WITH: Chris Singleton- Chris Singleton is a former Major League Outfielder and is currently a baseball analyst for ESPN. He is also a communication consultant for Game On and does team building sessions for corporate, sports, and nonprofit organizations.
I’m sure you’ve had one of those amazing days recently. You know, the kind of day when you wake up feeling energized, your hair seems to take to the right style, and that cup of coffee was on point. This is the start to a day where your presentation goes perfectly, sales calls are strong, advice to your friend going through a tough time is wiser than Solomon, and on it goes. It’s called being in the zone. Your body, soul, and spirit have aligned in such a way that it seems everything around you is moving smoothly in slow motion while you have the ability to function at full speed and stay three steps ahead of it all. Take a moment and think about the last time you had one of those days… Ahhh… Feels good doesn’t it? The billion dollar question (blame inflation) is how do I get into that zone more often. This was the biggest question I used to ask during my days as a professional baseball player.
I remember the night of July 6, 1999. It was a warm summer evening on the south side of Chicago at Comiskey Park. I had three hits off Kansas City Royals pitcher Jeff Suppan in my first three plate appearances. The hits were a triple, single, and double respectively. I was “feeling it” that night and needed just a home run to join a relatively elite group of major league hitters by hitting for the cycle. As I stood waiting in the on deck circle to make my fourth plate appearance, I fully felt the 5th dimension euphoria as I could see in my mind what was going to happen during my next at bat. The first pitch from Suppan was going to be a tailing fastball running away from me that I would take for ball one. The second pitch was going to be a fastball on the inside corner and I was going to turn on the pitch for a home run into the right field seats. There was no hype or overexcitement in my mind and emotions as I waited for my turn to hit, just a real calm and serene feeling.
I stepped into the batter’s box and things went exactly as I had envisioned while standing in the on deck circle. I jogged around the bases to the standing ovation of about 30,000 White Sox fans. I had never been that deep into “the zone” prior to that night nor have I since. I have had many more “normal” zone experiences over the years and I have found each one to be unique to the season of life I was in.
Now, let’s get back to you. How can we help get you into the zone more often throughout your daily life? Well, let me first say I’m no psychologist nor did I stay at a particular hotel last night. I will share with you some keys that I believe were helpful for me during my playing career and continue to help me today.
Be consistent in a good routine. We had a sign in the locker room that read “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.” I learned then that you must put in the focused effort daily no matter how you feel or what kind of short term results you are experiencing. Don’t stop doing what is right even if you aren’t seeing the benefits just yet. You might get tempted to go back to the old way of doing things because at least you knew what to expect. You’ll never get to the next level of where you desire to go if you are inconsistent in your routine.
Play through pain. I didn’t mention that I severely sprained my ankle during that first at bat of that historic night in my career. No one would have faulted me for coming out of the game immediately but somehow I opted to stay in the game (I’m no gladiator). I think I was just curious to see if I could get another hit. The adrenaline that flowed through my body with each hit that night overpowered the pain of my swelling ankle. Don’t let disappointment, rejection, or a sense of failure lead you to take a seat on the bench. A quick timeout is allowed and often necessary but… STAY IN THE GAME. Different forms of pain can humble us and you’ll be surprised at the true strength you can experience when your ego is minimized.
Let the game come to you. This was one of the most important reminders for me. Think of this… most times when you hear a manager or coach talk about a struggling player he says, “He’s (she’s) trying to do too much right now. He (she) needs to let the game come to him (her).” Sometimes we can work harder, worry more, and sleep less in an effort to make things happen. Rarely have I found that strategy to bring sustainable success. Give your best daily and try not to neglect any important areas of life. I have found that when I do this, the good things in life I am in pursuit of actually come looking for me! When that happens, they become blessings added to us rather than a burden we struggle to carry.
