How to get yourself ready for peak performance? Laying the groundwork, being consistent, and visualizing the perfect outcomes all help. However, what you do in the last day or two have the biggest impact. This is when you need to simulate your performance.
In triathlon racing, this means swimming in the lake, river or sea that the race will be held. Ideally at the time that your swim will start. When I took part in a race in West China in August, the air temperature was very comfortable - dry and sunny. So it was a shock to jump into the lake and experience 19C water. It was freezing due to the high altitude and the fact that the water ran straight down from mountain glaciers! It was essential that I prepare myself mentally and physically for this type of environment. The high altitude also contributed to less oxygen in the water which made it harder to breathe. This meant I had to adapt my breathing style while swimming. This experience helped prepare me for the actual race conditions that lay ahead.
How can you prepare for peak performance? If you are giving a business presentation, find the actual room and stand there and deliver some of your presentation. Get a feel for the layout, the acoustics and the way the audience will be seated.
If it’s not practical to arrive a day ahead, arrive early. When I am hosting formal dinners, I will arrive in the afternoon and watch the room being set up and meet all the hotel staff, sound and video teams and check the stage and microphones personally. This way there are no surprises and I have done everything I can to reduce the big-night nerves.
Whenever you can, put yourself in the real situation. When presidential candidates are prepareing for the debates, they practise in rooms that have been created to imitate the debate settings. Give youself the best chance to shine by working on your final day preparations.