Do this one thing to perform more consistently
Consistency. noun. The quality of always performing in a similar way.
Consistency is an element of performance that every high performer is seeking. You’re good if you perform well on occasion. You’re great if you perform well regularly.
If you want to perform well, then you have to pay attention to how you prepare immediately before a performance. If you want to perform well consistently, then you should do the same thing before every performance.
Enter . . . pre-performance routines. Pre-performance routines can span from the evening before a performance to the minutes or seconds immediately before. For this article, we’re going to discuss pre-performance routines that occur just prior to a performance. For baseball players, these are the moments before they swing the bat. For basketball players, this is what they do before taking a free throw. For speakers, this is how they prepare immediately before taking the stage.
Before we get into the effectiveness of pre-performance routines, let’s clarify a common misconception: superstitions are not equivalent to pre-performance routines.
Routine vs Superstition
One of the first teams I worked with, while I was still in graduate school, was a highly ranked high school baseball team. I had heard about the endless superstitions baseball players believed in, but it wasn’t until I was in the trenches with a team that I witnessed the extent of these behaviors. One athlete wore the same pair of dirty socks for every game. Another touched the ceiling and railing of the dugout in an elaborate pattern before each at-bat. And those are the milder superstitions.
Of course, when I tried to introduce the concept of pre-performance routines, the players immediately responded with, “oh yeah, we already do that.” Eh, not really. What they actually did was perform superstitious behavior that was completely irrelevant to the task at hand. So, I educated them about the difference between routines and superstitions.
In a nutshell, routines are systematic, task-relevant actions that are performed with focused attention. Superstitions are practices that are more automatic and to which an inaccurate belief is attached.
Routines have been scientifically proven to benefit performance. Superstitious behavior has no correlation with good performance.
Why are pre-performance routines effective?
The last few seconds before a skill execution or the start of a performance are crucial. But, why? Data from several studies have suggested that pre-performance routines improve self-confidence by helping performers experience a sense of control. If they can control the time immediately before a performance, then they experience more agency to control their performance. It also helps regulate anxiety. Many pre-performance routines include a breathing element (e.g. a single deep breath or a few conscious breaths), which instantly slows heart rate and can tame the psychological aspects of anxiety. Pre-performance routines also serve to focus attention by minimizing distraction, which comes in two forms: external and internal. External distraction includes any non-task relevant stimulus in the environment, from fan noise to announcements over the loudspeaker. Internal distraction may include self-talk that minimizes confidence or focus. Most athletes perform best when they trust their body and quiet the mental chatter, so it’s critical to minimize any internally generated “noise.” Lastly, pre-performance routines may help performers engage in mental rehearsal, allowing them to plan how they will act.
How to incorporate pre-performance routines
Whether you’re a writer, an athlete, a business person, a coach, a teacher, or anything else, you will absolutely benefit from engaging in a pre-performance routine before you do your thing (for all of the reasons mentioned above). I highly recommend including the following elements in your routine and keeping it relatively short:
Use a focal point - Fix your gaze on an inanimate and neutral object; something that doesn’t elicit an emotional response. Stand tall, feel your power, and remind yourself that you are the only person that can shine in your unique way. Then, move on to element #2.
Breathe - A single, deep breath does wonders to settle your nervous system. Draw air in through your nose, pause at the top, and then slowly exhale. If you want to put a bit more scaffolding around this practice, you can engage in 4-7-8 breathing. Inhale for 4 counts, hold for 7 counts, and exhale for 8 counts.
Say a mantra - Lastly, I encourage high performers to hone their focus and quiet the mental chatter by mentally repeating a simple mantra. It may be an affirmation, such as “I am ready”; a motivator, such as “let’s go!”; or a performance cue, such as “simple and fluid.”
Optional: do any other physical movements that will prepare you to perform the upcoming task.
The key is to practice these pre-performance routines consistently before you perform. If, after regular rehearsal, it doesn’t help you focus, calm your nerves, and increase your sense of control, then it’s time to make some tweaks.
Just remember, to perform consistently, what you do before you perform should also be consistent.