Don't Think of a Black Cat

The human mind does not process negativeMany performance shortcomings can be laid at the
instructions or deletions.feet of our internal dialogue, where our thoughts and
If I say "Don't think of a black cat", you have to first ofwords echo around the chart-room where we keep
all think of a black cat, in order that you can try toour Maps of the World.
carry out the instruction. So for a place kicker in rugbyAt times like this it is vital to have a strategy to deal
or gridiron, or a free thrower in basketball, "I mustn'twith physical and mental distractions, and internal
miss this kick" or "Don't miss this throw" will be moredialogue, in a positive way.
likely to lead to a miss - as the player's internal dialogue- Establish a habitual thought pattern to lead into the
focuses him towards the positive element in what he'sskill or performance process.
saying - "miss..."- Perform deep, abdominal breathing which gets a
He'll most probably be also considering thegood supply of oxygen to the brain and around the
consequences of missing the kick or the throw, andbody, helping more rational thought processing, relaxing
piling the pressure upon himself, and his physiology willjoints and muscles so they can function properly within
start to reflect this and tighten up. He'll be consulting thethe requisite technique.
MAP of his kicking or throwing world and remembering- Set up an anchor or chain of anchors to be fired at
the previous instances when he missed, whatparticular pressure moments. Anchors that will elicit a
happened, how he felt, how everyone else felt, thebeneficial state of mind and/or body.
responsibility, and so on. This map is now also- Use localised trance to activate or close down
highlighting all the hazards and difficulties. Suddenly itcertain areas of the body.
seems he's trying to kick a concrete ball into the- Use momentary visualization to focus or override
smallest of target areas.input from the five senses.
Negative instructions bear a particularly bitter fruit when- Use an internal dialogue inhibitor such as a) a floor to
the stakes are raised. Playing a wrong note or missingceiling eye-roll or b) dampen micro movements of the
a catch in practice is no big deal after all. But the sametongue by resting it delicately close to the upper set of
process in context on stage or in a packed stadiumgums.
adds an entirely different set of pressure variables.Some of the above are routines, some are
They placed a piece of gymnastic apparatus, theemergency 'tricks'. The routines can be built into a
beam, on the floor and invited a group to walk along it.more complex strategy that you know will work for
At four inches wide it posed no internal or externalyou. Set it up and test it out in practice. Practice is your
problems, no physical or mental difficulties. The same"beam on the ground" scenario after all! The more you
beam was then suspended between two tall stepset it up in a "blindfold" kind of way, the more control
ladders and the group was again invited to walk alongyou will have when the real situation comes around,
it. Reluctance spread like wildfire as the consequenceswhen you are "2-3 metres above ground without any
were significantly raised. Falling off was now an issuesafety net or landing below".
as there was a prospect of pain and injury. SmallDealing with stressful and pressure moments in
losses of balance would (they thought) be magnifiedperformance, which you know will always be there, is
and lead to unsatisfactory outcomes. If that sameyour key to mastering the process and getting the
group had been taught to walk blindfold perfectly alongoutcomes you want - without having to rely on that
the beam, would height above the ground have beenlucky Black Cat!
an issue?