The Enemy of Great Performances

"When I click that thing in gear... there's no more thinking."

Tyler Bereman trained for 18 months to take on a unique motorsports island-to-island hopping challenge spanning 2,316 feet with massive gaps over open water with no safety net - just open riding.

"I just gotta take it in for a minute. A year and a half, visualizing this thing, piecing the puzzle together, the math equation, we're here. But the job's not done."

Every performer has experienced the challenge of reducing overthinking when it matters most. 

Performers spend months preparing for big moments when their best is needed. But all the preparation, the visualizing, the breathwork, the training - can still leave you with no plan when nerves rise and the threat of failure is right in front of you. 

Bereman puts on a masterclass in having a system for mental performance. 

"I just try to block out the thoughts of watching the wind flag, and the wind moving around. When I click that thing in gear, there's no more thinking - you just go."

In the moments that matter most - conscious thinking is the enemy of greatness. The best performers master the ability to turn thinking off and trust their training.

Here are three tactics I teach the performers I work with.

1.) Mantras

Short cues and phrases that help direct attention back to the task at hand. "Just go." "Be Free." "Let it fly." "Attack" These short, direct, self-talk cues occupy attention and keep the mind free from fears of what could go wrong - "watching the wind moving around."  

Mantras have a way of directing thinking and ultimately combating idleness. When we’re idle and nervous, negativity & fear can grow like mold. The proactive use of pre-determined mantras can combat this.

2.) Liminal Spaces

Leveraging transitional spaces and timelines in the lead-up to the moment. 

The phrase "When I click that thing in gear" is Bereman's transition out of the preparation mind and into full commitment of the performance mind. These spaces can be crafted and created in every lead up to performance moments. 

"When I cross the line..."

"The second the ball touches my hand...." 

"When I put my headphones down...." 

"When I step into the cage.."

The preparation mind - searches, problem solves, anticipates what could go wrong. The preparation mind is crucial in training but utterly unhelpful in performance.

The performance mind - silent, steady, neutral and in control of your body is the only mind we want when we're in our biggest moments. 

Liminal spaces help provide the chance to purposefully transition out of the preparation mind and into the performance mind. 

3.) Assertive Behaviors 

After a liminal space is crossed we must step into WHO we want to be. Who we want to be is best displayed in BEHAVIORS and ACTIONS. Once the liminal space is crossed - the time for observing and anticipating is over. All of the focus needs to shift to:

1. Execution of the plan

2. Trusting your training 

Nerves, fear, performance anxiety are all a part of being the performer. They are not an indicator something is going wrong or that you're unprepared - they are the price of admission to be IN THE ARENA. 

Mantras, Liminal Spaces, and Assertive behaviors don't remove the uncertainty of future outcomes - they just shift the performer's attention to what matters most:

Full commitment to the plan

Full commitment to trusting your body (not your mind) in the present moment. 

Be at your best when it matters most.

Watch Bereman’s full run below.

Stay The Course,