Get in the "Zone" Part VI

 Part 6 of a 7 part series on helping athletes and coaches get focused, achieve flow and "get in the zone".

 

 

Do not try at trying

Falling into the trap of trying too hard when you want to achieve a desired result is easy. It occurs frequently in sport, when you get an athlete desperately trying to regain their past form. Unfortunately their attempts to get back to winning ways are usually in vain. The rule is, if you over-try to reach a particular outcome your efforts push your target further away from your grasp.

The key to entering the zone is to find the middle point between over-trying and under-trying. This state is probably the most important factor in determining how successful you are at staying in a zone-like state for extended periods of time. 

The reason you often drift in and out of the zone during a performance is because of a failure to maintain the equilibrium between under-trying and over-trying. Sometimes when things are going against you, you will try to force the issue, tipping the scales towards over-trying. The moment this occurs you leave your zone-like state. 

‘Don’t force the flow. When you push, things tend to push back.’ Neil (2006)