One of Jackson’s most famous pupils, Michael Jordan took Zen philosophy to heart both on and off the court. Being in the moment helped Michael stay completely engaged on his game throughout his career. Michael Jordan noted that being purely wrapped up in the moment empowered him to play basketball without any inhibition. He did not worry about losing because failure existed in the future. By living in the now, Michael could drive all his energies toward greatness.

This Zen philosophy readily applies to business success as well. One leader in the financial world, Suzy Orman, follows a Zen approach. Wearer of many hats-CEO, author, speaker, TV Star-Suzy Orman has mentioned that she usually does 12 different tasks every day to help sustain her company and business empire. Poignantly, however, she stated that she focuses on only one task at a time.

Do you wonder why it is so difficult to live fully in your moments like Michael Jordan? Do you question why you can not concentrate fully on one task at a time like Suzy Orman? Does your mind easily wander during meetings or in your discussions with clients?

The answer may lie in your concentration habits. In today’s high paced world with so many techno gadgets at our disposal, it is easy to become a multi-tasker. We believe success comes from being able to do so many tasks at once. Does this sound like you at the office…..When  you are on the phone, do you cruise the web, then answer some of your e-mail and perhaps even check your cellphone for your latest twitter updates?

Do you take your multi-tasking lifestyle home? Does this sound like you at home……..As soon as you arrive and your spouse begins to speak about their day, your thoughts are parked back at work and what you forgot to do. Then when your child speaks to you about their day at soccer, do you think about what your spouse just said? And what you must do this weekend to get prepared for next week at work?

We become what we practice. When you live as a multi-tasker, you are practicing being distracted.

If you practice not being fully engaged in each moment, how can you be completely focused when the situation is very important? Your mind will wander doing vital meetings as well as when you speak with key clients. When this happens, you will be less successful at work and in your life.  You will never be able to live fully in each moment.

If you suffer from concentration problems, try these 3 activities:

1)     Do the Dishes. The skill of being in the moment necessitates practice in everyday life. In his book. Peace is Every Step,  Buddist master Thich Nhat Hanh proposes a mental exercise to develop such a skill. The next time you are washing the dishes, don’t rush through them. Immerse yourself in the moment. Feel the warm water on your hands and notice the bubbles in the water as they glow in their own magic. When we fully engage in a mundane task like doing the dishes, you will find it much easier to focus when the event is meaningful

2)     Get a catchphrase. Anytime you find your mind wandering at home or at work, say a catchphrase such as “Be Here Now”.  These words will first allow you to acknowledge that your focus is wandering. Your catchphrase also will act as a trigger to pull all your energy back to that moment. Overtime, and with practice, these words will help you to develop a better level of concentration in all your moments in time.

3)     Savor the moment. Try this exercise with a Starburst candy. Unwrap the candy, close your eyes and then place the candy into your mouth. You will be amazed by the intensity of the flavor.

Moments in time are like eating a Starburst with your eyes closed. When we are fully engaged, the moment is that much sweeter.

Bio

Dr. Gregg Steinberg is a professor of human performance at Austin Peay State University. The author of the Washington Post bestselling book, “Full Throttle,” he speaks to businesses about mental and emotional toughness. Email mentalrules24@msn.com or see www.drgreggsteinberg.com<http://www.drgreggsteinberg.com/>

Phil Jackson is known as the Zen coach of basketball. He drew from Native American religions and Buddhism to help the Chicago Bulls to six world championships and the LA Lakers to 5 titles. In his book, Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior, Phil Jackson stated that one of his secrets to success on the hardwood was to encourage his players to follow the principles of Zen and live fully in each moment without distraction.

One of Jackson’s most famous pupils, Michael Jordan took Zen philosophy to heart both on and off the court. Being in the moment helped Michael stay completely engaged on his game throughout his career. Michael Jordan noted that being purely wrapped up in the moment empowered him to play basketball without any inhibition. He did not worry about losing because failure existed in the future. By living in the now, Michael could drive all his energies toward greatness.

This Zen philosophy readily applies to business success as well. One leader in the financial world, Suzy Orman, follows a Zen approach. Wearer of many hats-CEO, author, speaker, TV Star-Suzy Orman has mentioned that she usually does 12 different tasks every day to help sustain her company and business empire. Poignantly, however, she stated that she focuses on only one task at a time.

Do you wonder why it is so difficult to live fully in your moments like Michael Jordan? Do you question why you can not concentrate fully on one task at a time like Suzy Orman? Does your mind easily wander during meetings or in your discussions with clients?

The answer may lie in your concentration habits. In today’s high paced world with so many techno gadgets at our disposal, it is easy to become a multi-tasker. We believe success comes from being able to do so many tasks at once. Does this sound like you at the office…..When  you are on the phone, do you cruise the web, then answer some of your e-mail and perhaps even check your cellphone for your latest twitter updates?

Do you take your multi-tasking lifestyle home? Does this sound like you at home……..As soon as you arrive and your spouse begins to speak about their day, your thoughts are parked back at work and what you forgot to do. Then when your child speaks to you about their day at soccer, do you think about what your spouse just said? And what you must do this weekend to get prepared for next week at work?

We become what we practice. When you live as a multi-tasker, you are practicing being distracted.

If you practice not being fully engaged in each moment, how can you be completely focused when the situation is very important? Your mind will wander doing vital meetings as well as when you speak with key clients. When this happens, you will be less successful at work and in your life.  You will never be able to live fully in each moment.

If you suffer from concentration problems, try these 3 activities:

1)     Do the Dishes. The skill of being in the moment necessitates practice in everyday life. In his book. Peace is Every Step,  Buddist master Thich Nhat Hanh proposes a mental exercise to develop such a skill. The next time you are washing the dishes, don’t rush through them. Immerse yourself in the moment. Feel the warm water on your hands and notice the bubbles in the water as they glow in their own magic. When we fully engage in a mundane task like doing the dishes, you will find it much easier to focus when the event is meaningful

2)     Get a catchphrase. Anytime you find your mind wandering at home or at work, say a catchphrase such as “Be Here Now”.  These words will first allow you to acknowledge that your focus is wandering. Your catchphrase also will act as a trigger to pull all your energy back to that moment. Overtime, and with practice, these words will help you to develop a better level of concentration in all your moments in time.

3)     Savor the moment. Try this exercise with a Starburst candy. Unwrap the candy, close your eyes and then place the candy into your mouth. You will be amazed by the intensity of the flavor.

Moments in time are like eating a Starburst with your eyes closed. When we are fully engaged, the moment is that much sweeter.

Here is an article I wrote for PGATOUR.com about the great one and how he instills his confidence day in and day out:

You would think a superstar like Tiger Woods does not need to work on his confidence. However, keeping your confidence from day to day is as difficult for the best player in the world as it is for any level of amateur.

Tiger Woods, winner of the 2013 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard for a record eighth time, said he has gained confidence from the understanding of how to fix his game. It has taken him awhile, but according to Tiger, he now “owns his swing” and knows how to right the ship when his game is sinking.

That is quite a change. Anyone who has been following Tiger’s play in the past few years, has seen that in many occasions, he could not rectify some of his tendencies, like his blocks to the right. Once they appeared in his game, his persona changed and so did his ability to win.

Tiger is no different from the rest of us (OK, he is a lot different), but he too goes through some ups and downs in a round. We are only human and that means it is virtually impossible to be machine-like throughout a round. Even when you are playing your best, regardless of skill level—from a PGA TOUR player to a 10 handicapper—you will have a few bad holes during a round of golf.

There are many ways to keep our confidence, from visualization to positive self-talk, but one of the best ways is to understand the principles of faults and fixes in your game. For instance, if you have a tendency to get the smother hooks (or terror of the field mice as Ben Hogan would say), you will be completely confident if you know how to fix the problem.

Being able to fix the “wrongs” in your game and make them “right” is essential to keeping your confidence. Here are a few mental game suggestions to this process:

1) Become your own swing coach. While I do recommend you take lessons from a teaching professional, I also strongly encourage you to understand why your teacher is giving you that feedback. For instance, if you have a tendency to come over the top, ASK your teacher how you can fix this tendency. Remember your teacher is not with you on the course so you need to become your own best swing coach.

2) Become your own mental coach. While I do recommend you go see a sports psychologist to build mental toughness, you also need to know how fix your mental problems on the course. For instance, if you have a tendency to lose concentration during a round, you will need to know how to get focused quickly with certain go-to strategies.

Learn how to right your own ship, and your confidence will sail upward.

Daniel Day Lewis made history by being the first male actor to win 3 academy awards in the Best Actor category. He won for Lincoln (2013), There Will Be blood (2007), and My Left Foot (1989).

According to Steven Spielberg, Daniel Day Lewis acts using a method in which he never breaks character on the set.  His roles become all consuming. He goes full throttle into every part that he plays–One of the main reasons for his immense success in the dramatic arts.

Unfortunately for the movie industry, Daniel Day Lewis recently announced he was taking a needed break for a few years. He called it “a lie down”. His comments alluded to the notion that he was burnt out from his current job.

Many people are like Daniel Day Lewis. They go full throttle at work. Their jobs are all consuming and it is non-stop from one day to the next.

Unlike Lewis, most of us are not multi-millionaire actors who can leave our careers for years at a time and just “lie down”. Instead, we must figure out ways to go full throttle without burning out.

The secret to going full throttle is to harness your internal energy rhythms. Our bodies have a natural internal energy rhythm.  You can feel it: Place two fingers on the side of your neck and get your pulse. This is the rhythm of life.  This is your internal energy rhythm. Once you tap into your energy cycles at the right time, you will not only maximize your productivity but also prevent burnout.

You can accomplish this “Full Throttle’ process in 3 easy steps:

Step 1:  Become aware of the rise and fall of your natural energy levels.

Does your energy soar in the morning? Does it take a skid after lunch? Do you have a second wind in the afternoon?

While most individuals will have a few peaks and valleys throughout the day, everyone is unique. Knowing when your energy soars as well as when it droops is the first step in going full throttle without burning out.

Step 2:  Create an energy to-do list.

Most successful individuals create a to-do list. Here is a twist–quantify those activities on your to-do list in terms of three different levels of energy: high, moderate and low.  Meeting with a disgruntle client may take immense energy whereas sending out e-mails requires low energy.

Step 3: Create an energy plan in which you match tasks to your energy levels.

More specifically, place the most demanding energy tasks at times when your energy is soaring. Position moderate energy level tasks for times in the day when your energy begins to slide and do low energy tasks when you have bottomed out.

My energy peaks in the morning so I write this column and do my creative work early in my day. I also have another peak around 2pm and I have scheduled to teach my classes then. This matching system has allowed me to be very productive at the right times during the day.

On the flip side, if I did my high-energy tasks when I had naturally low energy, I would be forcing my creativity.  Not only would this make me less effective, it would also zap my energy, and increase my chances of burning out.

Energy rhythms are all around us-the ebb and flow of tides, the migration of the birds, the moon orbiting the Earth, and the Earth orbiting the Sun. There is a rhythm to the Universe. Once you capture those rhythms in your life, then you will be able to go full-throttle without burning out.

One of the hardest mental skills to possess is to stay motivated to practice and compete, day in and day out. Tiger Woods has had this skill since he joined the PGA TOUR in 1996.

 How does Tiger keep that fire inside him to burn so brightly?

One of the main factors is his pursuit of the golden idol: He wants to break Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 majors. However, another key ingredient to his amazing motivation is his mastery orientation. Although Tiger wants to be the best in the game, he also relishes improvement.  He constantly tinkers with his game in his continually pursuit to get better.

Case in point at this week’s World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship: Tiger worked with Steve Stricker on his putting mechanics (who ironically finished second at the event). Stricker told Tiger to square his stance a bit and weaken his left hand so that the hands would be farther ahead of the clubhead. It worked wonderfully. Woods not only won the tournament, but also had a career-low 100 putts for a PGA TOUR event and rolled in an amazing 27 birdies.

Tiger has intuitively hit upon what sports psychology researchers have already discovered. Mastery oriented golfers are more likely to enjoy their sport, be less anxious, be less likely to burn out, and ultimately perform better.

Does your fire burn brightly for continual improvement, or are you satisfied with your current scoring ability?

If you want to develop a greater mastery orientation in your golf game like Tiger, here are some of my mental game recommendations:

 1)     Don’t be afraid to get worse before you get better. A lot of golfers are not willing to tinker with their game because it may hurt their scores. Let go of the “score mentality” and develop more of a “learning mentality.”

 2)     Evaluate your mistakes on the course as learning opportunities. Begin to see your bad shots as a roadmap for what to work on in your next practice session.

 3)     Let go of your golfing ego. Allow yourself to look a bit foolish when you are a trying a new shot or technique. Don’t worry what your friends will think as they won’t be laughing when they see all your great improvement.   

Be Like Tiger and enjoy the journey of a continual pursuit of excellence.

Dr. Gregg Steinberg is the author of the best selling golf psychology book, MentalRules for Golf. He is a regular guest every Tuesday on “Talk of the Tour” heard on the Sirius/XM PGA TOUR radio. Dr. Gregg is a tenured professor of sports psychology and has been the mental game coach for many PGA TOUR players.  You can see more about him at www.drgreggsteinberg.com, and you can e-mail him at mentalrules24@msn.com for any comments or questions about your mental game.

PGATOUR.com about Michael Thompson and his win at the Honda Classic

http://www.pgatour.com/tourreport/2013/03/03/the-mental-game-michael-thompson-positive-attitude.html

Check out my latest article on PGATOUR.com about the home course advantage:

http://www.pgatour.com/tourreport/2013/02/19/the-mental-game–merrick-s-trust.html

Check out my article on PGATOUR.com to see how you can get more lucky on the course using his strategy:

http://www.pgatour.com/tourreport/2013/02/11/the-mental-game–pre-shot-routine.html