Mind Tricks and Mind Games
Apart from their use as a double-handed thing hitter, a lightsaber and a cricket bat don’t seem to have too much in common.
But that’s where you’re wrong. For the skillful wielding of both, it is mind rather than muscle that wins the day. You will learn all about this at our Jedi Knight Training Event in October, where experts will instruct you on the proper use of the samurai sword and the flash of lightsaber duels will electrify the afternoon air.
More details on this exciting event next week, but for now, let’s go back to cricket. In an enlightening article called The Ashes mind game, a consultant psychologist shows how mind tricks are necessary for excellent performance in any field of action.
Here are the two insights I found the most interesting (italics mine).
“During the game the players need to focus on the processes…We wouldn’t be having conversations with the players about the outcome and how it’s going to feel at the end. It’s more about what are we doing today, what do we need to execute today to put us in the strongest position possible to win this game, rather than the romantic dreams of what might be happening next Monday or Tuesday.”
“Our focus is about us, about what we need to do, what we can control, how we can prepare and how we can position ourselves to start this game strongly…It’s about controlling the controllables and focusing on what your can do in our environment.”
We have a culture that emphasises goal-setting and planning as methods of gaining success. I strongly feel that we must balance this with a sense of mindfulness (awareness of the present) and flow (engagement with the present). I will be speaking on both these concepts at the forthcoming Jedi Training Event (with reference to Star Wars).
Tenuous link?
Then hear the words of Martin Seligman: “Role models and paragons in the culture compellingly illustrate a strength or virtue. Models may be real (Mahatma Gandhi and humane leadership), apocryphal (George Washington and honesty), or explicitly mythic (Luke Skywalker and flow).” So there.
Or, as Yoda said about a young, excitable Luke: “This one a long time have I watched. Never his mind on where he was. Hmm? What he was doing. Hmph.”
Dreams are good. But what are you doing right here, right now?
Image credit: nickstone333.
