In our last several +1s (here, here, and here), we’ve been spending time with Dave Alred and tapping into wisdom from his book The Pressure Principle.
We defined pressure, popped the ultimate performance-enhancing pill (self-talk!), and assumed our command posture.
Now…
Today we’re going to wrap up our quick tour with a look at THE most important thing we want to do when we feel the pressure.
We need to dominate our protocol—focusing on the PROCESS we’ve defined for ourselves (which will include the posture, self-talk, etc.) rather than the OUTCOME.
Here’s how Dave puts it: “Focusing on the process rather than the outcome is the essence of performing well under pressure. The tension between process and outcome seems to heighten in proportion to the amount of pressure someone is under to achieve, or, to look at it another way, the significance of not being successful. The more there is at stake, the more likely that thoughts about the outcome will interfere with thoughts about the process.”
He continues by saying: “This is the conflict that every performer goes through when dealing with pressure: how do I commit to the process in such a way that I don’t allow any thoughts about the outcome to pollute my thinking?”
That’s from chapter #8: “Thinking Correctly Under Pressure.”
The correct way to think under pressure?
I repeat…
FOCUS ON THE PROCESS!!!
Dave references the iconic golf coach Harvey Penick who told us to take “dead aim” at the smallest possible target as he tells us: “Once we become totally engaged in the process, we can then replace our thoughts about the sources of our anxiety—our worry about the outcome—and perform close to our best.”
He also tells us: “His total commitment to the process ensured that the outcome took care of itself.”
(As in: TOTAL commitment to the process—not kinda sorta committed but actually thinking about the outcome… TOTAL commitment to the process!!! What you need to do in this moment.)
Now…
My all-time favorite story re: the power of a RELENTLESS focus on the process?
It’s in my book.
Check out page #471 for the 145th micro-chapter called “Did I Win?” for the full story. (Check out this +1 here). Here’s the super short story...
Once upon a time, a golfer got coaching from Lanny Bassham—the gold-medal-winning author of With Winning in Mind. He hadn’t won in a while. Lanny wouldn’t let him think about winning.
All he was allowed to think about was EXECUTING HIS PROCESS RELENTLESSLY.
He’s playing a tournament at Torrey Pines early in the year. It’s the final hole of the final round.
He’s EXECUTING HIS PROCESS SO RELENTLESSLY that, after he sinks the final putt, he didn’t even know he won until his wife jumped into his arms. “Did I win?” he asked.
Yep. You won.
Spotlight back on YOU...
What do YOU do when you’re at your absolute best?
Focus on doing THAT.
All day. Every day.
Especially…
TODAY.
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