In my last posting I talked about the change in work ethic that is needed to get to the next level. I have been fortunate over the last 10 years to work with individuals who want more from their performance in business, sports, and life. I get to work with many different industries from lawyers to bankers to professional golfers. One of the common challenges I hear from all of these individuals is finding the time to train. What I mean by training, is the practice of performance skills through the use of learning new techniques so they “own” the new skills and are able to apply them when it counts. What is exciting about my background in Applied Sports Psychology is that a majority of the techniques to train performance can be done in as little as five minutes in the comfort of your office chair. The human mind is amazing in that it can be used to create through the technique of visualization the scenarios that you have to perform. With golfers visualization is used to see the execution of the perfect swing, seeing the perfect shot, and seeing the strategy for the next tournament round. In business the executive uses visualization to see the perfect presentation, dealing with an obstacle, and seeing the outcome of his teams work.

Studies over the last 20 years have validated the power of visualization. Your mind can not distinguish between what is real and what is imagined. Visualization should be done in a quiet environment with the intention of accomplishing one main goal; to stay focused on visualizing success. By seeing yourself accomplish a skill or goal you will retrain the brain for success. My most productive training sessions with clients have been a form of guided visualization. The feeling the client receives improves confidence in his ability. Many clients have reported getting more out of 5 minutes of visualization than 1 hour of physical training. Visualization is a great way to break up the day and recharge your batteries. Taking a few minutes to be quiet and seeing success will elevate your mood and lower stress levels. The time is relative to the result you get. Start today with 5 minutes of mental training and you will “see” you have plenty of time.