In my AMPLIFY Peak Performance & Holistic Wellness Program, ‘L’ stands for ‘Letting Go’.
An analysis of my best ever performances during my athletics career shows that ‘letting go’ enables me to enter into my peak performance ‘flow state’ whenever and wherever to produce phenomenal results. What am I letting go of? Fear of injury; stress of the pressure to perform well; expectations of others and self. The list is endless, to be honest. Most importantly, what do I gain when I let go? Positive transformation and incredible, unexpected blessing.
Specifically, a series of jumps in a small competition in Sofia, Bulgaria in June 2012 was one of the first times I remember entering so flawlessly into that flow state. For practically the entirety of that competition, I let go of the pressure to achieve a standard. I let go of the pressure to hit the board perfectly. I let go of the pressure to win or to do more than what I had already done. I let go of it all and handed it to God.
For me, letting go actually comes in four stages. The first two stages are for another post (Stage One: Automation – The Final Learning State; Stage Two: Managing Your Unhelpful Physiological Responses), but the final two stages are for today. So, the third stage of ‘letting go’ involves handing something over, trusting that whatever the result or outcome of this release, you can handle it – positive or negative. It is reneging all control, knowing that all things happen for a reason and that you are happy, or at least content, to follow that plan. It is literally opening your hands and letting go of control! (Stage Three: Let go!)
The fourth and final stage of ‘letting go’ involves having confidence and belief in something or someone greater than yourself, knowing that when you release the reigns of control, you are free to receive something new – often better than you would ever have expected or achieved on your own. (Stage Four: Space for Flow & Overflow)
My faith and confidence is in God. So I know that when I let go, He has space to move and do a miracle.
For example, the phrase: ‘let go & let God’ flashed in my mind moments before I jumped the biggest distance of my life to date. And in other times when I have performed out of my skin, I have managed to enter this state of ‘letting go’ to receive a significantly better result than I would have achieved in my own strength or over-exertion. Letting go is such an incredible thing when you truly know how to make it happen.
And the beauty is that letting go does not only occur in elite sport. Let go of your expectations, worries, fears, doubts and pressures. Let God take the reigns and move beyond all you can ask or imagine in any and every area of your life.
In 2012 when I jumped beyond an Olympic standard, I let go, trusting and with peace in my heart that ‘whatever happens, happens’. I literally whispered to my heart: ‘If I foul, I foul’. I let go of the fear of overstepping the board to get a foul jump. I let go of the fear of jumping badly. I lived in absolute trust, peace and confidence. And then I flew.
I was unsuccessful in my efforts to recreate this moment for years following 2012’s breakthrough performance; when it came to crunch time I would always crumble because mentally, emotionally, and probably spiritually, I did not know how to enter into that peak performance flow state that begins and ends with letting go. 18 months ago, I learned how to ‘let go’ whenever I needed, allowing me to jump a massive indoor personal best to be crowned British Olympic Champion. In my first competition of the year in 2016 leading into the Rio Olympic Games, I again tapped into the 4-step ‘letting go’ resource to jump the furthest opening distance of my career to date. I was able to enter stage three and four of letting go because I grasped stage one (the final learning state) and two (managing your physiology). Letting go works.
To make use of this powerful resource of ‘letting go’, first ask yourself two questions:
What do you need to let go of to excel/be happy/be content/thrive in your life?
Who do you need to find confidence in to move forward and receive abundant blessing?
If you have a response to these questions, I would love to read them in the comments below.
I would also love to share with you my AMPLIFY philosophy. For a brief overview of AMPLIFY, click here. AMPLIFY has helped me to grow phenomenally since discovering the principles within it, and I am excited to be able to share this knowledge and experience with others to positively impact your world! Get in touch here if you’d like to find out more.
abigailirozuru 