Ben Carnes - Focus Cycle: A guide to controlling your mind and body in Big Moments.

2021 by Ben Carnes

Mental Training Plan Publishing Project

All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, stored in a database and/or published in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author. Names and some details have been changed to protect individual clients.

The advice and strategies within this book may not be suitable for every situation or person. This work is sold with the understanding that neither the author, nor publisher, nor Mental Training Plan are held responsible for the results accrued from the advice in this book. Although we have made every effort to ensure that the information in this book was correct at press time, we do not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause . This book is not intended as a substitute for the medical advice of physicians.

ISBN: 9798509467226

First Printing

For Carmen. My wife and my best friend. Thank you for being the first participant in the Focus Cycle, for believing in me, and for helping this book become a reality. I appreciate your support more than you will ever know.Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1 Four Individual Examples

Chapter 2 The Sciency-Stuff "

Chapter 3 Focus Cycle

Chapter 4 Focus

Chapter 5 Self Talk

Chapter 6 Controlling Your Body

Chapter 7 Emotion s

Chapter 8 Make your plan, put it to work !

Introduction

P erformance. That one little word can cause a flood of emotions. Perhaps it makes you think of success on the athletic field, singing on stage, or getting the job done at work. Or maybe it brings back memories of freezing, clamming up, or intense and overwhelming anxiety. This book is all about performance, specifically helping you control your mind and body to PERFORM at your best when it matters the most. We are talking about Big Moments. Yes, despite my editors recommendation, I will capitalize those two words because I want them to stand out to you as you read this book.

It is impossible to spell out every single Big Moment that you may face, but when I use that term, I am talking about high-pressure, stressful, uneasy, all eyes on you moments. To help encompass all of those situations, I will refer to them as Big Moments. Sometimes what is required of you in one of these moments will be significant, and the results or consequences that follow will be as well. Other times it may be something simple like interacting with that one person who drives you crazy. No one else gets to classify your Big Moments. Only you do. There is no need to worry about whether something feels like a big deal to anyone else. Any time you need to take back control of your mind and body, it can be classified as a Big Moment.

The other word I want to point out is performance. It would be impossible for me to capture every example in which you can use the Focus Cycle to perform in Big Moments. But, from golfers swinging, chipping, or putting to baseball players batting, pitching, and fielding to law enforcement or military personnel who need to be at their best to stay alive, it is all performance. From the football field to your next job interview, you need to bring your A game time and time again. So when you see the word performance or performing in this book, fill that in with whatever required action best fits your Big Moment.

Whether you are talking about athletics, your career, parenting, serving in the military, singing, acting, or any other sort of performancewhen it comes time to get out there and make it happen, some people just arent at their best. It is easy to mistakenly assume that some of the most successful people in your performance area were simply born that way. All too often, we think that those people were born with more of the it factor when it comes to performing in a Big Moment. However, some of the most important research done to this day in neuropsychology and sports performance shows that you can practice and improve your ability to perform in these situations. It is not just something some people are born with. Thats precisely what I am going to guide you through in this book. Im going to give you the tools needed to dominate in those Big Moments.

Throughout my coaching career, I have seen a wide range of athletes. In 1999 I got my first opportunity to coach a little league baseball team, and it was an absolute blast. While helping those kids improve everything from throwing to hitting, I fell in love with coaching. It was incredible to see someone struggle with something and work with them to improve in that area. It was unlike anything I had ever done before, and I got so much joy out of seeing that big grin spread across their face when something clicked, and the player finally realized, Hey, I can actually do this!

We had some kids who seemed to be at their best on game day and others who tended to freeze up in Big Moments. One young man had obviously never played baseball before and was quite scared of being hit by a pitch early in the season. However, watching him walk up to the plate in a game-winning situation and driving the winning run home was simply incredible. It was a moment neither of us will ever forget. To see the look of triumph in his eyes as his teammates lifted him up on their shoulders is something I will always cherish. Since that year, helping athletes unlock their own ability to drive in that winning run or simply perform at their best has been my passion. If I were to evaluate athletes today and compare them to athletes from 20+ years ago, in some ways, a lot of things are the same. But, on the other hand, social media, travel teams, AAU, and a new unseen level of pressure to play for the best team and get recruited by the top school has added some extra pressure that younger athletes didnt use to have to overcome.

Levels of stress and anxiety have exponentially increased, and to be honest, that is probably part of why I am writing this book. Athletes used to be able to have a bad game and then go home, forget about it, and move on to the next game. Those days are long gone. Now, almost every play is captured on video and often posted online for anyone and everyone to replay over and over as quickly as the car ride home. While technology is beneficial in some scenarios, it can also make getting away and relaxing much more challenging for athletes and coaches alike.

During my time as a youth, middle school, and high school coach, I worked with thousands of athletes. I have recently begun mental performance coaching with individuals ranging from 13-year-old youth league players to 24-year-old professional athletes. While I certainly see some similarities between all of these individuals, I have still not come across two athletes who were the exact same. Each one of those individuals is chasing their own dream and facing their own challenges. I use the word individuals because that is what every one of my athletes arean individual. There are no two athletes who have the same strengths, weaknesses, abilities, or life experiences. Anywhere. There are no two parents who are the same or even raising the same child. There are no business owners who have a meeting room full of the same employees.

The longer I coach, train, and work with individuals, the more I believe with every fiber of my being that to make the most significant impact with each individual, you have to give them a plan that will work for THEM. That is precisely the purpose of this book. I wrote it for you. I want to help YOU overcome the insurmountable obstacles YOU face and provide YOU the tools that will help improve YOUR performance.