How To Get IN THE ZONE...

Gettin' in the WOD Zone...

Being "In the Zone" has fascinated me since I was a young athlete growing up with dreams of playing professional basketball. I would watch, listen and study the very best athletes in their respective sports and hear them talk about getting, "In the Zone". I can remember a few vivid moments in my life that I was 'In the Zone' playing basketball. Here is a great way it can be described,





"In this state, they feel invincible, as if the game slowed down, the crowd noise fell silent and they achieved an incredible focus on their mission."


It feels like you can't miss if you tried. The basketball just sticks to your hand like glue. The hoop feels like it is double the size. Every pass, decision and direction I would take was a successful one. It is an incredible feeling, and a feeling that every athlete constantly searches and works for. 


I have also felt like I have been, "In the Zone" in other areas of my life. Sometimes when I coach a great class something just switches in me and I feel like ANOTHER PERSON and everything just clicks. Sometimes when I am contacting a potential member, I get in this Zone'like state and just say all the right things. 


Being, "In the Zone" is something I strive for continually because it elevates who you are and helps you reach a level of excellence that drastically improves every aspect of your life. 


So how the hell do I get "In the Zone"??? I have a few thoughts. 


Commit yourself to excellence: You MUST not only want to be the best, you MUST be the best. Being good enough is not going to cut it. People who want to get in the zone are thirsty for coaching and mentoring. They want more. They look for tougher competition. They understand there are no easy ways to the top. 


Practice HARDER than the Game: When I was in high school on the varsity basketball team. Winning was the only expectation. To ensure that we would perform at an ELITE level every time we stepped on the court we would live by this rule, "Practice HARDER than the Game". Our practices would be grueling, lasting 3/4/5 hours, of non-stop working. As we got more tired, we pushed harder! We pushed ourselves to a limit that when we were fatigued that is when we would play better. We understood that fatigue makes cowards of us all. It robs you of your skills. When you are tired, your problems seem BIGGER. It is the best conditioned athlete, not the most talented when generally wins. If you are not satisfied with your current results you are simply not doing what it takes. To better you must be willing to put in the time and energy and make the necessary sacrifices. 


Radiate Confidence: Confidence is a combination of mental and physical skills learned from practicing championship habits. Confidence is the key to unlock your FULL potential to perform to the best of your abilities. Confidence does not happen over night. It doesn't happen in a week, month...Building a Champion's Level of Confidence can take years to develop. The good news is confidence is a learned pattern. Everyone has the ability to achieve confidence. The harder it is to achieve the more powerful your confidence will become.


Concentration: If you have total concentration you will have total control of yourself. Great athletes maintain their poise and concentration when they're staring defeat in the face. Never lose your composure. Champions have their mind (their mental toughness) tell their body what to do. If you let your body control the situation then fatigue will creep in and you lose.  Mental training and preparation is more important than physical training. 

Don't Think...Just JUMP!

Love What You Do: When you have this feeling you will never work a day in your life. You will never get burned out. Enthusiasm and the love of what you are doing is mandatory to put in all the effort we've discussed. 


The Zone is a rite of passage. You have to put these concepts and practices into your life EVERYDAY. You can never expect to get "In the Zone" it can only happen by the constant pursuit of it. It doesn't matter how you feel, or what you day looks like. You have the power to accomplish anything you desire in this life of yours. Use it or lose it. 


By applying these principals to your life, you will have plenty of opportunities to enter the Zone and reap the benefits of a ELITE level of living. When you are in the zone you are unstoppable...Do it! It's worth it:-)


These concepts were inspired by Harvey MacKay

P.T.S!!!