“She looks like she is wrestling an alligator,” said the mother of an extraordinarily talented 16-year-old swimmer during a swim meet. During practice, this incredible athlete was swimming times that would qualify her for senior national competitions (the level that the Olympic team is chosen from. But in competition, she couldn’t even swim a junior national qualifying time, a much slower time. So why was she faster in practice than in competition? Because in practice, she relaxed and swam efficiently. But in competition, she tried too hard, which made her very tense and inefficient — like she was wrestling an alligator.

One former Olympic X-C ski coach always picked a race for his skiers and told them, “Only ski at 90% of race speed.” In these races, his skiers usually had their best times because they stayed relaxed and in the flow state — the state of mind where people are at their best, no matter what they’re doing.

I’ve seen multitudes of athletes, leaders and sales professionals try too hard, resulting in failure. Training, practicing and other parts of your preparation will get you ready. Then, when it’s time for you to perform (be at your best), breathe deeply, relax, be present and trust your preparation. This gives you your best chance to be in the flow state, thus being your best.

“Compete at 90%, not 110%.”
Dan O’Brien, Olympic decathlon gold medal winner

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