Hyped to the Max
Self-Control is Required for a Best Effort Performance
Self-control is a big deal. Peak performances occur when you perform with adrenaline and intensity, but without rushing or trying to do too much or worrying. You want to find the ideal balance of aggressiveness with self-control. Your hype level affects your body physically, including posture, breathing, adrenaline, heart rate, muscle tension, perspiration, vision, and more. It also affects your mental skills, including focus, perception of time, confidence, attitude, and rhythm. Together, these affect mechanical efficiency and coordination. Imagine that hype level can be measured on a scale of 0-10 with zero being asleep and ten being a wild, raging maniac (think Tasmanian Devil). Everyone has an ideal level for each task. Get too high and balance is lost, rushing is likely, and aggressiveness is excessive. Get too low and there is not enough focused intensity or energy to produce a best effort performance.
Hype level typically fluctuates with the environment and situation, but it doesn't have to. You can control it by maintaining a healthy perspective on sports and controlling the effects listed above. If the goal is to be the best you can be, your only chance of reaching that goal is to do your best, now. There are no do-overs in life. Use the power phrase: "Winning begins now!" Then, control your attitude with positive self-talk that includes an Optimistic Explanatory Style and your body language by acting as if you already are the way you want to be. Study and practice strategies for dialing your hype level up and down as needed. Self-control is a skill that can be learned... with awareness and practice. As usual, courage and motivation are required.
Arousal is typically too low at practice and too high in games or "clutch" situations. "Dial it up" by using goals and motion to create excitement for doing your best on this next one, the only one you'll ever have any control over. "Dial it down" by caring less about the outcomes and more about the joys of sport and challenges. Take deep breaths. Remember What's Important Now (W.I.N., not winning) and lean on your routine to be comfortable with all the familiar aspects of what you are doing. Great athletes know how to be comfortable in situations that would make most people uncomfortable. Whether dialing it up or down, act as if you already are what you want to be and focus on controllable variables like rhythm and breathing to help you get there quickly. Or use an anchor (like the bell for Pavlov's dogs) to change your state in an instant.
Arousal is typically too low at practice and too high in games or "clutch" situations. "Dial it up" by using goals and motion to create excitement for doing your best on this next one, the only one you'll ever have any control over. "Dial it down" by caring less about the outcomes and more about the joys of sport and challenges. Take deep breaths. Remember What's Important Now (W.I.N., not winning) and lean on your routine to be comfortable with all the familiar aspects of what you are doing. Great athletes know how to be comfortable in situations that would make most people uncomfortable. Whether dialing it up or down, act as if you already are what you want to be and focus on controllable variables like rhythm and breathing to help you get there quickly. Or use an anchor (like the bell for Pavlov's dogs) to change your state in an instant.
In short, don't simply "go with the flow" unless that flow is already guiding you towards a peak performance. That will happen occasionally, but not enough to be consistent or "mentally tough." Instead, use your personal power and your routines to give your best effort to get yourself both physically and mentally into the right place at the right time. All you can do is all you can do, but actually giving your best effort every time takes an uncommon commitment. Again, courage and motivation are required.
Do you have a strategy that works best for you for dialing it up or calming down? Please share best practices in the comments below.