If you have been involved in business, working out, or in sports for any amount of time, you know what it feels like to reach a plateau.
You know, those frustrating times when you feel like you just can’t get any better.
Or worse yet, you feel like you can’t do anything right!
Have you ever wondered why some business people or athletes are frequently miserable, unhappy, or go through life in a turmoil, or even depression? Or, they never quite reach a new level, constantly in a ‘sticking point’?
Well, as you may know by now, this is because, whether it is realized or not, people such as this are performing mental strategies.
Just not very good ones.
Athletes and business people like these just don’t know how to use their mind to their benefit.
They don’t realize that there is only one owner and operator of their mind. And that it can be used to get better results, can be controlled with practice, the right input, and some guidance.
As you’ve learned from our tips on creating mental toughness, your self-talk is largely responsible for your confidence level, self-doubt, and your performance. And to take it one step further, your self-talk contributes to the pictures created in your mind.
If you haven’t read our articles on various Mental Strategies, here is a good article to start with: Your Mental Pictures.
The Plateau
If you are experiencing a plateau — a “sticking point” — in your business, training, or competitive efforts, here is a simple mental exercise that can help you to break into the next level.
But first, you need to understand why plateaus usually happen.
A plateau usually occurs because of the way you ‘see’ the obstacle. Literally.
The way you look at the problem, or obstacle, overcomes you. You picture it in your mind as being huge, bright, vivid in color, and two-inches from your face. And negative emotions make you feel terrible, reinforcing the fact that there is no way you will be able to overcome this plateau, regardless of how hard you try.
To get out of this cycle, you’ll need to ‘fine tune’ your brain, and alter the way you see the problem.
The Strategy
See the obstacle in your mind.
Maybe it’s your biggest account saying “no!”, or performing badly on tests, or missing your first serve on deuce points, fumbling on 3rd down or not getting a fast start in critical track events, etc.
Notice how you feel. Probably frightful, scared, frustrated, or some other negative emotion will arise.
- Now make the picture smaller.
- Put it far away in the distance.
- Make it dark, dull, and show no color.
- Now notice how you feel.
Now is the time to visualize the outcome you want, in bright, vivid colors, close up and in front of your face.
That’s all. It doesn’t have to be hard – just precise.
Remember, more repetition of the visualizations will program your mind with the outcome you desire. So practice, practice, practice.
This simple exercise may help you get over your plateaus. It will help you to see more clearly the things you want, and re-program the things you do not want. Please drop us an email or comment below and keep us posted on your progress. We always want to hear from you.
Mental Strength 
