Optimizing personal performance

' Doing your best' means doing everything possible to make best choice every step of the way.' It is a person's best performance at a task to date.' Make use of your personal best in your challenging tasks. Distractions, discouragement, distrust, doubt and indecision can cause a negative outcome of one's personal performance. Focus your attention, your actions and your feelings on your goals. See your goals, thoughts and ideas as visual images in your mind. See yourself hitting the target on a daily basis. Success in any endeavor is based on finding new and better ways to do things. Jeffrey C.Wickey Sr. quoted,"Avoid bringing the pains of the past  into the present.It serves absolutely no purpose but to poison the mind and divert your focus from what is certainly more important, relevant and within your control ...your future."

 A 13th century poem quotes  the following:

You were born with potential.

You were born with goodness and trust.

You were born with ideals and dreams.

You were born with greatness.

You were born wings.

You were not meant for crawling, so don't.

You have wings

Learn to use them and fly.    (Rumi).

Understanding the performance variables

We are all performers. But the level of performance varies from person to person. There are successful performers and unsuccessful performers. The level of performance is based on 4 basic variables.

1. Your mental attributes – i.e., The knowledge you have about your field of performance. Talent, personality and motivation come under the mental attributes. The ‘smarter’ you are in your field of performance, the higher your output level of performance.
2. Your physical attributes – i.e., the physical capacity to carry out your performance. Strength, flexibility, posture, coordination and speed include one’s physical attributes. The better your physical ability in your field of performance, the higher your resulting level of performance.
3. External interference – events beyond your control. The more affected you are by external interference, the lower your resulting level of performance.
4. Performance arousal – your state of mind before and/ or during a performance. This can have a positive or negative effect on how you perform. An excitement at an appropriate level for your performance situation positively raises your level of performance. On the other hand an anxiety may lower your level of performance. Optimization of the performance arousal may improve the level of performance in any performing situation.

Human Performance Technology (HPT)

Peak performance is an internal experience of feeling when you have done your best. A successful performer knows how to do what is expected and when it is appropriate to do it. Performance is the product of two factors: capacity and commitment.  A positive attitude and a high level of self-esteem are essential to superior performances. Your performance is essentially within your control. The improvement of a performance emanates from one’s thoughts and feelings. Peak performers are more alert, focused, deliberate and passionate about their actions. Peak performers are able to concentrate on what they are doing. They pay careful attention to every situation. They possess a strong commitment to their work, their goals and their relationships. Peak performers motivate themselves internally. Motivation is what drives all of us. They are motivated by achievement, power, recognition, friendship and love. They also crave for external rewards.   Motivations are closely tied to emotions. A performer’s emotional state at the time of performance has a definite effect on that person’s expectations of success.  A positive emotional state will usually lead to positive expectations of success, while a negative state will do just the opposite. Peak performers are willing to learn from every opportunity and they are teachable (teachability is an openness to learn from every opportunity). Peak performers do honest self assessment. They think critically to make the best decisions and solve problems. Peak performers use reflection to consider previous knowledge and explore new alternatives and ideas. They use visual imagery and self-affirmations to strengthen their positive thoughts and feelings. Peak performers are masters at creating excellence by focusing on results. They are masters of life situations. They control the quality of their lives. 

Tips to live up to your personal best:

1. Set realistic goals -Goals help you to understand and focus on what is most important to you.
2. Never allow emotions to distract you - Emotions interfere with the efficient working of the mind and the body.
3. Believe in yourself - Trust your judgement.
4. Acknowledge your achievement - maintain a journal to write down your achievements. Count your blessings and achievements.

John Hays Hammond quoted,"To build a great building, start with the foundation. To build a great life, start with character. Character is the real foundation of all worthwhile success."