Here we are again-another lap around the track complete and it is time for the kids to go back to school. Summer sure doesn’t seem to go on forever like it did when we were kids, does it? As we get older, time sure seems to speed up, yet that part of my brain that associates Labour Day weekend with a sense of “it’s time to get back-to-work” still seems to get triggered.
Transitions can be tough, for both kids and adults. What better time to dive into the topic of preparation and what we all can do to GET THE MOST out of this transition from ‘summer-fun mode’ to ‘back-to-work mode’?
My favorite saying in the world is that ‘preparation is the mother of all skill.’ What does that mean exactly? Well, the reason I love this saying so much is because there are a lot of very important performance-enhancing concepts rolled into it:
-Of all the mental skills that I help build, none of them could be achieved without major preparation-planning ahead, identifying obstacles, creating solutions to the obstacles and prioritizing the best order in which to proceed with building the skill.
-I teach my clients to make preparation a habit. What I mean by that is that I teach them to prepare strategically before any performance that they want to excel at, and to train their brain’s to do so automatically.
-I talk a lot about the NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) concept of STATE. I teach my clients that peak performance cannot be fully realized without being in the right state (what we call a resourceful state in NLP). Proper preparation is key to entering into a resourceful state and therefore, is a preparation strategy that should never be overlooked.
-The #1 way I teach ALL my clients to prepare for the achievement of any new Outcome Goal is to start with the end in mind. What this means is that they map out what a 10/10 Outcome will include. How will they know when they cross that finish line? What will the experience look like, feel like and sound like? What will they notice in their own state, mentally, emotionally, and physically? Mapping their Outcome Goal out ahead of time creates mental resources that will persuade their automatic decision-making to drive that Outcome Goal to completion.
There you have it folks-one kick-ass toolbox full of top-notch preparation strategies to support you in making this transition from ‘summer-fun’ to ‘back-to-school/back-to-work’ a successful one.
My mother always used to say to me as a kid that “without endings there would be no new beginnings.” I am grateful for this advice because it conditioned me to look at endings as opportunities. I encourage all of you to do the same-to look at this time as the opportunity to plan for what’s ahead and for what you want this new beginning to bring you.
As always, remember to make every performance count!
-Coach Susan
