Mindfulness as a Super Power
“Get the fundamentals down and the level of everything you do will rise.”
As an athlete, coach, or parent of an athlete, you understand the value of fundamentals in physical conditioning. Consistent work on mastering the basics isn’t the most glorious thing in sport, but it is arguably the most important. You apply this concept in practice and training when you work on shadow swings, shooting and passing reps, and agility drills. You do this so you have the muscle memory, the strength, reflex, and endurance in place to support you during competition. The same is true for the mental and emotional aspect of performance. The physical is only half the battle, to be a fully-loaded and well-rounded warrior, you need to balance your game with mental fortitude. The body relies on the mind to function properly and you can’t reach your peak or maintain success without it.
As we begin this journey through mindset and emotional mastery for peak performance, we will work from the bottom up, starting with the fundamentals. In order to build a solid structure, in order to develop advanced skills and develop character, attitude, discipline, and belief, we need to establish a strong and solid foundation for sustainable excellence. I believe this foundation to be “mindfulness.” Why? Because without mindfulness, nothing else we want to achieve can happen. Mindfulness is the spark in the machine, the gas in the tank, the special sauce for success. It opens the door for more options, more choice, more power and control over what you do in any given moment. Mindfulness, as I see it, is a superpower. And it’s one any athlete, parent, and coach should cultivate as the backbone of everything else you do.
Defining Mindfulness:
Mindfulness has become something of a buzzword, used so much that it’s meaning has become murky. So, what is mindfulness? As defined by Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, “mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.” In other words, intentionally focusing on the reality of whatever is happening inside of you and outside of you right here and now, without creating a story around it, accepting it just as it is. Mindfulness is not passive, it is active, but NOT re-active. It helps us tap into flow more readily, to maintain calm and clear control as we navigate the task at hand. With consistent practice in developing this skill, it becomes second nature and it feels almost effortless. If you have seen the movie “the Matrix,” you’ll remember the iconic scene when Neo exercises ultimate power as he defies space and time, gracefully bending and twisting to dodge bullets in slow motion. This is a great way to understand what mindfulness does for us. It allows us to create space in an instant to make split-second intentional decisions about which direction to go.
Getting a little deeper, mindfulness, as true to its origin as a Buddhist concept of “right mindfulness” is one of the steps in the noble eightfold path. It is a sacred tool used to assist us in being intentional and living in alignment with our values in every moment. As an athlete, if you have a sense of identity as “a winner”, mindfulness will help you stop and ask yourself in any given moment, especially when feeling a lot of emotion, if your thoughts and behaviors are in alignment with this aspect of identity. It helps you to keep yourself in check and acting with intention and integrity to yourself and your greater mission. What does it mean to call yourself a “winner”? How does a winner behave? Does a winner give up when the chips are down? Or does a winner rise to the occasion and re-engage in focus and tenacity through the last point or second? Is a winner only a winner if they “win”, or does a winner inhabit a state of being in holding themselves to a higher standard or dignity, character, and enduring fight no matter the outcome? More on identity in future discussions, but just to give you an idea of how mindfulness is a multi-purpose skill, helping us see more clearly and live more intentionally.
“Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
Mindfulness in Action:
Mindfulness gives you the ability to see opportunities rather than limitations. When we are not conscious of what we are experiencing and why, we are doomed to play out patterns unconsciously and we are slaves of our emotions and circumstances. When we are not able to step back and hold this moment with openness and curiosity, we react automatically to triggers and often regret that we “lost our cool,” or became uptight, were “in our heads.” When we are not mindful, we are mindless, we are disempowered, and we are at the mercy of our opponent, the crowd, the weather, the dwindling game clock, the officials, the scouts, our doubts, our fear, our pain. We become distracted and pulled out of flow, when we allow those things to infiltrate and create chaos within. We are stirred up and frenzied, hasty, doubtful, foggy, rigid, and overthinking.
The wise path is to recognize and accept what is in this moment, to stay present and do what you can to stay in the game, not seeing a deficit on the scoreboard and fearing the loss you think is inevitable. When you start down the road of fear and doubt, you create a self-fulfilling prophecy. You begin creating a story in your mind about this hypothetical outcome as reality, and so you behave accordingly. You become deflated as you drag your feet to your own demise, weighed down by the feeling of defeat before it even happens. And so, it does. You see, that story takes you out of the present and you begin sleepwalking through the rest of the match or game, drifting through your imagination, going through the motions to bring that story of loss to life with your unconscious actions. You begin packing it in and leaving the court when you could be HERE, now, with your feet on the ground, the ball in your hand, and time still on the clock.
“The most we can hope for is to create the best possible conditions for success, then let go of the outcome. The ride is a lot more fun that way.”
Phil Jackson, former NBA great and one of the “most successful coaches in modern NBA history” with 11 rings won between his time with the Bulls and the Lakers, is also a notable champion for mindfulness and athletic performance and teamwork. As head coach of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the 90’s, Jackson was often ridiculed by his peers for adding meditation to training and practice time for the team. Little did they know he was blazing a trail. And it paid off. Just 20 years ago, sports were seen as only about physical conditioning, endurance, toughness, and might. Not much thought or value were placed on the mental aspects of the game. But in the last two decades, mindfulness practices have certainly gained momentum and become more mainstream, with such legendary elite athletes as Lebron James, Carli Lloyd, Derek Jeter, Steph Curry, Lewis Hamilton, Cristiano Ronaldo, Tiger Woods, Tom Brady, Kerri Walsh, and the late Kobe Bryant speaking to the value of these practices as vital elements of their success. Countless other athletes and coaches are now employing mindfulness as a vital tool in their training repertoire, balancing the physical with the mental aspects of performance. They are seeing results to prove striking this balance not only enhances athletic performance, but improves overall well-being, fulfillment, and physical health. This means you can stay in peak form longer, instead of burning out or experiencing physical breakdown and unnecessary injuries. And, as Phil Jackson has demonstrated, mindfulness is beneficial not only to the individual, but to the whole group, helping create connectivity, collaboration, and communication of the team. The power of this tool cannot be underestimated.
Getting Started with Mindfulness Practice:
There are two types of mindfulness practice: Formal and Informal.
Formal mindfulness involves more structure in the form of meditation practice. I like to refer to formal mindfulness as “brain gym” where we go daily to intentionally exercise and condition the mind. Studies have shown that over time, with regular formal meditation practice lasting at least 30 minutes per day, the brain develops new pathways, tightening up the connections that allow us to sort of suspend time and create space to decide our next move and then execute without hesitation, versus having an emotion drive our behavior. Brain scans have shown amazing changes in brain structure and circuitry, where pathways linked to executive function, focus, and emotion regulation were strengthened through consistent mindfulness practice. Formal practices such as “open monitoring” help you to gain awareness by noticing what is occurring within and around you, watching sensations arise and dissolve, without reacting.
Informal mindfulness is what I call “game time.” This is the where the formal conditioned mind meets the real world, and we have to actively engage in practicing mindfulness in our experiences. One idea to try in practicing informal mindfulness would be during meals, paying close attention to the details of the experience, from the smells to the flavors, temperature and texture, and anything else we can notice with our senses. You can apply this same practice to anything.
Bottomline:
Mindfulness is the key that unlocks your ability to decide your next move rather than be a victim of your subconscious thoughts and emotions. When you are able to witness your experiences mindfully, you will see you are able to regulate your emotions and override the false narrative your unconscious mind wants to create. You have laser focus and are present with what is. You take control of being here now and doing what you can with what you have in this moment, managing pressure and handling clutch moments with ease. With this superpower in your arsenal, you’ll be amazed at how you level up and meet greatness before you know it.
Please feel free to comment here on your thoughts on mindfulness and how you incorporate or plan to incorporate these practices into your performance routine.
Need more support in developing this skill?
Check out the Shop for downloadable Interactive Skills Guides, Guided Meditation, Journals, and more!
Check out the *Calm App as shown in the Lebron James video above for daily prompts and tools to help you build your practice: Calm.com - Lebron James - Train Your Mind
For more on this topic, head over to the Striking the Balance Podcast on Spotify. New episodes come out every Tuesday. You can also join the Striking the Balance Patreon to access bonus material, Shop and workshop discounts, and Rise Above Winners’ Circle interactive community!
*Rise Above Performance Counseling is not sponsored by or affiliated with Calm.com. We are simply sharing this information as a valuable resource.
Sources:
Phil Jackson and other great NBA coaches