Free The Art of Mental Training - a Guide to Performance Excellence (Classic Edition) by D. C. Gonzalez Page A

fever pitch before even stepping out on to the
mat.  What they fail to understand is that coming in too high on the
performance curve will actually end up hurting their performance.
    Years ago, this kept happening
to an athlete that I was helping to train.  No matter how much he visualized calmness,
coolness and control, no sooner did the day of the competition dawn than he was
crackling with anticipation and incapable of even eating for sheer excitement. 
The result was that, although he tended to start out powerfully, he was too
energized, and it hurt his performance. His competitors soon had him on the
defensive.  This was very frustrating for him, until he learned through
practice how to adjust the level of intensity at which he entered into
competition.  By learning to adjust his intensity down by just a notch or two
as he entered competition, the athlete began to win more often.
    A good mental athlete learns
early on at what level of intensity he plays his best game. On a scale of one
to ten (with ten being at the most intense level) most top athletes report that
they perform best at around levels seven or eight.  Occasionally, of course,
they may need to call on their full intensity, and “raise their game” to nine
or ten.  But they still know that this is not the ideal level of intensity at
which to enter a competition.
    By getting to know at what
level of intensity he should begin, the mental athlete has a big advantage.  He
is helping to create the conditions needed in order for him to perform really
well.  He manages his intensity so it doesn’t interfere with his best game. 
It’s a simple concept that can make a vital difference—yet so few amateurs are
aware of it!  You can’t rev yourself up to a level ten each time and expect to
consistently perform at your best.  Your neuro-muscular connections are able to
deliver better physical technique as you learn to throttle back your level of
intensity.
    Self-analysis and advice from
people you trust will help you to pinpoint precisely at what level of intensity
you generally find your best game.  Try to make a note of what pre-game routine
worked to help get you to the exact level where you are most effective, and
then practice arriving at your ideal intensity level at exactly the right
moment.  Learn to manage all that valuable intensity.
     
    Remember:  You have to learn
to control yourself before standing a chance of controlling your game.  Getting
your intensity revved up too powerfully prior to competition will actually hurt
your performance.
     
    The
Art of Mental Training

Chapter 18:  Your Dream
     
    At certain times in my life
I’ve looked around and found myself having (temporarily) achieved my goals. 
Looking back on all the hardships, the obstacles, the challenges, and even some
of the negative people who’d done their best to try to keep me down, somehow I
still did what I intended to do, and got myself where I wanted to be.
    So, what is it that drives us
to try again and again, to keep going, to keep taking just one more step even
when nothing seems to be working for us?
    A dream, that’s what.
    Think about it.  Without a
dream, without a vision, how can you know where you hope to get?  Without a
dream one is only drifting.
    So, what’s your dream?  If it’s
important to you, then it’s worth chasing.  Any champion will tell you that a
big part of life involves reaching for your dreams. It’s what helps you move
forward.
    Remember what Walt Disney
called Imagineering?  Use it, as you set out to create your vision.  Let Imagineering
help you build the confidence that you can get to your dream; allow yourself to
be moved by the power of your dreams.  Never let anyone or anything shove you
off track or break you down once you’ve set your course towards achieving
something.
    A friend of mine dreamed of
becoming a lawyer.  Despite the fact that nobody in his entire extended family
had even been to college before, his