Focus

What's up Team!

I'm hoping you all have been working super hard these first 2 weeks back, I know myself and Steve have both thoroughly enjoyed getting back to it.

Also a huge Well Done to our Junior National team who have just completed camp week, amounting nearly 45km for the week over 10 sessions is a massive achievement for being aged 9-12, let alone any age really! !

With that in mind, coming back into things from your small break, you can expect to be doing a little extra in the pool most sessions for the next few weeks. 

With this happening, how often do you find your mind wandering in the middle of your sets? How many times have you forgotten the number of laps you had completed while swimming a 400?

Every so often when I am taking in my leisure laps down in the pool I find myself losing count of the number of lengths I had completed.

Was that 300? Or 350? That kind of felt like 350... Am I going that fast? ...I feel like watching Wedding Crashers again tonight...I'm feeling pretty energetic to only have done 300... Hmm maybe I should ask the swim fit instructor  (in your case Steve and I).. Wait, so did I decide that was 350? Ahh screw this I am going for sushi.

DOES IT MATTER IF WE ARE FOCUSED?

In a word, big time.

(Or two words...)

As it turns out, our ability to focus turns out to be a pretty good indicator of success. When a group of US college athletes were tested by how easily they have their concentration shaken, it turned out to be a direct correlation for how they fared in competition that season. Those who were able to maintain focus, performed better. 

Here are 3 simple tips for staying focused and staying in the moment--

Make sure you are properly rested.

Sleep gets a bad rep. People that get their required sleep tend to be regarded as lazy, or apathetic (uninterested in doing anything). The idea that a lack of sleep is somehow aligned with being successful is ridiculous.

"I'll sleep when I am dead."

"Sleep is for suckas."

Energy drinks and caffeine based drinks have never been more popular as we wage war on sleepiness...there are plenty of us guilty of this. But the epidemic of sleep deprivation affects you in a bewildering number of ways; from slowing alertness, concentration and problem solving, to even making you forgetful.

Get your sleep, and you will find yourself staying focused more deeply and for longer.

Give your full attention.

Well, duh, right?

When was the last time you actually sat down and gave something your complete, undivided attention? Here are a few examples-

Reading a book while also texting your friend.

Watching TV while doing homework.

Daydreamed about Christmas break while swimming.

Dial in exclusively on what you are doing - and not just at the pool - and you will strengthen your focusing skills. The good thing is that the focusing skills you develop while doing your homework distraction free carries over to your swimming, and vice versa.

One thing at a time.

A huge focus-killer is that awful sensation of being pulled in a hundred different directions. Sever all the strings, and pick one up a time and focus exclusively on it until it is complete.

With the loads of tasks and expectations we all carry, it is natural for us to believe that we can perform at a high level while doing several things at once in order to save time. In reality, chronic multi-tasking actually has the opposite effect - it results in us being awful at focusing exclusively on one thing.

So forget the hustle and bustle and zero in on one thing at a time (and do it guilt free too!).

One of the best parts of having a log book is that you can plan out your trainings. I have found that this is very helpful in staying focused on precisely what you need to do when you go to the pool or go in for dryland. 

Helpful?

You betcha.