The following represents some of the ideas drawn from Matthew Syed's book 'Bounce', a worthy read.

The following are just a few of the principles for success taken as excerpts from ‘Bounce’ by Matthew Syed - a good read if you are interested in strategies for excellence.

Quantity of practice

By the age of twenty the best violinists had practiced an average of ten thousand hours - more than two thousand hours more than good violinists and more than six thousand hours hoping to become music teachers. The differences between expert performers and normal adults reflect a life-long persistence of deliberate effort to improve.

Purposeful practice – the quality of practice

Purposeful practice is about striving for what is just out of reach and not quite making it; it is about grappling with tasks beyond current limitations and falling short again and again. Excellence is about stepping outside the comfort zone, training with a spirit of endeavour and accepting the inevitability of trials and tribulations.

Life changing mindset

Why does the skater falling over 20,000 times not just give up and try something easier. ‘It is because she did not interpret falling down as failure’. It’s not the mistakes; it’s how you respond to them.

Irrational Optimism

Why should a sportsman convince himself he will win when he knows that there is every possibility that he will lose? Because to win, one must proportion ones belief, not to the evidence, but whatever the mind can usefully get away with. To win, one must surgically remove doubt.

Choking – and how to avoid it

Purposeful practice, provides an ‘automation’ of an activity, so that it is completed without conscious thought, instantly and through the unconscious mind. A novice, when learning a skill has to cognitively think about what they are doing.

Only those who have put in the thousands of hours of practice, have the capacity to choke. Choking is a switch of brain systems – literally thinking too much about something. Not lack of focus, but too much.

Rituals

Rituals and superstitions are often borne out of a positive performance and may have a genuine impact on performance. A well-established routine may help a sportsman to relax and feel comfortable, aiding clear thinking and reducing anxiety.s

Peak performance - and how to get it

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