Coaching Mental Excellence: The Mind is the Battlefield, Part II

By Charmas B. Lee, Professional Speaker, Author, Coach

In his book KEEP SHARP, esteemed neurosurgeon Dr. Sunjay Gupta states that “It’s hard to cripple a brain that views itself favorably.” Chris Voss, former FBI negotiator and coauthor of Never Split the Difference, suggests that “the brain works up to 31% better when operating from a positive frame of mind!” As I shared in my last article, neuroscience tells us that our brains are always eaves dropping on our self-talk, therefore it is important to make good thinking a habit!

STEP 1. DETERMINE YOUR AM BLUEPRINT BACKGROUND

In the previous article I shared that the first step in creating a world class day was to determine your AM blueprint background. I suggested that for the next several days, upon awakening, before you do or say anything, you should practice lying still for approximately 60 seconds and pay attention to what you are thinking to become aware of your first three to six thoughts. My next suggestion was to write down those thoughts and ask yourself the following questions:

Were my thoughts positive, negative, or neutral?

Was I greeted by a chorus of despair?

Did my compliments outnumber my complaints or vice-versa?

Did I sell myself on myself or did I see myself out?

Answering these questions helps you determine your AM blueprint background. Recognizing your internal narrative is the first step in taming the freeloader that occupies the fertile soil of your mind, which will allow you to take the first step toward winning your day. It is important to develop this habit because those first thoughts have the power to dictate the attitude you will embrace for the day. If your thoughts are not empowering, uplifting, and motivating, it’s important to replace them with thoughts that will position you for the best chance of success, which leads us to the next step in the process which is thought selection.

STEP 2. THOUGHT SELECTION

Select three power thoughts that reflect the person that you choose to be, e.g., (1) Focused, Productive and Kind or perhaps (2) Joyful, Optimistic and Strong or my favorite (3) Powerful, Impactful and Purposeful. Follow the previous routine of lying still and paying attention to your typical thoughts, however this time acknowledge, release and replace those typical thoughts with your three empowering thoughts.

STEP 3. DEPLOYING THE THOUGHTS

Now that you have determined your power thoughts, it’s time to enter into a dynamic presence and deploy your thoughts. This means that you need to shift from thinking about your power thoughts to speaking and declaring them!

Let’s say that you selected Joyful, Optimistic and Strong for your empowering thoughts. These thoughts will also be your power words! Apply the words “I AM” in front of your empowering words and communicate them out loud. I encourage you to speak your words powerfully and seize (take hold of) what you say! “I AM” applies to the present. For example, “I AM JOYFUL” is a statement that inhibits assaultive, toxic thoughts such as I wish I was, or I should have been, or could have been. “I AM JOYFUL” is about the present, not the past or the future. It is the here and now.

It’s been said that words may be the most powerful force to humanity. There is an inherent power that comes with sound, thus the importance of speaking your words out loud. Thoughts and words are neutral, until we assign them a value. Here is a recap for creating a world class day!

• Lie still and pay attention to what you are thinking.

• Determine your AM blueprint background.

• Select three empowering thoughts.

• Place the words “I AM” in front of them.

• Deploy the thoughts by converting them to words.

• Communicate the words out loud with passion, courage, and enthusiasm.

The final step in this AM ritual is to TAKE AN IMMEDIATE ACTION. I will address that step in my next article!

Wishing you the best of everything, my name is Charmas Lee, and I build Champions.

Charmas is the co-owner of Believe and Perform like Champions, a business that specializes in creating winning organizations, cultures, and mindsets. Charmas Lee is has been challenging individuals to transform their lives through his dynamic brand of facilitated introspection, motivation, and personal development. Charmas has co-authored and published 7 books, written various technical articles for the national publication of USA Track and Field and has twice been a TEDx speaker. Charmas Lee is a high-performance coach, professional speaker, author, and sports and fitness professional.