The Anchoring Strategy
The most effective strategy to achieve the flow state is “anchoring.”
Anchoring is the process of associating a small action or trigger with a particular competitive state of mind
An anchor is an action (something an athlete does) or verbal cue (something an athlete says) seconds before an athlete starts competing.
In other words, an anchor is a switch that turns off your conscious mind and immerses you in the moment. You can think of it as a director of a movie saying, “ACTION!” just before the cameras start rolling.
An anchor can be as simple in auto racing as the driver squeezing the steering wheel. Gripping the wheel tight for a couple of seconds signals the driver’s brain to switch off his conscious mind.
The stronger the pairing between the anchor and desired competitive state of mind, the easier you can enter the flow state.