Overcoming fear to reset mind and body to achieve

How did fear, drive anxiety that drove backing down in a challenge that then drove a reset of mind and body to achieve?

There are ten realisations that PCE discovered recently.

The story goes a little like this.....

PCE recently visited our Canadian friends and Aussies working at the Ski Resorts in BC and took the opportunity to hit the slopes.

First step was to find the ski legs again and then get challenged by some of the harder terrain.

One morning a decision was made to try a black run called "Dragons Tongue". With no information on what to expect the run began. As the moguls got larger and the terrain steeper, technique fell away and anxiety crept in. As a ridge approached that seemed to fall away a look to the right through the trees caught a glimpse of a red jacket fly past on clearly an easier run. Fear had set in and a lack of positive talk was replaced by a lot of negative chatter.

The decision was made, through the trees and onto a blue run "Born to Run".

Safely home later that day a piece of paper was torn out of a scrap book and two goals written down.

1) Complete "Born to Run" in it's entirety

2) Finish "Dragons Tongue".

The next morning off the lift towards "Born to Run" what ran through the mind was this:

- activate the body : form, technique; let's start feeling how it feels, feel the muscles activating
- activate the mind : fun, belief, positive talk

The run started. This seemed a lot harder than "Dragons Tongue". It was steeper. Longer. Narrower.

You can do this.

Remember the technique.

Feel every turn.

Control every turn.

Vocalisation took effect over each mogul: "turn....turn..turn...turn..."

Awareness of breathing.

A shout up from a skier below "be careful there's lots of exposed rocks here". "Thanks!", a quick reply.

The last few moguls before the run opened up and flattened. The exhilaration the vocal celebration "whoohoooo!!!"

It's done!!

Tomorrow bring on "Dragons Tongue".

Later that night at dinner, as the run was described, the fellow skiers looked puzzled. "That wasn't "Born to Run"

"Born to Run, starts through trees and it's steep but it's not overly moguled".

Having missed the entrance to "Born to Run" the right fork has been taken onto a black run "Goats Kick". That was what was conquered.

The next day "Born to Run" was a dream to ski down. And "Dragons Tongue" was completed not once but twice. On all three of these runs the same attitude and process taken down what was thought to be "Born to Run" was followed.

Technique, belief, positive talk won the day.

So what was learnt?

1) Fear can cripple

2) Fear without knowledge makes for bad decisions

3) Fear causes doubts in self

4) Attitude can be programmed

5) Mindset can be programmed

6) With the right base you can programme your body to perform

7) Visualisation is a powerful tool

8) Positive self talk drives you forward

9) Vocalisation of your process keeps you on track

10) Writing down a goal makes you accountable to it and drives your mind, body and spirit towards finding ways to fulfil the goal.

Taking these lessons and applying them everyday to every challenge is the next step.