Chapter 11 Tip 9 Mental rehearsal before going on stage
We've all seen the pro ski races on TV.Athletes stand at the top of the slide.The muscles of the whole body are adjusted to the best balance, and as soon as the gunshot is fired, they will rush to the finish line and win the victory.If you look closely into the eyes of these athletes, they are doing mental rehearsals beyond the physical.In his mind's eye, the skier imagines rushing down the slope, darting past every flagpole, and then crossing the finish line with astonishing speed.These athletes visualize the whole process and play it out in their minds first-time.
Athletes of all kinds do it: whether it's diving, running, high jump, javelin throwing, sailing, swimming, skating, or stunts.Before they go on stage, they first go through the upcoming process with the eyes of their hearts.They watched themselves bow, twist, turn, leap through the air.They listened to the sound of the wind and the splash of the water; they heard the hiss of the javelin piercing the air and then clanging forcefully into the soil.They also smelled of grass, cement, swimming pool, and dust.Before the athletes burst their muscles, they will watch the whole movie and rehearse it in their minds. Of course, the ending of the rehearsal is victory and success.
Sports psychologists tell us that this mental vision technique is not only suitable for top athletes facing high competition.Studies have shown that such mental rehearsal can help the average person perform better in weekend sports, such as golf, tennis, running and other hobby sports.Experts believe that any activity will work better if you mentally see the entire image, hear the sound, and feel the rhythm of your body beforehand.
Is this a mantra?of course not!I have a friend named Richard who likes to run marathons.A few years ago, just three weeks before the annual New York Marathon, he was hit by a car that got out of control and sent him to the hospital.He was not seriously injured.However, his friends felt sorry for him, because he had to rest in bed for two weeks, so naturally he could not participate in this annual marathon event.
Unexpectedly, on that glamorous November morning, the day the marathon started, Richard showed up in Central Park in shorts and sneakers.
"Richard, you're crazy, you can't run at all right now. You've been recuperating for two weeks and haven't practiced at all!" we yelled in unison.
"It's true that my body is in bed, but I keep running!" Richard replied.
"What?" Everyone asked in unison.
"Yeah, every day. 26 miles, 285 yards a day, and I run long distances in bed," Richard explained, using his imagination to walk himself through every step of the long-distance running path.He saw the street lights along the way, heard the voices on the road, and felt the twitching of his muscles on the way.He participated in this event for himself and made a complete mental rehearsal in advance.
Before you morph into a superhero, rehearse it.Watching myself move around the crowd with an iron-toothed expression, shaking hands, showing overwhelming smiles, and radiating taffy eyes, listening to myself chatting freely with others.To feel the joy of climbing to the top, to feel that everyone is attracted to you.Picture yourself being a super big shot.Next, all previews will automatically come true!
Although Richard's performance that day was not as good as in previous years, he miraculously ran the entire distance without injury or excessive fatigue.This is all due to mental rehearsal.Mental rehearsal can be used in various ways - including being a perfect communicator. Mental rehearsal works best when you are completely relaxed.Only when the mind is completely calm can you see a clear, vivid picture.Before going to a dinner party or an important meeting, you can do a mental rehearsal in the quiet environment of your home or car.Use your mind's eye to envision the whole process. Now you have the skills you need to start making new friends in your life.Imagine that when you first meet someone, you are like a rocket, blasting off into the sky with a thunderbolt.When the Kennedy Space Center crew launched a spacecraft toward the moon, the aim angle error was only one millionth of a degree, and it could be thousands of miles away when it arrived at the moon.Likewise, in the budding stages of a relationship, a slight fallacy in body language can cost you the chance to be kindred spirits with this person forever.But with the skills above, you'll be able to take everyone in your stride and get on the path you want to take—in business, in friendship, or in love. Next, we are going from the world of silence to the world of sound.
Before you morph into a superhero, rehearse it.Watching myself move around the crowd with an iron-toothed expression, shaking hands, showing overwhelming smiles, and radiating taffy eyes, listening to myself chatting freely with others.To feel the joy of climbing to the top, to feel that everyone is attracted to you.Picture yourself being a super big shot.Next, all previews will automatically come true!
Although Richard's performance that day was not as good as in previous years, he miraculously ran the entire distance without injury or excessive fatigue.This is all due to mental rehearsal.Mental rehearsal can be used in various ways - including being a perfect communicator. Mental rehearsal works best when you are completely relaxed.Only when the mind is completely calm can you see a clear, vivid picture.Before going to a dinner party or an important meeting, you can do a mental rehearsal in the quiet environment of your home or car.Use your mind's eye to envision the whole process. Now you have the skills you need to start making new friends in your life.Imagine that when you first meet someone, you are like a rocket, blasting off into the sky with a thunderbolt.When the Kennedy Space Center crew launched a spacecraft toward the moon, the aim angle error was only one millionth of a degree, and it could be thousands of miles away when it arrived at the moon.Likewise, in the budding stages of a relationship, a slight fallacy in body language can cost you the chance to be kindred spirits with this person forever.But with the skills above, you'll be able to take everyone in your stride and get on the path you want to take—in business, in friendship, or in love. Next, we are going from the world of silence to the world of sound.