This Is Why Your Pre-Performance Ritual Makes All The Difference

Meditation is all the rage these days. The ability to instantly get yourself into a mental state certainly has innumerable advantages.

My ADD can’t handle meditation. At least I can admit it: Stage 1 of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Most people’s meditation practice consists mainly of telling others about it rather than practicing it.

Fortunately, there’s another way to get yourself into a desired mental state.

A basketball player dribbles three times and spins the ball in his hands before every free-throw he takes. A tennis player takes two deep breaths before all of her serves. A comedian recites the same mantra before getting on stage to perform.

They’re all using the power of a pre-performance ritual to help them.

They all need to be in a certain mindset for what they’re about to do. And many of us require the same focus and concentration in our jobs. We may not be serving a match point at Wimbledon, but our life’s work is just as important.

I’ve been using the power of a pre-performance ritual for most of my life, and I can tell you that it really does make a significant difference.

Chanting A Hail Mary

I’m Hindu, but I went to a Catholic Dominican High School — Fenwick High School in Oak Park, Illinois. Those are formative years, and in many ways, I still think like a Catholic. As you might imagine, it’s tough to go through four years of Catholic school without learning a prayer or two along the way — in Latin.

The Hail Mary was one that always stood out in my mind. Before athletic meets or any competition, we would recite the Hail Mary in Latin.

Ave Maria

Gratia plena

Dominus tecum …

Queen of Victory. Pray for us!

That stuck with me. Now, whenever I need to get myself into the right mindset, I say the Hail Mary in Latin — the Ave Maria — and make the sign of the cross. Maybe it’s because of those close ties to sports while I was in my formative years, but reciting that prayer gets my mind in the right place.

And I use this all the time. I like to joke that I might say this prayer more than the pope.

But then again, I’m in a startup biotech company. Prayer is a potent tool in the entrepreneur’s arsenal. It’s always my go-to when I need to focus, especially late at night when I need to push through and get something done.

This ritual, in particular, brings together the idea of mind, body, and heart. You want all your tools at your disposal when you’re doing something important.

You want to be all in.

Your mind. Your body. And especially your heart.

For me, the Latin Hail Mary gets me to that point. It gets me ready mentally and physically, and gives me a little chill of inspiration.

It does seem to enable me to push harder and farther — sometimes more than I thought possible.

Why These Rituals Work

There aren’t a ton of rigorous scientific studies on these kinds of pre-performance rituals, but they do have a strong track record throughout history. People have been doing this type of thing for thousands of years. From monks to soldiers, there are countless examples of people using ritual actions or thoughts to improve their performance. The athletes that I mentioned are only the latest and most visible examples.

And they do it because it works.

When a player breathes a certain way, dribbles the ball a certain amount of times, or quickly re-straps their batting gloves before stepping into the batter’s box, it isn’t because that action physically helps them perform better. It’s because it sends a signal to their brain to get into a particular state of mind.

It places them in control of the situation. Their mind is able to ignore distractions and outside elements to focus on what needs to be done.

Applying The Process In A Work Setting

Think about your daily routines. From the moment you wake up to the time you turn in at night, you’re doing certain things that mark the different points in your day. Chances are, you have rituals that you aren’t even aware of. You can even think of brushing your teeth or showering as a ritual that tells your brain it’s time to get moving in the morning. When you get ready for bed, any bedtime rituals you have are telling your brain, “Hey, we’re about get in bed and sleep.”

Some work better than others.

You can harness this power at work. I use the Ave Maria, and it works wonders for me. But there’s no reason you can’t pick a pre-performance ritual for yourself. For people who already do this, the ritual might be in their head — a state of mind they get themselves into through meditation or a ritualistic thought process.

But if you’re trying this for the first time, experts say it’s helpful to have a physical action to perform. Squeeze a stress ball while concentrating on the task you’re about to begin. Stand up and do some stretches. Take your first sip of coffee as you sit down to work. Whatever it is, make sure that it’s consistent.

That’s how you help your brain make the connection. If you do it consistently for long enough, it’ll get easier and easier for your mind to slip into that focused state.

Most people already have their own rituals, even if they aren’t aware of them. But it’s a good idea to start consciously cultivating your own. Once you know how to use them, and understand when to apply them, you’ll be able to boost your performance when you need it most.