Sports Psychology Techniques Can Be Applied to Many Areas of Life

Athletes call it "being in the zone." It's that elusive state where a player performs at such a high level, it seems almost incredible. Some athletes, such as Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods, seem to be able to achieve this state on a regular basis, consistently elevating their performance to a level beyond that of even their highly skilled peers.

What's at work when this happens, and how can the rest of us learn to 'get in the zone' in all areas of our lives, not just athletics? That's the focus of On the Sweet Spot: Stalking the Effortless Present (Simon & Schuster), a new book by Richard Keefe, an associate professor of medical psychology at Duke University Medical Center.

"Every athlete has had some times where they feel like everything they do is just right," says Keefe. "If they're playing golf, every shot feels good off the club face. If they're playing tennis, every shot feels perfect. This book is about how to access those periods of getting into that 'zone' where everything is effortless."

Keefe draws from new brain research, sports psychology and ancient spiritual traditions to explain how we can use such techniques as visualization and imagery, meditation and conscious breathing to reach our full potential. He explains how understanding and practicing these mental processes can enable us to recreate them at will. The result, he believes, is the ability to focus more effectively on whatever activity we are engaged in. As he writes, we learn "to pay attention to what matters and ignore what doesn't matter."

Keefe believes that learning to control mental techniques will enhance our performance not only in sports, but in other aspects of our lives. "There's no reason to only limit these sports psychology techniques like visualization to sports," he says.

"For most of us, sports are a recreational activity," says Keefe. "What's really more important to us is our work, our relationships and other parts of our lives. There are all kinds of ways in which this approach can enrich your everyday life as well."

Source: Interview with Richard Keefe, Ph.D., Duke University Medical Center, July 2003.

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