What I learned this week:  I liked learning about the concept of the elements of a pregame routine.  How to get yourself into the best place to use the confidence you have built up to then give your best performance.  

There are 3 steps to the pregame routine:

Step 1:  Take stock of yourself - what’s in your wallet.  This is when you literally go back and look at all of the times you have written down your deposits of effort, success and progress.  Remember all of your best efforts and games.  Time to really get into the mode of thinking about your best.  Let any other memories go that will not help you have confidence going into the event. 

Step 2:  Take stock on the situation - what, who, and where.

The What - This is when you really look and see what need to be done - that specific task and not worry too much about the eventual outcome.  What do you need to accomplish or do.
The Who - who is your opponent or opposition.  Also the opposition that will inevitably come from yourself as well.   What are situations that might take you from confident - focused and loose to tight and hesitant and how can you deal with them.  (Like the flat tire events)

Also really examine what emotions that might come up and might take you away from confidence  so it doesn't take you by surprise during the match, performance or event.  

The Where - Get a real sense of where you will be performing.  What does the room look like?  Can you visit it ahead of time and get a sense of the room.  If not, can you see a picture of the space online before you go there.  I loved idea,  Dr. Zinnser’s advice is to make the “arena” yours. -" a place for you to make a big impact doing what you’ve trained to do and (hopefully) doing what you love to do.” (p235).   Do your recon to get a sense of the place you will be performing, working or making a speech. 

Step 3:  Deciding that you are enough -  Switch from saver to spender and workhorse to racehorse. 

This is another concept I really like.  That you simply decide that all of your work will be enough to get you to be your best.  Because we never really know what will be enough and making that decision helps us to transition from worrying about being better and concentrating on being our best at that moment.   He also suggests that you have a certain time or line that you cross that you don't ask yourself any more questions just statements.  He calls this Statements Only or SO.  When continue to question yourself that can effect your confidence.  Spend you the money that is in the bank you have built up - that is why you are been building it up.  

I love this quote near the end of the chapter: 

“Are you ready to be enough?  When you next walk into your performance arena, will you meet the definition of confidence that was set out in the introduction - being sufficiently certain of your abilities to the point where you can perform with the absolute minimum of interference from your conscious, analytical mind? Will you be in a state of “informed instinctiveness” at that moment, having taken stock, first of yourself and then of your situation, and then having decided that what’s in your mental bank account in enough for the moment?  That is both the challenge and the opportunity that awaits you.” (251)

Let go! Be ready to be enough and perform our best!!