Momentum is that wonderful experience of finding the zone, and it makes performance much more enjoyable and successful, states performance coach, Jason Selk. The physiological components that make it easier to be successful (the “feel good” endorphin chemical release that increases a person’s potential for focus and performance) can be influenced. By remembering what it felt like to perform well and consistently visualize great past success you can release endorphins. Here are Jason Selk’s three tips from his article on Inc. on how to learn to control endorphin release in order to continue momentum:
- Identify: Think back to a time when you felt the greatest emotional rush from performing and succeeding in your career. Remember, each time you are having a conversation with a client, or working on a presentation, or making your contacts for the day, you are performing.
- Visualize: Remember, when it comes to releasing endorphins, your brain does not make the distinction between reality and a dream state. Once you have identified your moment, then turn it into a 10-second visualization or mental video where you remember with as much detail as possible what you did to cause the success, and then how great you felt when you succeeded.
- Use It: The next time you feel like your day isn’t going well, take a few seconds to replay your visualization. Realize that this is a tool you can continually use to turn your performance around. The trick is to keep using your visualization during down times until you gain the momentum of a great performance or result.
About Jason Selk:
While serving as the Director of Mental Training for the St Louis Cardinals, Dr. Jason Selk helped the team win their first World Series in over 20 years, and in 2011 he assisted the Cardinals in the historic feat of winning their second World Championship in a six year period. Considered to be one of the world’s premier performance coaches, Dr. Selk helps well-known professional and Olympic athletes, as well as Fortune 500 and Fortune 100 executives and organizations, develop the mental toughness necessary for high-level success.