March Madness has earned its name this year as we have seen favored teams eliminated early on and underdogs advance to the Elite Eight and Final Four.
It takes passion, commitment, tireless practice and unquestioning belief in yourself and your team to be a college athlete.
What does it take to be a corporate athlete? Jim Lohr and Tony Schwartz, authors of The Power of Full Engagement, describe four focus areas and the concept of oscillation.
We need to mix bursts of intensity with recovery time. It is like interval training. In order to go the distance and handle changing situations, stress and the fast pace of today, we must have down time to recharge and regenerate. It is like time on the bench.
There are four areas on which to focus.
- Physical Capacity How are your sleep, eating and exercise habits?
- Emotional Capacity What is your internal climate? What positive emotions do you experience and what negative ones drain you? The Ideal Performance State is calm, engaged, focused, optimistic and confident.
- Mental Capacity How well do you focus, manage time and think? Choosing recovery time after 90-120 minutes of activity can improve your productivity.
- Spiritual Capacity What is your purpose? What do you value? What gives you meaning? How are you incorporating these higher dimensions into your daily life?
Few players have the opportunity to advance to the Final Four. By putting these four focus areas into your game plan, you will be a corporate athlete who can continue to play and be a champion!