3 tips for focusing on the goal, rather than the goalkeeper
“I am extremely confident at work and always focus on the possibilities, rather than problems,” said one person. “That is not always the case in the rest of my life. But present me with any challenge at work and I am optimistic about finding a solution.” People have different confidence levels in different activities. Let’s explore where you focus on the goal - rather than the goalkeeper - and feel able to deliver the goods.
* You can clarify the activities in which you naturally focus on the goal, rather than the goalkeeper.
What are the activities in which you feel optimistic? Which are those where you focus on ‘the top, rather than the drop’? Different people will obviously have this feeling in different activities. You may have it when playing music, solving a maths problem, competing in sport, hitting sales targets, caring for animals, practicing surgery or whatever. Why do you have this feeling? Perhaps it is because you have confidence in your own ability, have lots of experience or are able to spot patterns quickly. You may get this feeling in many situations but, for the purpose of this exercise, focus on one specific activity. Try completing the following sentence.
The specific activity in which I focus on the goal - rather than the goalkeeper - is:
*
* You can clarify what you do right when you focus on the goal and achieve success.
“Something strange happens when I go on stage,” said one actor. “Suddenly I feel at ease and, for a few hours at least, I can be somebody else. People talk about ‘Doctor Theatre’. This is the place where, as an actor, your troubles disappear. That happens for me and I feel healed after every performance.”
So what is the actor doing right? He may be pursuing his passion, translating it into a clear goal; choosing the right kind of part; keeping his body and voice in shape; rehearsing in great detail; following certain rituals before a performance; being fully present and using his talent to bring the character to life. Let’s return to the specific activity in which you perform superbly. Try completing the following sentence.
The specific things I do right in this activity to achieve success are:
*
* You can continue following these principles to focus on the goal and achieve success.
How can you do this in your own way? There are two routes you can pursue.
a) You can put yourself into more situations where you feel naturally confident.
Play to your strengths and put yourself into places where you feel in your element. Concentrate and be fully present. Keep following your disciplines and do what is necessary to achieve success.
b) You can try following similar principles in situations where you do not have the same degree of confidence.
Certainly this will be more challenging – because you will not have the same ‘feeling’ for the activity. There are only so many ‘eternal’ principles, however, even though the practice may be different. You will not be good everywhere – so put yourself into situations where you have a reasonable chance of success. Plan your strategy carefully, rehearse everything in detail - then follow the key principles in your own way. Some you may win, some you may lose, but it may be worth giving it a try.
Bearing in mind these two types of scenarios, choose one where you can follow the principles that work for you. Describe what you can do right then to do your best to achieve success. Try completing the following sentences.
The specific situation where I can follow the key principles in the future is:
*
The specific things I can do right then to focus on the goal and do my best to achieve success are:
*
The ball is on the penalty spot. Standing on the edge of the area, you are calm, controlled and centered. The stadium is hushed, but you are in your own bubble. You focus on the goal - not the goalkeeper - and move towards the ball. Hitting through it in one movement, you flow, focus and finish. Then the ball hits the net. Goal!
The specific activity in which I focus on the goal - rather than the goalkeeper - is:
*
* You can clarify what you do right when you focus on the goal and achieve success.
“Something strange happens when I go on stage,” said one actor. “Suddenly I feel at ease and, for a few hours at least, I can be somebody else. People talk about ‘Doctor Theatre’. This is the place where, as an actor, your troubles disappear. That happens for me and I feel healed after every performance.”
So what is the actor doing right? He may be pursuing his passion, translating it into a clear goal; choosing the right kind of part; keeping his body and voice in shape; rehearsing in great detail; following certain rituals before a performance; being fully present and using his talent to bring the character to life. Let’s return to the specific activity in which you perform superbly. Try completing the following sentence.
The specific things I do right in this activity to achieve success are:
*
* You can continue following these principles to focus on the goal and achieve success.
How can you do this in your own way? There are two routes you can pursue.
a) You can put yourself into more situations where you feel naturally confident.
Play to your strengths and put yourself into places where you feel in your element. Concentrate and be fully present. Keep following your disciplines and do what is necessary to achieve success.
b) You can try following similar principles in situations where you do not have the same degree of confidence.
Certainly this will be more challenging – because you will not have the same ‘feeling’ for the activity. There are only so many ‘eternal’ principles, however, even though the practice may be different. You will not be good everywhere – so put yourself into situations where you have a reasonable chance of success. Plan your strategy carefully, rehearse everything in detail - then follow the key principles in your own way. Some you may win, some you may lose, but it may be worth giving it a try.
Bearing in mind these two types of scenarios, choose one where you can follow the principles that work for you. Describe what you can do right then to do your best to achieve success. Try completing the following sentences.
The specific situation where I can follow the key principles in the future is:
*
The specific things I can do right then to focus on the goal and do my best to achieve success are:
*
The ball is on the penalty spot. Standing on the edge of the area, you are calm, controlled and centered. The stadium is hushed, but you are in your own bubble. You focus on the goal - not the goalkeeper - and move towards the ball. Hitting through it in one movement, you flow, focus and finish. Then the ball hits the net. Goal!
You can find many more tools for building on your strengths at:
posted by Mike Pegg at
16:19
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31 July 2007 at 00:59
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