We’ve all heard of it, many of us have experienced it and all of us want more of it. I’m talking about “the zone.” Other terms for this are flow, peak performance, etc. Regardless, athletes refer to it in an illusive, mythical sense. Often, it seems we stumble into that special state, during which time stands still, our performance feels effortless, we are fully composed and our confidence is unshakable. Then, the instant we realize we’re in the zone, like the eye of a tornado, it’s gone. The good news is, it doesn’t have to be that way.
As a collegiate and competitive tennis player, I chased after the zone, like an addiction. Through some research and trial and error, I began to realize that I had some control. I had a say in getting into the zone heading into a tennis match. The key, I found, was my pre-performance routine. How I prepared my mind and body going into a match made a huge difference.
The zone is what psychologist, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, author of Finding Flow, calls “flow.” In an article published by Psychology Today, he describes it as “that state of effortless concentration and enjoyment.” According to Csikszentmihalyi, flow happens when our skills are fully involved in pursuing a goal or task that requires an appropriate response.
Tennis is a great example because there are clear goals and rules that guide the performance of each player. But, this can happen in many areas of life when we have a task or goal to complete that takes concentration and challenges our abilities.
Playing an instrument, writing, public speaking, programing, rock climbing, performing surgery, litigations are all great examples. The main hurdles are getting in the zone, staying there and getting back to it when you get distracted.
When it comes to getting into the zone, it is my pre-performance routine that sets the course of how I will perform and respond when challenges arise.
Here are 3 powerful questions that help me build pre-performance routines for optimal performance regardless of the task. Try them out for yourself.
What Does My Ideal Performance Look Like?
As Stephen R. Covey advised in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, “Start with the end in mind.” I can’t prepare my mind and body to perform a certain way if I don’t know what is required. So, take on the role of film director in your mind and create a vivid motion picture of what your ideal performance looks like, feels like, smells like, etc.
As a speaker, I consider my energy level, voice, facial expressions, emotions, movements and mastery of the information I’m communicating. Get crystal clear about what this looks like for you. Then, it is time to figure out how to get there.
What Thoughts Are Going to Lead Me There?
Cognitive-behavioral psychologists have been telling us for years that it is our thoughts that drive our actions. So, what is it that you need to say to yourself to help create your ideal performance? Think on purpose. Don’t leave your thoughts up to chance when it comes to performance. Be proactive, not reactive with your thoughts.
Going into a tennis match, my thoughts focused on what I could control and what I needed to do to play well. “Get into a rhythm early, play high percentage tennis and keep focused on each point. Do that and you’ll be in position to win games.” This built my confidence, painted pictures in my mind, and got me focused on the right things.
Your thoughts directly impact your performance and your ability to get into the zone.
Your optimal energy level will be specific to you. I once worked with a football player who preferred to be calm and quiet before games. This wasn’t the case for many of his teammates. But if he wanted to be his best, he knew he needed some alone time before crossing the sidelines into the game.
Your optimal energy will also vary by task. My energy for writing is different than for running, leading a meeting or giving a speech. Find the optimal energy level for you and then develop strategies to get there.
If you’ve answered these 3 powerful questions, you have a great head start for getting into the zone. Now, you just have to put the pieces together to create a pre-performance routine. This is a series of things that you do leading up to beginning whatever your performance task is. For tennis, I integrated the answers to these 3 questions into my warm up before the start of a match.
As I began to use the same sequence again and again (to the extent that I could control), I began getting more consistent in my performance. You will too. That is where the magic happens.
So, write out what that would like for you, repeat it, and get into the zone for higher levels of performance time and time again.
- Article: Finding Flow published in Psychology Today
- Book: Flow: Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
- Book: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Power Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey