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Mental attitude and success
Gary Peart
Sunday, February 22, 2009
It has been impossible to go anywhere in Jamaica over the last two weeks without cricket entering into the conversation. The other day, I was in one that was almost as exciting as the England/West Indies Test Match itself that started in Kingston on February 4. One person held everyone's attention for a good while by packaging his observations into a concept.
"There are three basic elements to cricket, he said, time, runs and wickets. In the first test, we had all three on our side - a total demolition of the English team. In the second test, England had the runs but they ran out of time - probably having spent too much time building up more runs than they actually needed - and we held on to our wickets down to numbers ten and eleven until bad light stopped play."
Mental attitude
My immediate contribution was yes, but he left out one of the most significant ingredients to success in any sport or non-sport event for that matter, mental attitude. By this I mean, a pre-programmed visualisation or mind-set of a desired outcome to the exclusion of all other probabilities. There may have been some of this in Daren Powell's bold statement before the test that the West Indies would beat England 4 - 0. This is not to say that this is what the result will be. What it does say is that this is what Daren Powell visualises and what he will be aiming for in every match.
The appropriate mental attitude requires you to be able to suppress your conscious mind, where all the negatives and obstacles dwell and allow your sub-conscious mind to transport you to a vivid image of yourself overcoming all obstacles and performing at your peak. It is based on the principle that the mind controls the body and not the other way around.
To reach the level of mind-set I am talking about, one has to work hard. First, one has to overcome the technical deficiencies or knowledge gaps in the activity in which one is engaged; increase self-confidence; increase motivation; and keep focused on your objectives. A significant objective in cricket as well as in other activities we undertake in business is contributing to team strength.
Chris Gayle exemplified this when, after the second test match, he said, "Cricket is not an individual game. We all have to try to contribute in whichever way we can. Everyone has to step-up at the crucial moment." It was evident, too, in man-of-the match Ramnaresh Sarwan's observation when he said, "Our patience really paid off for us today."
While others undoubtedly had it, the patience led, mental attitude I am speaking about was also evident in the play of Jimmy Adams, who was a member of the West Indies team 1992 - 2001.
The West Indies Teams 1980 - 1995
Except for a loss to New Zealand in 1980, the West Indies teams of 1980 - 1995 beat everybody. They were bonded together primarily by their superior athleticism and professionalism. These were the teams with names like Viv Richards, Malcolm Marshall, Desmond Haynes, Gordon Greenidge, Curtly Ambrose, Ian Bishop Jeff Dujon, Courtney Walsh, Brian Lara and Richie Richardson, who never lost a test match from 1980 until 1995. These teams won matches primarily because of their sheer skill and talent. Some may even argue that their winning ways may have made them overconfident, thereby contributing to their eventual loss.
Overconfidence can be as great a hazard to a champion as the lack of confidence.
Today's West Indies side appears to be developing as a positive mind-set, visualising team, as they work to overcome their deficits and improve their skills and their concentration. It is early days yet, however, we may be witnessing the introduction of a new type of West Indian dominance in cricket. Their character- filled, dramatic draw with England in the second test may be an important indicator. As Daren Powell summed it up in his after-match interview, "You can't win games consistently until you learn how to draw them."
Gary Peart is the chief executive officer of Mayberry Investments Limited. You can email him at gary.peart@mayberryinv.com
Gary Peart
Sunday, February 22, 2009
It has been impossible to go anywhere in Jamaica over the last two weeks without cricket entering into the conversation. The other day, I was in one that was almost as exciting as the England/West Indies Test Match itself that started in Kingston on February 4. One person held everyone's attention for a good while by packaging his observations into a concept.
"There are three basic elements to cricket, he said, time, runs and wickets. In the first test, we had all three on our side - a total demolition of the English team. In the second test, England had the runs but they ran out of time - probably having spent too much time building up more runs than they actually needed - and we held on to our wickets down to numbers ten and eleven until bad light stopped play."
Mental attitude
My immediate contribution was yes, but he left out one of the most significant ingredients to success in any sport or non-sport event for that matter, mental attitude. By this I mean, a pre-programmed visualisation or mind-set of a desired outcome to the exclusion of all other probabilities. There may have been some of this in Daren Powell's bold statement before the test that the West Indies would beat England 4 - 0. This is not to say that this is what the result will be. What it does say is that this is what Daren Powell visualises and what he will be aiming for in every match.
The appropriate mental attitude requires you to be able to suppress your conscious mind, where all the negatives and obstacles dwell and allow your sub-conscious mind to transport you to a vivid image of yourself overcoming all obstacles and performing at your peak. It is based on the principle that the mind controls the body and not the other way around.
To reach the level of mind-set I am talking about, one has to work hard. First, one has to overcome the technical deficiencies or knowledge gaps in the activity in which one is engaged; increase self-confidence; increase motivation; and keep focused on your objectives. A significant objective in cricket as well as in other activities we undertake in business is contributing to team strength.
Chris Gayle exemplified this when, after the second test match, he said, "Cricket is not an individual game. We all have to try to contribute in whichever way we can. Everyone has to step-up at the crucial moment." It was evident, too, in man-of-the match Ramnaresh Sarwan's observation when he said, "Our patience really paid off for us today."
While others undoubtedly had it, the patience led, mental attitude I am speaking about was also evident in the play of Jimmy Adams, who was a member of the West Indies team 1992 - 2001.
The West Indies Teams 1980 - 1995
Except for a loss to New Zealand in 1980, the West Indies teams of 1980 - 1995 beat everybody. They were bonded together primarily by their superior athleticism and professionalism. These were the teams with names like Viv Richards, Malcolm Marshall, Desmond Haynes, Gordon Greenidge, Curtly Ambrose, Ian Bishop Jeff Dujon, Courtney Walsh, Brian Lara and Richie Richardson, who never lost a test match from 1980 until 1995. These teams won matches primarily because of their sheer skill and talent. Some may even argue that their winning ways may have made them overconfident, thereby contributing to their eventual loss.
Overconfidence can be as great a hazard to a champion as the lack of confidence.
Today's West Indies side appears to be developing as a positive mind-set, visualising team, as they work to overcome their deficits and improve their skills and their concentration. It is early days yet, however, we may be witnessing the introduction of a new type of West Indian dominance in cricket. Their character- filled, dramatic draw with England in the second test may be an important indicator. As Daren Powell summed it up in his after-match interview, "You can't win games consistently until you learn how to draw them."
Gary Peart is the chief executive officer of Mayberry Investments Limited. You can email him at gary.peart@mayberryinv.com