K.I.S.S.
If you’ve been around sports for any length of time, it’s likely that you’ve come across this acronym - KISS. Though the exact wording may differ depending on who you hear it from, the principle behind it is the same: Keep It Simple. This concept is easy to understand, but much harder to actually execute.
Coaches, trainers, and teammates all use this phrase in an attempt to get you back on track. It’s a way to signal to you that you are thinking too much. Ironically, it’s often those same people who also provide you with an exorbitant amount of information that you are supposed to consolidate. Do this effectively and you’ve “kept it simple.” Slip up and they are quick to point it out.
Instinctively, you know that keeping things simple is incredibly valuable. By keeping it simple, you run less of a chance of making mistakes, the important components get executed at a high level, and your performance tends to flow much more easily. There really isn’t much fight against WHY you should keep things simple when it’s time to perform. The challenge comes with HOW to keep it simple.
So many things get in the way of keeping things simple:
In training it is more helpful to pay attention to all of the nuances of your sport and executing specific skills so that you can improve them. You need to analyze the various components and find ways to incrementally improve each individual aspect.
Coaches like to give instructions and point out a great deal of information during competition. They are trying to be helpful in giving you feedback so that you can adjust, but this often puts all of the mental workload on you to consolidate that information into something useful in the pressure moments.
The higher the level you get, the more you understand about all the various components of your sport. You know more, so you pay attention to more.
You care about winning and doing your best. This means that any chance you have to gain a competitive advantage, you will take. So you constantly look for ways to get ahead and push towards even higher levels.
That’s a lot of obstacles that can trip you up when trying to KISS. So HOW exactly do you keep things simple? Try incorporating these key strategies into your athletic regimen.
Identify the ONE thing. What is the most important thing to your performance right now? By identifying one, and only one, thing that is MOST important, you allow yourself to prioritize your focus and let go of the rest. Think about setting up a design using dominoes. Your training is the set up, your ONE thing is that first domino that will start the cascade and knock down all of the other dominoes. Find that first domino and everything else will fall into place.
Train turning off your analysis. In training you are so used to analyzing every single aspect of your sport and abilities. However, in competition, you want your analysis to be at a “good enough” level, just the bare minimum to help you adjust when needed. Choose a drill each training session and turn off your analysis. Perform the drill rather than using it to improve anything. Keep your quality high and focus on your ONE thing for that drill.
Put the mental work back on coach. During competition, when coach gives you a lot info, simply ask “what’s the most important thing I should focus on?” Your coach isn’t the one needing to perform, they are the one that should be taking off the mental load to help you keep it simple. Some coaches struggle with that, so asking them this question helps them stay the coach and you stay the performer.
Improving your ability to KISS improves your overall performance in competition settings. Keeping it simple is not something that happens, it’s a skill you have to train. Incorporate these three strategies to help you develop HOW to KISS.
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