases.

 

And while many of the world’s top golfers credit meditation as being a significant factor in their success too, I can assure you, that is just the start!  So try it for yourself.  Before you start a game, take a few moments to go calm inside yourself.  Allow yourself to relax, and float down to a slightly dreamy state, and push away any negative or unhelpful thoughts.  Think through quietly what you are going to do and how you would like to behave.  Breath from the pit of your stomach and be as relaxed as you can as you imagine yourself being the very best you can be... and then even better.

 

Very often even with these simple exercises clients report an improvement in their game.  So take some time to notice how you are doing.  And when you want to know more, contact me.  There is plenty more to show you!

 

Best of luck, and good playing, whatever your chosen sport is!