Head Stuff™

Feel the fear…and say goodbye to it!

Headstuff — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 08:30:36 +0000

Just been featured in the Mail on Sunday. Read about the transformation that Anne Atkins experienced when she came along to Girls Only:

http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/health/article-1167488/How-I-beat-fears-skied-happy–days.html

e-tip 31 – Be prepared!

Headstuff — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 12:08:18 +0000

The Scout motto is always useful to remember – I have my Girls Only workshop starting this evening – and I’m prepped and ready to go – certainly on the HeadStuff side.

Sadly, the same can’t be said for my ski and boarding kit.

I had a couple of timely reminders this week to regularly check my kit – first up was discovering a broken binding on my snowboard and still having to board down the mountain in the dark (I’d taken the last lift up!). Not quite fun.

Then yesterday I discovered my left and right skis had different settings to hold in my boots! How long I’d been skiing like that I don’t know but it rattled my confidence a little when I discovered it, and I skied off the mountain very gently!

So today’s e-tip comes from my recent experience, and is also the 4th area of focus for ski instructors – the choice and set up of your equipment (Secret no.8 in my e-book The top 10 secrets of skiing and snowboarding effortlessly)

Even if you have hire kit – do a quick check every day

Today’s safety check:

Is it in perfect working order?
When was the last time your skis/board was serviced – waxed and edges done?
Check the base for groves and gouges and repair
Bindings holding your boots snug?
Release settings the same and set to your weight and experience level?
Edges sharp?
Screws all tight?
And with quite a few deaths recently from avalanches when was the last time you put fresh batteries in your transceiver?
And lastly, your clothing: Still waterproof, functioning zips, velcro sticking…

And now you know your kit is fully functioning you can now focus on having fun on the slopes. Yay!

Anthony

e-tip 30 – Going round the ‘U’-bend!

Headstuff — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 18:06:51 +0000

This e-tip comes from a great book Presence by Peter Senge et al, described as a journey from the present to an unknown future. It can be summarised by the phrase:

letting go of the old to allow the new to come in

In the book, he describes the point in a meeting where a team are discussing how to resolve a seemingly complex problem, and the more they discus, the more they get stuck. Then the room falls quiet – everyone has run out of ideas. Then after a few minutes of complete silence (and literally blank minds) one guy steps in with a completely new and un-heard of idea that moves the situation breathtakingly towards a simple very simple solution. Everyone had just given up what they’d previously thought, and only at the moment was the opportunity created for something new to happen.

He describes the process as going around a ‘U’ – falling down the left hand side is existing thoughts, ideas, behaviours, knowledge to a point of where it doesn’t work and you become stuck. Then the moment of magic happens where you give that up, something then happens (a bit of magic?) and then begins the rise up the right hand side with new thoughts, useful ideas and behaviours and processes that work better, reaching an OMG! moment, and you’re back in the flow.

Well, what has this to do with skiing you may ask? Well we often bring in stuff that we already know and apply it to skiing, and it’s only when we give these up – the old ways – that we allow new and better ones to come along. For example, we’ve taught ourselves to walk and most of us are very accomplished at it. But how many times have you seen a skier lean back when they want to stop? This comes from our well practiced walking model where we dig our heels in to stop, with unfortunate – well the opposite – consequences when applied to skiing!

So, it’s only when you give up the walking model that allows something new to come in – the skiing model.

Today’s experiment

Look at your skiing and consider is there something I’m stuck on? If so, when you describe it to someone else, you say: it’s a bit like….Comparing the situation to something else is a good indication you’re applying something you need to give up!
At this point, tell yourself to give up on the previous way of thinking, and just be open to the possibility that there is a new way of thinking that works better – after all, I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of people skiing how you want to be so you can accept that that exists. Just that you don’t know it, yet!
And that’s what I tell myself: I don’t know. Then allow your mind to go quiet and blank on the inside, and apply a little curiosity in finding new ways that work better: watching and listening to skiers who ski like you want to (say from the chairlift or a video playing in the bar), go into nerk-nerk state (the quickest and simplest way to learn that I know, so far ), read an e-tip, or get professional help like an instructor or come along to a ski workshop

And always have fun – the best state to be in when you ski!

Thanks!

Anthony

e-tip 29 – Rescue Remedies

Headstuff — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 22:03:22 +0000

I’ve just finished one of my Girls Only Ski Clinics in Morzine and one of the things I was asked was what do you do when you literally ‘freeze’ on the slopes and get stuck. Well, we came up with a few suggestions and I’ve added to it, so here it is in full. I suggest you print off a copy and keep it handy in your pocket. And apologies for the jokes – you may want to add you favourite joke, instead of the ones I came up with! Or if you’d like more explanation, drop me an email, or come on my next ski clinic and learn the secrets of skiing how you want to be skiing!

How to get un-stuck and back in the flow again:

Choose from one or more of the following, remembering that whatever you focus on, over time, increases. So think about more of what you want

· Express Gratitude – the Happiness Accelerator!

· Breathing – 3 seconds in-breath, 7 seconds out-breath. At the 6^th breath, breathe ‘through’ the heart

· Centrepoint

· Acceptance – This is just how it is right now. Take a deep breath and on the exhale say I accept what’s going on, repeat until relaxed

· Ask yourself: What’s good about this? And come with at least 10 positive things you can usefully learn

· Think of a place where you are relaxed and happy, and mentally ‘go there’

· Remind yourself this moment will pass, as it always does

· Side-to-side head ‘click’ to reset

· Tell a joke/have laugh[1] – man walks in to a bar. Ouch! It was an iron bar! How long does it take a skier to change a light bulb? A very long time – they’ve been on the piste! J

· Acceptance!

· Take a 5-minute break/breather

· Consciously relax from head to toe

· Go round the ‘U’ bend! Give up the old and allow the new to come in.

· Good or bad? You can only judge that with the benefit of hindsight, if at all and you want to

· Give-up – for an hour or so

· Get off your skis and have a complete physical shakedown – make snow angels!

· Go into nerk-nerk state – tongue behind the teeth, watch and listen with an open mind

· ‘Eat an Elephant’ (in bite size pieces) – take it one turn at a time in bite sized goals

· If nothing else works, take the rest of the day off and chill out. Tomorrow’s a new day, and as Will Smith says in the movie Hitch: start the day with purpose J

And whatever you do, make it fun and playful. We learn, like a child, so much more easily when we play!

Anthony

And if you’d like something more, contact me on…

Tel UK: +44 (0)7796 835133

Tel FR: +33 (0)6 34 56 98 40

Email: Anthony@headstuff.eu ….even on the slopes!

[1] Insert favourite jokes here!

e-tip 28 – having 100% confidence!!!!

Headstuff — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:25:53 +0000

After the question, how do I improve my skiing when I’m not skiing?, the next most popular question often is how can I have more confidence?

During one of my ski workshops this season this came up with a client (we’ll call her Rhiannon to protect the innocent, and its a name I like) and the conversation went something like this:

Me: What do you want?

Rhiannon: I want more confidence

Me: How sure of that are you?

Rhiannon: very sure!

Me: Are you sure you’re sure? (I just wanted to be really sure)

Rhiannon: 100% sure! (she said very emphatically!)

In science they work on probabilities: that something is more likely to be true than not true. 95% is pretty good, and 98% is very good, 100% is rare if at all. Scientists call these confidence levels. So, Rhiannon had 100% confidence that she wasn’t very confident! Something she was extremely confident about!!

So if you’re very confident about not having confidence (and the more sure you are about this so much the better) then you already know what confidence looks like and what confidence feels like. So as you now become aware of feelings of confidence, really focus on them however small they are, because you already know what you focus on increases. And if you ever get that old feeling of not having confidence, to get those feelings of confidence back ask yourself: how sure am I, I’m not being confident? And the higher the percentage (100% is fantastic) , the higher your level of confidence will be!

Wishing you a big smile day!

Anthony

e-tip 27 – W.T.T.T.T.P.P!

Headstuff — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 12:58:24 +0000

Not my snappiest of e-tip titles but I hope it’s got you curious, as it’s often the starting point for a lot of my coaching and fundamental for getting amazing results.

One of my favourite books is Robert Anton Wilson’s Prometheus Rising where he quotes Leonard Orr, who says:

What The Thinker Thinks The Prover Proves, or WTTTTPP

That is, there is part of you can that think whatsoever you choose to think, and then there is another part of you that goes out and finds the evidence to prove it. After all, you don’t want to make a liar out of you do you?

And if you want to check out where you’ve been directing your thinking, just check out the proof in your life. So, for example…

I think: I’m not very confident – I prove it by: skiing tense and nervous and fearfully
I think: I’m a crap skier – I prove it by: skiing like crap
I think: I’m terrified I might fall over and hurt myself – I prove it by: falling over and hurting myself
I think: I might hit someone, or someone hit me – I prove it by: hitting people or having lots of near misses (also known as lock-on – like a pilot locking a missile onto target!)
I think: I’ll never be a good skier – I prove it by: never improving or making slow progress
I think: I freeze up on ice (sic) – I prove it by: freezing up on ice

Recognise any of these??????

And the same is true at work or in business or with relationships or life in general.

And over time, what you think about increases and it becomes more familiar, even if that becomes uncomfortably familiar

But that’s cool, because you can use this natural ability to your advantage: by shifting your thinking onto something more useful, you’ll change the result, maybe not instantly, but certainly over time.

For example:

my thinking now is: I am a confident skier – you prove it by: skiing relaxed and confidently
my thinking now is: I ski elegantly – you prove it by: skiing elegantly
my thinking now is: I stay upright and in control – you prove it by: being upright and choosing your speed and direction
my thinking now is: my skiing continuously improves – you prove it by: skiing better and better
my thinking now is: I relax on ice – you prove it by: being relaxed and sliding across ice

Or, whatever works usefully for you

It may not happen instantaneously, but over time, what you focus on increases. And that goes for whatever you think about – good, bad or indifferent thoughts.

Oh, and by the way, thinking in itself doesn’t get results – it’s by taking action that gives you the experience that gets you the results you want.

And play with it to find what works better for you.

And have fun too!

Anthony

e-tip 26 – sometimes it’s useful to generalise!

Headstuff — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:08:38 +0000

One of the questions I get asked most often is: how can I improve my skiing when I’m not skiing?

I’ve just written on my other website www.anthonydavis.wordpress.com about the imperfect art of mind-reading and how we use various filters to experience our world, such as beliefs, values, behaviours, and memories. One of the filters I mentioned is known as a generalisation.

That is, we take a couple of experiences and start to generalise that this tends to be true in all cases. Sometimes this is useful, and sometimes less so. Having experienced driving one car, we can generalise that experience to driving other cars, so the switchover is easier. And I’ve written before and said in my workshops that people generalising walking tend to take that experience over to skiing, which is less useful in some areas: having good balance is useful , leaning back to stop as you do with walking is less useful!

So if you generalise that your skiing is not very confident then you may experience the world from a not very confident perspective. However, if you focus on your experiences of confidence, however small, and wherever you experience them, you get more of them. The adage being, whatever you focus on, over time, increases. And you’ll start to usefully generalise the experience from one area of your life into another. It’s how you mind naturally works so let your mind work for you. It’s so much easier when you do it naturally too, isn’t it?

Today’s experiment

When you’re in the queue at the supermarket checkout or at the bar, just check out your balance and where your feet are: is the pressure even across the feet, or more towards the back, or front, or side, or left or right? Changing your posture, levelling the pressure out across your feet, and you will start to usefully generalise from the experience and your balance will improve on your skis. And nobody knows your improving your skiing when not skiing.

And if there is some other behaviour or belief that would be useful to you when you’re skiing, practice that one when you’re not skiing, and let it naturally generalise across all experiences.

And have fun too!

Anthony

e-tip 25 – The shelf-life of tips and advice

Headstuff — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 21:44:34 +0000

I was recently on the Belvedere lift travelling across the Pleney Ridge in Morzine and as I looked down the thing I noticed was the number of instructors wanting their students to achieve the same thing but being taught in so many different ways. Some held out poles, some shouted instructions, some without poles, groups of 14 to one instructor with the last ones always catching up, some shuffling down slope, some falling over, some as rigid as the skis they were standing on, and I wondered perhaps some ways of doing stuff no longer worked, that life and progress and technology and knowledge had made them obsolete?

About 4 years ago I bought some new snowboarding boots, which were much considerably stiffer than my previous ones and it took me 3 days of experimenting to be snowboarding at the previous level, and then with these new boots and the new method of boarding I learnt I quickly moved up several notches. Then last season, I borrowed a prototype pair of this seasons (same) boots on test, and after a little experimenting and tweaking my bindings and changing my stance I was boarding at speeds and precision and effortlessness that I hadn’t previously believed existed. And I thought, if technology is moving on, then does the old ways of doing something still fit the new?

And last week I got some new carving skis and the same happened – they behaved differently to my all-mountain skis. So some of what worked previously no longer did and I replaced it with something that did.

If you like old Bond movies as I do, one scene has Roger Moore skiing down the slopes (being chase by gun toting baddies of course!) on a pair of straight planks and yet I still see some Instructors teaching beginner skiers to ski the same way on a pair of short radius carving skis. Does the old still fit the new? I know if I change cars then my driving style needs to adapt, so why isn’t it the same for some with skis?

I’m sure there are some consistencies with skiing that work such as balance and being centred, and then some that need constant modification or adaptation or simply throwing away? A bit like double de-clutching with the advent of synchromesh in car gearboxes.

And I notice it’s been happening in snowboarding with the stop-go-left-right-waving-arms method of teaching beginner snowboarders. It’s great to get people on a board and moving, but please, please, please if you teach or have learnt this method please be aware that it has a shelf life – it no longer works at the merest hint of speed, and a new way needs to replace it. Confusing and dangerous for the unaware snowboarder. (Hint: if you see a snowboarder on the piste with constantly waving arms (brief moments of using arms to gain balance are fine) this is the ‘out of control‘ position and they are best given a very wide berth). The same is almost true of those with jerky ‘throw the board around’ movements too, but to a lesser extent, it just gives them a ‘hard day’ on the slopes. They’re just a little nervous and/or unsure of what they’re doing and haven’t learnt a more effortless way, yet.

Today’s experiment

So, if you’re a skier or a boarder, it’s useful to ask yourself (or ask your instructor), does this (technique) work:

All of the time (it’s universal)
Some of the time (and if so when?)
In all conditions (it’s universal)
In some conditions (so, in which conditions?)
Or when does it’s shelf life expire and I need to learn to do something that works better?

And to remind you, as I say on my Girls Only Ski Workshops, sometimes we have to give up the old to allow the new to come in.

If it’s something you want to improve and make easier, then it’s worth asking some great questions and expecting some honest answers, and investing the time and energy in getting the results you want.

Have fun!

Anthony

e-tip 24 – focus on positive goals

Headstuff — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 18:07:20 +0000

You may have heard of SMART in business goals, well here’s a slightly better way of looking at it (sorry no natty acronym, yet!). In NLP they’re know as well-formed outcomes, as they cover the main areas that help you achieve success, based on modelling successful people. And if you act as the model acts, you’ll get the same class of results as the model: excellent!

· Destination - always, always, always start with the end in mind. Where do you want to be? A confident skier

· Positive - state them in the positive and in the present tense. I’m skiing confidently and in control

· Evidence – how will you know when you’re achieving it? I feel relaxed, knowing I can stop when and if I need to and I am directing my skis where I want them to go along my chosen route

· Resources - what do you already have, or what can you call upon or find out? Having endless curiosity helps here. I have skis and boots that fit me, but I don;t know a great instructor or ski school, so I’ll ask a friend if they know of one

· Worthwhile - is it something you have to do? Or really really want to do. Skiing is important in my life as I love my skiing holidays with friends – skiing, laughing, joking, having fun and chilling out

· Action Plan – As Patton said: Failing to plan is planning to fail. But no need to stick to rigidly, maybe a loose strategy would work better for you. I’m going to speak to my friend about a ski school they’ve had a great experience with, book a ski workshop, watch Ski Sunday, have my ski serviced so they are in best condition, and read anthony’s e-tips archive to see if there’s anything that would be useful

· Consequences (a.k.a ecology check) – what’s the impact on those around of you doing this? My partner and friends are supportive of me wanting to improve so that we can have an even better time skiing together

· And always the caveat: choose carefully as you may just get it! I take responsibility for skiing confidently and in control!

This is the first thing I cover on my Girls Only Ski workshops as it’s the one of the most successful ways I know to getting great results.

And have fun too! That’s the next quickest way I know to getting great results!

Anthony

PS – there are just a couple of places left on each of my remaining Girls Only Ski workshops this winter on 24-28th February and 10-14th March. Here’s what the Daily Mail Ski and Snowboard correspondent had to say. For further info and booking go to Ski Morzine or call 01932 837369

e-tip 23 – Super Duper You!

Headstuff — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 10:00:57 +0000

If you’ve just read p65 of the February 2008 Daily Mail Ski and Snowboard Magazine you’ll have read how I converted their correspondent Sheila from Ordinary Sheila to Super Duper Sheila on one of my Girls Only ski coaching clinics with Ski Morzine. And so I thought I’d share the technique with. First read the instructions a few times and have a go yourself, or have a friend talk you through it, and you too will become Super Duper You!

And just a few comments from some very happy girls from the last Girls Only this January

I could never have imagined that we would have created such a FAB atmosphere in such a short space of time (Tracey)
I have not laughed so much in ages. I have also never skied so much of a mountain in any one trip, or skied so well before…..I learnt loads!!! (Viv)
Well what a fabulous week we had! Ditto to Viv’s words – it was just perfect (Bev)
What can I say about our Girls Only Clinic? I had the most fantastic time with all of you and know I’ll never experience anything like it again. What a scream! I’ll never forget the laughs we’ve had. What a tonic! (Gina)

If you’d like to experience some of the same, or even better, then book now at Ski Morzine

And now, four simple steps to Super Duper You…

First position: you are in your own body, looking out through your own eyes, seeing things from your point of view. Put in front of you the person or subject with which you’d like to improve the relationship. What do you notice about the other person or subject (e.g. skiing). If a subject, imagine in the space an object that represents the subject (e.g. a piste).

Second position: you step into the other person or subject space and imagine what it’s like to be them, looking at the world through their eyes. What do you notice about the other person?

Third position: (Super You) moving to another space, take an observer’s view of the old you and the subject or person, and access the views or comments of your ‘wiser self’. What could the old ‘you’ do to improve the relationship?

Fourth position: (Super Duper You) – moving to another space and taking with you the views of your wiser self, access the views or comments of your ‘infinitely wise self’. What else could you do or change to improve the relationship?

Swap You with Super Duper You (if you wish!) to integrate the new insights, replacing the old with the new.

If you wish to check out what’s changed, step into the subject space (2^nd position) and notice what’s different, and then finally return back to 1^st position, back into the new Super Duper You. And take your change with you!

And here’s a handy diagram to show you the moves:

Let me know how you get on. And have fun too.

Anthony