It is now time to move on to chapter 2.
This is the third installment in the read-along-with-me series on how Lance Armstrong’s philosophy might apply to songwriting and music. We are only on chapter two even though this is the 3rd installment because the first covered the introduction.
I hope you have all been reading along. In case you missed the previous episode, we are reading the book, “How Lance Does It” by Brad Kearns
For me, this chapter boils down to a fairly compact summary: Get over yourself and the negative energy that you create by obsessing over results. Instead, just go out there and kick some ass today!
And don’t forget that the Eagles wrote a song called Get Over It
We have to understand first of all that not all of us are Olympic athlete material….or Mozarts. The book succinctly points out that the people you see in these settings have a couple of unique characteristics that many people don’t have:
1. They are Freaks of Nature. They possess unique 1 in a million physical characteristics.
2. They have the X Factor. They’ve got it. Many want to win; Lance HAS to win.
Nevertheless, if you are not a freak of nature or a natural born X factor baby, what can you and I learn from these super-performers, especially in application to music, whether you are a composer, song writer, or performer? The top things that I took away in this regard are:
1. Avoid negative self talk.
Have you ever dissed yourself? Do you unleash a stream of negativity after or while you struggle hitting that high note or find your fingers turning to mush every time “that passage” of notes comes by? Page 32 of the book provides some excellent examples of this kind of negativity:
Athletes today are conditioned strongly to appreciate victory but not the enjoyment of the experience and striving to get better. With the young athletes I work with it is surprising to observe the barrage of self-limiting statements and beliefs that they harbor about competition. At a recent practice session for high school high jumpers, one of the athletes announced to his peers, “I’m like the worst high jumper ever, ” just before launching himself at the bar. Second grade children assembled for the distance race will whine, “Do I have to do it? I stink at running.” The passenger next to me on a recent airplane flight told me she worked in a dental office but was “just an assistant,” implying that this was not as valuable or impressive as being a dentist or certified hygienist. These self-deprecating comments that are ubiquitous today are simply a protection mechanism against the way we measure and judge everyone by their accomplishments. We worship money, victory, and prestige, while ignoring the subtler traits of exhibiting good sportsmanship, contributing goodwill to the community, or being a good listener, a mentor to youth or workplace associates, or generally a kind , decent and fair person.
2. Life is like a high jump bar. See page 33.
In a high jump competition, the bar is set individually for each jumper, providing a completely personal challenge with unlimited potential for success. ….. The metaphor of the high jump bar applies to whatever challenges and goals you have in your life. If your bar is set at becoming the best dental assistant you can be, there is great honor in that pursuit — far more honor than with a dentist who is more interested in deep-sea fishing than dentistry and just goes through the motions with the patients in his chair. As I explained to the young jumper after his statement, the “worst high jumper ever” is someone whose feet never leave the ground.
3. Learn to think more efficiently.
Do you get distracted when you play, or sing or try to compose a new song? Do you waste time on things that are unimportant to achieving your goal at hand? As described on page 35:
Knaggs explains that the speed of Lance’s brain is right up there with his pedaling speed as a key component of his winning formula.
“Like the flickering images that make up the display on a computer screen, our brains have a cognitive refresh rate,” said Knaggs…..Lance’s refresh rate is three times as fast as the average person’s. he never zones out at any time; he’s always hypervigilent, during the Tour and during his busy, multifaceted life. he’s a good fully step ahead of everybody, always thinking toward something, moving at a faster speed and never resting. he gets three hours out of the day that no one else does.”
4. Strive for Ideal Performance State (IPS)
IPS is not to be confused with IBS! I think IPS is that state where you lose track of time. You are totally into what you are doing purely for the enjoyment of it. You are relaxed and loving it….you are in touch with the music itself. Interestingly, this ties in in a timely manner with yet another book that I am currently reading called The Inner Game of Music
My favorite line to describe this optimal approach is “Results happen naturally when motivation is pure.” With a pure motivation, I would experience a higher level of performance without having to struggle or force anything. At those times, I was experiencing what James Loehr calls the “Ideal Performance State” (IPS) affectionately known as the zone…….described as”physically relaxed, mentally calm, fearless, energized, positive, happy, effortless, automatic, confident,” and so on.
The one story from this chapter that best crystallizes what all of this is about is the “bagel shop” story on page 38:
Lance and I had … made plans to bicycle to the starting line on race morning….he was running well behind schedule…..Pedaling toward the waterfront race venue, we approached a bustling coffee and bagle shop, causing Lance to proclaim, “Man, I’m hungry. Let’s stop for a bagel, B.K.” While eating a bagel as the last thing on my mind (most athletes set their alarms for two or three hours before an event, consume some high-tech nutritional supplement … and then go back to sleep), I indulged him in another detour. Circular snack in hand, Lance and I pedaled on toward the race venue, now dangerously close to the start time. While my nervousness and anxiety were building inside, I could not help but laugh at the sight of my riding partner rolling into the transition area with a bagel stuffed in his mouth.
As I completed my hurried prerae preparations and hustled off anxiously toward the start of the swim, I heard Lance yell, “Hey, B.K.!” As I turned to face him, he flashed the thumbs-0up sign and said, “Let’s kick some ass today!” Instantly, my nervousness and tension melted away yinto a big smile, thanks to a fellow competitor no less.
Alright – Do you feel lucky?
Now, just go out there and kick some ass today!
The Tips For Musicians On The Lance Armstrong Method – Chapter 2 by Chris Hartzog, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 United States License.
