Share your positive running pictures!
We want to see your positive running pictures, and we bet that everyone else does too! Send them to us, share them on our Facebook page, or just tag us on your positive running moments when you share them on social media with #positiverunningmovement. In the meantime, here is a very positive picture to whet your appetite!

There is an approach of positive psychology involving the use of visualization that has become very popular, through films and features like The Secret.

Visualization is often equated to a focus on a goal or outcome, and that by investing time in focusing in this way, that the goal or outcome we seek will become reality. In sports psychology, athletes will often practice mental rehearsal of a specific play or movement pattern, mentally rehearsing our future behaviors. There is no doubt that this technique can be highly effective, as the mind doesn't differentiate between whether we are imagining the process, or experiencing it for real.
A recent feature from psychologist and productivity coach Dr. Todd Snyder talks about the "psychology of action." He shares a key finding that comes from this field of research:

"Shelley Taylor and Lien Pham, researchers at the University of California Los Angeles, divided a large group of college students into two experimental groups.3 One group was asked to visualize themselves walking up to a board where their grades on a final exam would be listed. They were asked to visualize an “A” grade by their name. They repeated this procedure several times in the weeks leading up to the exam.

The other group was asked to create a different mental simulation. They were asked to imagine the process of studying for the exam. They were told to imagine going to their dorm room, closing the door, and turning off distractions. Then, they were asked to imagine themselves putting in the time to study for the exam.

Can you guess which group performed better on the real life exam?

It was the group that visualized the process of studying rather than visualizing the outcome of the goal. Researchers concluded that the mind becomes primed to follow through on the things we visualize. Like an athlete practicing a jump shot in their mind, we can mentally rehearse our future behaviors. Visualizing an action leads to following through on that action. And it’s our actions that get results."

This reminded me of a GB athlete that I studied at university back in England when my major was sports psychology. David Hemery was a 400m hurdler - he was an incredible athlete, and was tipped to take gold in his event at the 1968 Mexico Olympics. Having reached the final, he knew exactly who he was up against, and who he would have to beat to win that gold medal. Rather than just focus on visualizing a win, he instead visualized what he would need to do in the race to beat everyone else. He imagined if they ran a similar race to how they had performed in qualifying, then this is what he would need to do to win. Then he imagined if they ran a different race tactically, again, what would he need to do to win. He went through this with each of his competitors, and ended up knowing exactly what he needed to do to win, no matter what any of his competitors did. In order to help him achieve his goal of the gold medal, he visualized, in every detail, the process to deliver his goal. It is actions that get results.

Here are five key reasons for focusing on the process, rather than the outcome:

1. Trust that the reward will come - Focus on the process with diligence and effortful study, and let the outcome take care of itself.
2. Keep relaxed - Stop worrying about what others will think of your performance.
3. Practice diligently - View each attempt as an opportunity to practice for the next one.
4. Choose your own performance measure - Rate yourself based on the effort, not the outcome. Don’t try to win today, try to become a winner. Be happier when your best effort results in defeat than when a weak effort results in victory. Determine what your best effort would look like, and then make it happen.
5. Bring awareness to your performance - so either during or immediately after it, you can learn to identify when bad results follow good processes, and vice-versa. With practice you will build the confidence needed to avoid second-guessing yourself when the results are bad but your technique is good.

We trust that these reasons will resonate with you, and may help you focus effectively on the process, and help you achieve and exceed your goals.

One of the services we can provide is an interview to highlight how you could benefit from a focus on the process. This can make a huge difference in your life. Contact us to find out more.

Guided imagery is a gentle yet powerful technique that focuses and directs the imagination. An imagery session involves all the senses, and mobilizes unconscious and pre-conscious processes to deliver conscious goals. As a listener, you are empowered to use your own imagination to create a detailed, complete experience to move you towards a goal that you have determined.

A session can involve visual, auditory & kinesthetic (movement or physical feelings) imagery. When you use your imagination in a directed way, you create neural patterns and connections in the brain, in exactly the same way that you use drills to improve your running form, and create new neural pathways to your muscles.

Your mind is one of your greatest assets, and yet it is also one that very few athletes pay much attention to.  Mental training is at least as important as physical training, and should be part of a daily training regimen for all athletes, regardless of pace level or ability. The daily sessions contained in activacuity™ provide a mechanism to train the mind, develop new neural pathways with a positive focus, and result in enhanced focus, confidence and performance for all athletes. Use activacuity™ on a daily basis, and create a positive support system for your physical training and performances.

activacuity® for enhanced focus, confidence, spirit, athletic experience & performance for all athletes