Written by: Anthony Leake, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
If you watched any of the recent Wimbledon tennis tournaments, then you may have seen the match between Harmony Tan and Serena Williams. Even though she was ranked at 150 in the world and Williams one of the best players that ever lived, Tan held her own and eventually went on to win the match. At one point, Tan won a very important point by performing an 'impossible' return on one of William's best shots. As she did, the commentator said, "the thing with these lower ranked players is that when they bring their A-Game, they can beat anyone. The only difference between them and the champions is that the champions bring their A-Game more often and more consistently. "
How consistent is your A-Game?
That comment sums up my work as a coach perfectly.
I know you've had days when you've been at your best. I'd guess that when you are at your best, everything seems easier, you get more done in less time and with less stress, problems become puzzles to solve and even gravity feels a little lighter.
That's what coaches do. We help you to bring your A-Game more often and more consistently.
If you've never used a coach before, the best person to start to coach you is yourself.
A great place to start is to get into the habit of asking yourself a couple of questions on a regular basis:
Am I at my best today?
If not, then how would my day be different if I was?
What is one thing that I can do to move me a little towards that A-Game state?
If you keep asking every day and consistently, I think you'll be amazed at the answers you come up with.
Looking through the other end of the telescope
There is one other very useful strategy when trying to understand your own A-Game.
On days when you are in that place, what are the things that bring you out of it?
Perhaps people interrupt your day. People who don't let you finish your sentences. Unexpected things demanding your attention, or many other things.
While it can often seem like there are a million and one things trying to knock us of balance, the truth is that for most people there are a few reoccurring themes.
Once you understand the patterns of things that can affect your A-Game moment you are in a better place to create a strategy to inoculate yourself against them.
Anthony Leake, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Tony Leake became an expert in overcoming anxiety after he had to give up a successful career due to severe anxiety and debilitating panic attacks. He has since spent the last decade helping others to overcome anxiety. While he is very well qualified (certified as a Clinical Hypnotherapist and a Master Practitioner of NLP amongst others) he doesn't believe that tools and techniques are the answer. He often says that "overcoming anxiety is as much of a mindset as a skillset," and that to overcome anxiety we need to change the way that we think about it. Working with individuals from every walk of life, teachers, doctors, and multi-millionaires has taught him that anxiety doesn't discriminate and everybody is just as likely to be affected. He currently consults for some of the largest companies in the UK. His message: anxiety robs people of their quality of life and it's not necessary to live like that.
