Actor’s Self Talk
The world of performance coaching
By that I mean
Coaches who help artists, athletes, CEO’s, etc, perform better
Is filled with plenty of bells and whistles
And who doesn’t love a good bell or whistle!?
The latest gadget that measures heart rate variability
Wearable rings that track sleep and determine how much someone can push themselves in training when they wake
Monitors to indicate when someone is too stressed needs to take a breath
Science is certainly making things interesting in the world of performance
Like a rainbow coloured milkshake
But as much fun as it all can be
There’s something I love more
A clear glass of water
Mmm
Simple
Fundamental
Incredibly valuable
What I’m more curious about than the latest technique or gadget
Is the work that helps the work most
I repeat
The work… that helps the work… most
When I look at the people who I believe are the best in the game at helping performers
The coaches who actually walk the walk
Nope
Not many bells
Not many whistles
No rainbow coloured milkshakes to be seen
Their work tends to be simpler (not necessarily easier)
Pen
Paper
Deep thought
The work
You know what I mean
The work
If you told me
Yo Mike, you can only help one last performer before your times up on this Earth
I’d sigh
And say…
Go into nature
With your pad and your pen
Sit down
Think of an event or experience you have coming up where you’re required to perform under pressure
It could be an audition
A meeting
A game
A first day on set for that new show
Maybe an opening night on stage at the Sydney Opera House
Now
Put your timer on for 7 minutes
And begin writing
How would you like to speak to yourself when you wake up on the morning of that event?
Write it
Seems pretty basic right?
Bit too simple?
Possibly like a glass of water?
Yep
The fundamentals
There is not a single person on this earth who is responsible for the way that you speak to yourself
Other than you
That responsibility lies on your shoulders
And guess what
You do have a choice in the matter
(As bloody hard as that can feel sometimes)
The best coaches in the game know
How you speak to yourself
Moment to moment
Is going to have one of the biggest influences on your life and work
So my advice
Try it
Just once
Just for 7 minutes
Write as if you were solely responsible for how you guide yourself before stepping into a big performance
Imagine the dream case scenario
Imagine if you just said
Screw it! I’m going to take care of myself better than ever before
How would you communicate?
Would it be kind?
Compassionate?
Fun?
Playful?
Focused?
Clear?
Honest?
Supportive?
Loving?
Guiding?
Nurturing?
Inspiring?
What if you were guiding your 5 year old self?
What if your 5 year old self was guiding you?
Write your inner monologue
Your Self Talk
The dialogue you have with yourself
This is one of those exercises that might feel icky for a few seconds or sentences
Just dive in
I’m interested in what you experience
And if what comes out of you is something you’d like to maybe experience more of?
Curious
Self Talk
Practice how you speak to yourself under pressure
Might just be the most delicious glass of water you’ll ever drink
Hope this helps
X