Why Entrepreneurs should behave like Sport Stars - Siimon Reynolds

I often ask myself the following question:
What will the top business leaders be doing in 50 years time?

I figure if I can guess that, and start doing those things now, I should lead the pack over the next couple of decades.

Let me give you one of my answers, it may well help you build a better business, faster.

I believe that the elite business people in 50 years will train like sports stars.

In the following 3 ways.

1. They will use the mental training techniques currently used by sport stars.
For example, almost every major Olympian today regularly rehearses in their mind, seeing themselves performing perfectly.

This mental rehearsal has been shown in countless studies to improve performance.

So why don’t we in business world do the same? Is it not likely that it could improve our performance in sales presentations, time management and our interaction with clients?

Of course it would. The brain is a magnificent computer that can be programmed much like any other computer.
Just read books on neuroplasticity like ‘The Brain That Changes Itself’ or ‘Rewire Your Brain’ for examples of how deliberate imaging of superb performance can literally change the structure of the brain and improve our performance.

When you think about it, it’s crazy every ambitious business person isn’t using these techniques daily. I certainly do.

2. They will use focusing statements like top sport stars do.

Focusing statements are short, sharp summaries that many top sports men and women use to remind themselves of what they need to focus on, just before they perform.

For example, the great baseball hitter Alex Rodriguez,uses this focusing statement : ” I hit the ball solid with an accelerated bat head.” For a sprinter it may be something like, “Stay low, stay relaxed.” For a football player it may be a sentence as simple as the following: “Confidence and aggression.”

The bottom line is that focusing statements like these have been found to be highly effective for all manner of sport stars. They concentrate your mind on what matters and take it away from negativity and distracting thoughts.

Couldn’t every entrepreneur get value out of using one of these focusing statements?

You bet they could.

3. They will learn to relax like sport stars.

The top sports players all value relaxation and down time. They take their breaks seriously, because they are intimately aware of how overwork harms future performance.

They make sure each break is a quality break. They monitor their sleep patterns, ensuring they get enough rest. And critically, they work in quick intense bursts, followed by recuperation.

Now you may think that you couldn’t possibly behave like that in the business world. But according to the Human Performance Institute in Florida, you’d be mistaken. In over a decade of studies , Dr Jim Loehr and his team have categorically shown that business executives perform best when mimicking the work patterns of sporting stars: Intense work followed by frequent short breaks and lots of sleep.

So there you have it.

Three ways you can improve your business performance by using the techniques of sporting champions.

Try them. You may not win a gold medal, but in business you can still win plenty of gold.