Being in the zone

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Being in the ZONE What is this mighty ‘zone’ and why is it so important you get into it?

The ‘zone’ is all about focus. It’s the tunnel vision that enables you to disregard any distractions and keep your end goal in sight. Think of an Olympic sprinter and the way they look as they take their place in the starting block. Think of that sheer determination etched on their face as they focus their gaze on the finish line. Always looking at that finish line. Drowning out all the cheering, all the flags waving, all the other athletes, all aide that finish line. Seeing themselves crossing that finish line first will have been part of their training in the run up to the race as we’ve established already that sport of over 90% in the mind.

To get in the ‘zone’ using hypnosis or visualisation you learn to go to that very event you are preparing for in the mind. Through your mind’s eye you live the event as if it were really happening. Practicing this to the point where you feel the actual sensations and feelings as if you were actually doing the activity. By simulating the event, you are training the mind of what it’s like to complete the task. You get your mind in the ‘zone’ of what movements and what feelings achieving the goals will use and produce.

By rehearsing mentally before performing physically, you infuse yourself with a sense of achievement and motivation. Optimism and a knowing that you can complete the task at hand. When it comes to actually performing, the mind will almost shift to a cruise control as it already knows how this will go. This feeling will enable you to approach the task relaxed, confident and with gusto. You are in the zone.

It is what psychologists call this state of pure concentration, free from outside distraction, ‘flow’. Top performers in sports and any other walk of life for that matter, can access this mind state of ‘flow’ at will, wherever they need it. It’s the state that makes fear and anxiety obsolete. It’s the state of mind that enables you to be the best that you can be because you are in control. You know you can do it because you have seen it. Gotta see it to believe it? Well, you have so DO! By using positive suggestions and imagery to communicate directly with the unconscious mind, you can build more robust mental patterns which will help in all areas and help you GET IN AND STAY IN THE ZONE. You know that you can trust in your ability because all the technical skills you have mastered during training. Learn to accept errors that may occur during the activity. This will stop the negative thoughts or ‘voices’ before they start to create feelings. You can always work on those errors in the next practice session.

Being in the zone or in full focus means that should those negative thoughts arise, you can spot them early and switch them to positive in a realistic manner. It’s all about focusing on what you are doing right as opposed to something you may have done wrong.

Just slightly shifting a thought like “I am not playing/running/swimming well TODAY” to “I am not playing well YET” can make a huge difference. Think about those gruelling tennis matches in the middle of summer that go

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on for four, five hours. Maybe one of the players looked like the sure winner and somehow, the underdog went from zero to hero and won. They got in the zone. Removed all of the cheers and the noise and the other player and just focused. Tunnel vision on each and every shot, on each and every serve.

A lot of getting in the zone techniques will have ‘trigger’ words or gesture ‘anchors’. When you associate a word or a gesture with a certain visualisation, with practice, you will be able to ‘fire’ the exact feelings, skills and movement you visualised and bring it into reality. It’s training at mind level and the more you exercise it, the better you will get. Just as a well built body will help you physically, a well trained mind will keep that winning focus and allow your body to do its work uninterrupted.

The great Kobe Bryant says this about being in the zone: ‘You don't want to step outside of yourself and think about what is going on because then you are going to lose that rhythm. You start seeing where guys are going before they get there. It gives you the effect of the game being in slow motion. It's a combination of anticipation and visualization.’

Getting in the zone can be difficult and frustrating, once you have been there and you have experienced this pure clarity, joy and belief with awesome results you really want to get there again.

Imagine being able to capture this ‘zone’ and imagine being able to switch it on like a light switch when you need it?

Well you can… click here and the face to face or on-line program can make this a reality for you… www.athletessecretweapon.com

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About Stuart | Australia's #1 for Sport Hypnosis “You are what you choose to believe you can be” • • • • • •

Professional Clinical Hypnotherapist Australia’s No. 1 for Sports Hypnotherapy Published author of ‘The Dear Diary Process’ book Creator of the ‘Meta 4 Kids’ program Co-creator of the FitMind program Presenter and speaker

As a professionally trained hypnotherapist, I specialise in elite athletes and sporting teams. Incredibly the same way athletes work allows me to integrate my abilities and awesome processes into business performance, working with people to maximise performance and attitude.

My sporting clients include Olympians, National, Commonwealth and 25 World Champions and… add to this a collection of professional golfers, footballers from every code, surfers, netballers and motorsport drivers and teams.

Within the walls of my professional offices in Brisbane, Australia many lives have been transformed forever by releasing their potential. Once we remove blockages, doubts, fears, beliefs and old habits that are restricting them, life becomes awesome.

Sign Up For Your Free Success Pack Enter your email address and receive a free listening experience and the “3 Secrets to Mastering your Mind in Sport” Report in our Free Success Pack.

Please visit http://athletessecretweapon.com/

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