ABSTRACT
Chapter 12 is devoted to achieving peak performance, either in a programme in its own right or following on from the fifth stage of SF-EMDR psychotherapy. People whose target is peak performance are sportsmen and women, those seeking to achieve goals and objectives in business, actors with stage fright, and artists in any discipline, from music or dancing to painting. The maxim, “It takes ten thousand hours of practice to become a world champion” in any chosen discipline, is explored. The optimum time to learn new skills is during the skill-hungry years from eight to twelve. The brains of these children are growing rapidly before pruning and strengthening of the most used reflexes occurs in adolescence. The achievers of peak performance can lose awareness of time, be self-motivated for their chosen pursuit, able to hit the “sweet spot,” metaphorically, and are constantly improving, as if on “automatic.” The need for accurate feedback concerning performance is discussed. There is an update on how successful sporting teams show continued success using the methods outlined in the first edition of this book. The rest of this chapter is devoted to articulating the five steps towards achieving optimal or peak performance. The initial results using this technique are promising, but further study and research into PARTS one through to five is warranted.
Part one | Practice Activity Review Transition.
Part two | Planning for Action Revved-up for Trials.
Part three | Physical Autotelicity of nerve Reflexes Toned.
Part four | Peak Automatically Rehearsing Techniques.
Part five | Performance Actually Reaches Target.
This chapter has discussed the role of SF-EMDR psychotherapy in helping clients to achieve peak performance in their chosen disciplines. The key is to simulate being in the zone and can be summarised as lack of time awareness, autotelic, the “sweet spot,” and automaticity. This can be activated via the imagery of reperforming the chosen activity, e.g. sports such as golf, football, or rugby. Examples from the world of sport are used to explain how SF-EMDR could improve performance. The concept of being in the zone is illustrated. I have described how psychotherapy is applied in achieving peak performance alongside using feedback so that future predicted states are more accurate. The task of achieving peak performance is broken down into five parts somewhat analogous to the five stages of SF-EMDR psychotherapy. Part one focuses on achieving the transition from psychotherapy to peak performance. There is a recognition of the 10,000 hours of practice it takes to become world champion in your chosen field. Part two focuses on the enjoyment needed in your chosen pursuit so that your complete absorption means losing track of time. Part three deals with the motivational aspects of peak performance so that the chosen activity is rewarding for its own sake. Part four implies that the person has reached the state of unconscious learning and can rely on the firing of unconscious neurons and muscle fibres. Thus, learning has progressed from cognitive to associative to, finally, automatic. The final part of SF-EMDR is when the performance hits the chosen target, and the cycle can begin again based on the next set of objectives. The individual sport of golf is chosen as one where guided visualisation and SF-EMDR peak performance can contribute to success. A transcript of an SF-EMDR for trauma psychotherapy and peak performance is included to show the applications of this approach for musicians and anyone experiencing stage fright or performance anxiety. A new section in this chapter explores the pursuit of happiness and your life mission or purpose. Readers are introduced to the PERMA model of well-being. The role of yoga and meditation is discussed along with contributions from the Ayurvedic system for medicine and happiness. The chapter concludes with an outline of the eightfold path proposed by Buddha.
