I’m a big fan of The Championships, Wimbledon and enjoying some great matches this week.
The #InnerGame of Tennis by Tim Gallwey comes to mind, with commentators talking about how much of a mental game tennis is, as well as a physical one. And comments such as ‘it’s a game against yourself as much as your opponent’ and ‘oh the Murray mutterings have started again’.
We’ve all experienced the inner critic, the crazy voice in our heads, and the tremendous effort it can take to overcome the self-doubt, stay calm and stay positive.
We see world class players battling it out on court, inside and out. This innergame in between our Self 1, our #consciousmind and our Self 2, our #unconsciousmind.
The Self 1, the #innercritic, judges everything we do and tries to control Self 2.
Self 2 follows the instructions of Self 1.
Hence the challenges we each face!
To truly play at our best, we need to quieten our Self 1, by letting go of judgement.
Then let Self 2 take over and be guided by instinct to achieve #topperformance. Easier said than done and this is where a coach can really help, with leaders as well as tennis players!
The way our inner selves interact determines how successful we are in whatever we do.
Are you winning your #innergame?
Ways to Win your Inner Game
Work and life, just as on the tennis court, can be a battle between our conscious and unconscious minds. Our Self 1 and Self 2. Our inner game.
So what can we do to encourage these 2 selves to work better together?
Some suggestions for starters:-
Become aware of your thoughts, notice them as thoughts, just thoughts and watch them go by.
Our conscious mind can cause us great stress through the numerous negative judgements we hear in our heads. By becoming more aware of these judgements, we can start to separate ourselves from them and become less impacted by them.
Instead of worrying about the future, guide your conscious mind to the here and now. This will keep your mind from wandering into unhelpful places.
Rather than following the instruction of others step by step, try things out for yourself, in your own way. Discover how best to do it, for you, with your unique strengths and preferences.
When we let go of our need to control everything, we can then start to trust ourselves and our choices. We can enjoy what we do, become more focused in the moment and be more in the zone.
The key to excellence is about finding what works best for you, rather than following what others teach you. This powerful approach, known as implicit learning, is a key factor in reaching your peak performance.
Things do go wrong, that’s life. Rather than dwell on this, press the restart button and start afresh.
This will stop Self 1 getting carried away with judgements and allow room for Self 2 to step in and bring out your best performance. The reset button allows you to develop your resilience, bounce forward and succeed.
If you’d like to explore further, I’d love to hear from you.
terri@inspirethebest.com
Is your Team Aligned, Resilient and Delivering Great Results?
To achieve this, we believe that leadership teams and key business teams need to be aligned on a…
Post articles and opinions on London Professionals
to attract new clients and referrals. Feature in newsletters.
Join for free today and upload your articles for new contacts to read and enquire further.
