KBs

KBs

Friday, August 19, 2016

Dial For Success

     My brain has always liked to use analogies to help me understand new ideas. Finding and using the right analogy has the power to solidify learning, both for yourself and for someone you might be instructing. One of my favorite analogies to use when I talk about training is the idea that we all have a dial from one to ten, and, with practice, that dial can be controlled at will. Conversely, if we don't train our dial, our emotional state will be behind the wheel, controlling where we go.

Why do we want to control our dial?
    Most of the things that happen in the world happen outside our sphere of control. Another driver cuts us off in traffic. A coworker doesn't pull their weight on a project. Your two year old creates a modern art masterpiece on the sofa using chocolate and macaroni and cheese. These things happen. Our response is the only thing we control. Yet it seems most of us respond unconsciously, like a phantom hand is moving our dial for us. We curse out the rude driver, we bad mouth the slacker coworker and we sit down and sob as our two year old finger paints on the furniture. What I advise is a different approach: if we recognize that we can only control our response, we are one step closer to controlling our own dial.
     People that regularly perform complex, high risk jobs have either consciously or unconsciously learned to control their emotional dial to perfection. Watch an Olympian nail a routine or run a race with a straight, determined face, only to let their joy or pain show after the event is over. They know how to control their emotions and get the job done.

How do we train our dial?
     The first step is becoming aware of the range of our dials. I think of my dial as a scale from one to ten, one being very relaxed and ten being on high alert. Every individual spends their time at different levels of emotional arousal, raging from incredibly laid back and carefree (bohemian in a hammock on a beach) to amped (about to jump out a plane) to life and death situations (police or military in a gunfight). Where do you spend most of your time? Are you a laid back person that gets highly agitated behind the wheel? Are you a stay at home parent that keeps your emotions in check all day, only to let loose on your spouse when they get home? Are you an athlete who lets your opponents get into your head with trash talk, affecting your performance?
     Once you take stock of your normal emotional state, you can begin to apply the idea of the dial to your training. Learn what triggers your emotional arousal and have a rehearsed plan for how you will respond. When I get cut off in traffic, I smile and breath. If I have to perform in a high risk environment, I take some deep breaths and focus on the task at hand. When my daughter makes a mess, I laugh. The key is tuning your dial to the appropriate emotional level.
     Whatever arena you choose, be it the classroom, the home, the office, the gym, the gridiron or the battlefield, identify what your emotional dial is doing. Then determine what you want it to do. If I am about to give a big presentation, do I want to be so nervous that I stumble over my words? No. But I also don't want to be so laid back that it looks like I don't care. There is the perfect level of emotional arousal for each scenario you might face. Find that zone and practice getting there.

How?
     I use a combination of mental visualization and rehearsal to prepare for high stress situations. I think through every detail of the event (ie; giving a speech in front of a crowd) and get the emotional response of becoming nervous. Then I practice smiling and breathing to get my nervousness under control.
     Another way you can control your dial is by using a mantra. A mantra is a word or short phrase that you can repeat either aloud or in your head to keep you mind in an even emotional state. Endurance athletes use this technique to grind out long training sessions.

Recap
-We all have an emotional dial that controls our emotional state.
-Like a ship's rudder, if we don't control it, something else will
-Evaluate your emotional states as you go about your life. What are your triggers?
-Determine where you want your emotional dial to be in challenging situations.
-Practice controlling your dial on a regular basis.

                                        Image result for Dail crank to 11   

   

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