3 tips for being able to flow - rather than freeze
Think of a situation in which you want to flow, rather than freeze. You may be giving a keynote speech, singing in a musical, playing in a cup final or whatever. Here are three things you can do to be at your best - rather than be consumed by fear, flee or become frustrated. Fighting spirit may well be needed. But it is important to fight fair, rather than dirty. This will provide the springboard for you to flow and succeed.
* You can rehearse the situation in which you want to flow.
“Ever since I was 6 years old, I had imagined sinking the final putt to win a major championship,” said the professional golfer. “Now the moment had arrived. People said the crowd became hushed, but I never noticed. Going inside my ‘bubble’, I went through the old routine. This was just me, the ball, the green and the hole. Breathing calmly, I remembered the putts I had holed - rather than those I had missed - and concentrated on the moment. Swinging the putter, I made perfect contact - and watched the ball travel into the hole. All hell broke loose and I collapsed in a heap.”
How can you rehearse properly? Picture the situation in which you want to flow---then go through the following steps.
a) Start from the destination - the end goal. Clarify the picture of perfection. Describe what you want people to be saying, feeling and thinking after you have finished. Focus on the real results you want to achieve.
b) Return to the beginning - the time before you enter the ‘arena’ - and map out the total journey. Describe how you will prepare. List every step in detail. Move onto the day of the ‘performance’. Consider how you will get yourself into the right frame of mind. How will you enter the arena? Describe how you will behave in the first minute, ten minutes and so on. Continue until you have completed the performance.
c) Clarify how you will ‘flow’ when you are ‘on stage’. Looking back on your life, recall times when you have done your best in similar situations. What did you do right then? Looking ahead, how can you follow similar principles during the ‘performance’? Once you are happy with your plans, throw in some curve balls. Consider the potential difficult scenarios and, exploring each one in turn, clarify how you will get back on course. Continue until everything is covered. Then relax and look forward to the performance.
* You can go into the situation and flow.
In the film Billy Elliott, the hero is asked what he feels like when dancing. Billy finds it hard to reply at first, but then he says it is as if he ‘disappears’. “Like I feel a change in my whole body…And I’ve got this fire in my body….Like electricity.” Maybe he was describing ‘going into the zone’ - maybe about being able to flow. How can you do that in your chosen field?
Be fully present. Relax, re-centre and focus on the desired results. Be alert and use your antennae to be aware of what is happening. Do what ever it takes to get to 8/10. Then add that touch of class to achieve the 10/10. Flow, focus, finish and, maybe as a by-product, find fulfilment.
* You can re-centre after setbacks and recover your flow.
Great performers have what Arie de Geus called a ‘memory of the future’. They continually rehearse potential scenarios in their chosen field. When these events happen, they are several steps ahead of other people. Looking ahead to your ‘performance’, you will have rehearsed: a) The things that can go wrong - and how you will manage these difficulties; b) The things that can go right - and how you can build on these successes.
“Spontaneity takes a lot of planning,” we are told. You have anticipated the potential scenarios, so will have many solutions in your kit bag. What is something unexpected happens? Certainly you may quickly go through the stages of the ‘reactive change curve’: shock, denial, paralysis, anger, hurt, healing, new strength, new goals, hard work—then eventually success and self-confidence. But you must do it in half a second! Buy time - even if it is only for a few moments. Be calm, controlled and centred. Focus on the 3 C’s:
* Clarity.
Ask yourself: “What are the real results I want to achieve in this situation?” Be crystal-clear on your goal.
* Creativity.
Ask yourself: “What are the possible creative solutions? What are the consequences of each option? Which route do I want to follow?”
* Concrete results
Depending on the situation, do whatever you can to deliver concrete results.
Sounds simple in theory, but it can be difficult in practice. The key is to be calm, buy time and consider your options. Be fully present - then do your best to reach the goal. Sometimes it will work, sometimes it won’t -but it is vital to be true to yourself. You are then more likely to flow, rather than freeze.
“Ever since I was 6 years old, I had imagined sinking the final putt to win a major championship,” said the professional golfer. “Now the moment had arrived. People said the crowd became hushed, but I never noticed. Going inside my ‘bubble’, I went through the old routine. This was just me, the ball, the green and the hole. Breathing calmly, I remembered the putts I had holed - rather than those I had missed - and concentrated on the moment. Swinging the putter, I made perfect contact - and watched the ball travel into the hole. All hell broke loose and I collapsed in a heap.”
How can you rehearse properly? Picture the situation in which you want to flow---then go through the following steps.
a) Start from the destination - the end goal. Clarify the picture of perfection. Describe what you want people to be saying, feeling and thinking after you have finished. Focus on the real results you want to achieve.
b) Return to the beginning - the time before you enter the ‘arena’ - and map out the total journey. Describe how you will prepare. List every step in detail. Move onto the day of the ‘performance’. Consider how you will get yourself into the right frame of mind. How will you enter the arena? Describe how you will behave in the first minute, ten minutes and so on. Continue until you have completed the performance.
c) Clarify how you will ‘flow’ when you are ‘on stage’. Looking back on your life, recall times when you have done your best in similar situations. What did you do right then? Looking ahead, how can you follow similar principles during the ‘performance’? Once you are happy with your plans, throw in some curve balls. Consider the potential difficult scenarios and, exploring each one in turn, clarify how you will get back on course. Continue until everything is covered. Then relax and look forward to the performance.
* You can go into the situation and flow.
In the film Billy Elliott, the hero is asked what he feels like when dancing. Billy finds it hard to reply at first, but then he says it is as if he ‘disappears’. “Like I feel a change in my whole body…And I’ve got this fire in my body….Like electricity.” Maybe he was describing ‘going into the zone’ - maybe about being able to flow. How can you do that in your chosen field?
Be fully present. Relax, re-centre and focus on the desired results. Be alert and use your antennae to be aware of what is happening. Do what ever it takes to get to 8/10. Then add that touch of class to achieve the 10/10. Flow, focus, finish and, maybe as a by-product, find fulfilment.
* You can re-centre after setbacks and recover your flow.
Great performers have what Arie de Geus called a ‘memory of the future’. They continually rehearse potential scenarios in their chosen field. When these events happen, they are several steps ahead of other people. Looking ahead to your ‘performance’, you will have rehearsed: a) The things that can go wrong - and how you will manage these difficulties; b) The things that can go right - and how you can build on these successes.
“Spontaneity takes a lot of planning,” we are told. You have anticipated the potential scenarios, so will have many solutions in your kit bag. What is something unexpected happens? Certainly you may quickly go through the stages of the ‘reactive change curve’: shock, denial, paralysis, anger, hurt, healing, new strength, new goals, hard work—then eventually success and self-confidence. But you must do it in half a second! Buy time - even if it is only for a few moments. Be calm, controlled and centred. Focus on the 3 C’s:
* Clarity.
Ask yourself: “What are the real results I want to achieve in this situation?” Be crystal-clear on your goal.
* Creativity.
Ask yourself: “What are the possible creative solutions? What are the consequences of each option? Which route do I want to follow?”
* Concrete results
Depending on the situation, do whatever you can to deliver concrete results.
Sounds simple in theory, but it can be difficult in practice. The key is to be calm, buy time and consider your options. Be fully present - then do your best to reach the goal. Sometimes it will work, sometimes it won’t -but it is vital to be true to yourself. You are then more likely to flow, rather than freeze.
posted by Mike Pegg at
09:56
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