What I learned this week:  It has been super helpful to learn about how to stay confident while you are in the performance.  The phrase I love is "get of out of your mind and into your senses."  Or "Lost your mind, come to your senses."  It is way to help yourself be present and aware and not freaking out in your mind.  And again Dr. Zinsser gives us some great steps to make sure that we can do that.  He calls it the pre-shot routine, or your C-B-A. 

First step - the C - Cue your Conviction -  So we need to come up with a phrase that will help us get psyched and ready.  Something positive, present tense and powerful.  Something simple and short too because once you are in the arena you don't have a ton of time.   He says “ the verb ‘cue’ is used here deliberately because it means ‘to act as a prompt’ and in this first step of your routine you are prompting yourself to enter a state of trust and conviction, to bring to the surface your determination to execute well right now.” 

He gives s few examples 

“This is what I do!” (NHL player)

Here’s my chance” (Investment advisor)

Open it up! (NCAA soccer player)

Be a wall! (NCAA lacrosse goalie)

Second step - the B - Breathe the Body - He mentions a lot of benefits to breathing into your body. It brings focus into the present moment

1. It helps release negativity and self-doubt

2. It bring up your physical energy level

3. It reduced the contents of the mind from a crowded jumble of a dozen competing thoughts down to a sense of unified purpose

4. It creates a sense of personal control in difficult situations (265)

Additionally, he writes that breathing connects both the conscious and the unconscious mind.  Because we can think about our breathing and we also don't have to think about breathing and our body will just do it.  We just need to make sure that our breathing is deep, using our diagphragm or what some have called belly breathing.   So after you say your cue then take a deep breath.

Third (and final) step - the A - Attach your attention - this is where we need to pay attention outside of us.  I love this statement he wrote "“Let yourself become fascinated by what you are about to do.”  He goes on “ letting yourself become so curious, so interested in what is before you, what is around you, and the action you are performing that your senses become utterly absorbed by it all. "  We do this when we are noticing an amazing sunrise or sunset or when we happen to come upon a rainbow.   He also talks about another version of this idea is to look for the slightest break.  He says  “looking for your slightest break means, by definition, that your attention is focused outward, that you are ‘into your senses’ and scanning your world for anything that might be helpful.”  (272)  He also points out “The fact that you are looking for [the slightest break] is a small but significant expression of optimism, one that contrast starkly with the all-too-common feeling of “I never get a break”  (272)   Controlling your thoughts and attaching your attention is really the essence of winning your first victory. 

So there you go - well actually what we says is this is something you half to do again and again during your performance.  He also reminds us to also do those things that will help us gain confidence despite mistakes, from episode 13, that every mistakes is limited, temporary and non representational of you, to get in the last word when you start to have negative thoughts and to remember to have a Shooter's mentality.  

The other thing he reminds us is to not put too much pressure on ourselves when it is performance time.  Concentrate on making it routine otherwise that can kill your confidence when you are so worried about the outcome.   Even if it is the most important, audition, interview or game of your life, telling ourselves that hieghtens our nervousness and prevents us from performing loose, relaxed and in a good mood.