Jobseeker Columnist (December 2009)

The Science Of Peak Perforamnce

World class athletes are the epitome of peak performance both physically as well as mentally. With very little physical differences separating top athletes, what makes the difference between a gold medal or a slow walk back to the lockers has to do with understanding and practicing the science of peak performance.

Take the story of Roger Bannister. Back in his days in the 40s and 50s, no one has ever broken the four minute mile. The four minute mile was a barrier that everybody including sport physicians and athletes thought was impossible to beat. Today, school kids regularly run under the four minute mile. Perhaps you have heard of the story of Angela Cavallo who in her 50s lifted a car off her son who was pinned under an old 1960s tank of a car called the Chevy Impala. The weight of which would be multiple times the current world record dead lift of 180kg. Plus, she held the car off her son for 5 minutes before people noticed their distress and rushed to their aid.

Are these people superhuman or are they just human like the rest of us?

You probably wouldn’t care about running really fast or would you ever consider lifting a car, unless it’s double parked, blocking you and after honking for 10 minutes, you’re willing to try anything. However, what was learnt from Roger and Angela can be used in our daily lives. You can use it to get promoted, you can use it to get the perfect job, you can use it to better relationships and gain life success and happiness. The science of peak performance constitutes two areas, physical and mental. Assuming that we are in good physical shape, developing the way we think will be the difference between happiness or depression, success or failure, great relationships or failed ones.

We need to ask ourselves the following: -
•           Are we happy?
•           Are we successful by our own definition?
•           Are our relationships full of love?

If you answered no to any of the above, and the “no’s” are a recurring pattern in your life, then there is a thinking process going on in your head that is not supporting you in getting the results that you would like. This thinking process is our programming. Our programming is determined by our environment and our modeling of other people’s behavior to create a norm. Our programming can either empower us, or ruin us. This forms the basis of the poverty cycle where generations of poverty stricken families remain in the same economic condition. This family has been influenced by an environment of lack and has been given role models for poverty. Like a computer, most of our programs run in the background. Though it would seem like nothing is happening when the computer is idle, one look at the task manager yields dozens of programs running silently out of sight.

The science of peak performance is hence the science of reprogramming ourselves. To reprogram our conscious and subconscious beliefs so that our beliefs will support a positive mental and physical state. Have you ever had days where everything you do or touch turns into gold? Where every bowling ball you chuck turns into a strike or when every call you make turns into a sale, or when all your work just flies from your “in” tray to your “out” tray? I’m sure you have and chances are, when everything went right, you were in a peak performance state that came out of a positive belief. So now we know that positive beliefs lead to positive states that lead to positive results. Question is how do we change our beliefs so it empowers us?

Here is a step by step process in changing our beliefs. First we want to be aware that we have a choice to believe anything we want to believe and that the beliefs we have may or may not be true at any given time. I regularly assume that my beliefs may not be right and this frame of mind opens up learning possibilities and allows me an ability to change my beliefs whenever I want to. Let me put it this way, if I know I’m right, I’ll never change my mind in a million years, if I know that I can be wrong, then I can change my beliefs anytime I want.

Second, after knowing that we may in fact be wrong, we then question our beliefs. Here are some beliefs that don’t help us: -
•           I’ll never get that dream job. I don’t have the experience, I don’t have the right qualification, I have never tried for such a high position, I’m not ready for the work, I don’t have the skills, I lack the discipline.
•           People in my office are such idiots. They are incompetent, they are slow, they are ignorant, they’re always missing deadlines and don’t even get me started on my boss.
•           I could never be wealthy. I have so little time and too much work, I know nothing about investment, I know nothing about business.

Even questioning our beliefs is simple if you knew how. Here are some questions you can ask yourself: -
1.         Is it absolutely 100% true all the time?
2.         What if I’m wrong?
3.         Is there another way to look at this?
4.         What would my mentor or role model think and say about this?
5.         Why do other people think differently than I do?
6.         What if I can?

Our brains are amazing. By asking the right questions, we can debunk our own theories and myths to produce new beliefs that empower us. What if you believed that your colleague is an excellent person instead of an ignorant ass?  Would your relationship with him improve? What if you believed that you could be wealthy, would you start looking for answers instead of justifications? What if you believed you could get that dream job, would you start looking for resources that will help you?

So there you are, the science of peak performance in two easy steps. Step 1, know that you can believe anything you choose to believe and step 2, and question your beliefs. With these two easy steps, you will be able to reprogram yourself and put yourself in a peak performance state that will empower you with success, happiness and blessed relationships.

Cheers,

Edmond Yap