Mental State.  What does that really mean?  We always hear that successful individuals are “mentally tough.”  Does that mean the “mentally tough” person focuses only on the task and nothing else?
Mental state as defined in AMP IT UP is a condition.  It is a balance of eagerness to learn, a mind void of unnecessary thought, positive attitude, proper mental preparation, and a firm belief in the task and/or goal to be achieved.  It is a calm,  fully relaxed yet ready for action feeling.
Having the proper mental state is like setting the table for a meal for peak performance.
How do we achieve our best mental state to perform at our highest levels?
The proper mental state is not a one-size-fits-all concept.  We need to identify “triggers” that place us into a peak performance ready condition.  We need to understand how stress directly affects our mental state.  Stress can help to a point.  Stress is a basic ingredient for peak performance.  Stress is having a problem to solve: a presentation, a sports competition, a fancy dinner party, mid-term exams.  Too much stress and our mind and body begin to shut down.
To begin let us identify the negative stress factors in your life.  To prepare your mental state, you must eliminate previous disruptive thoughts and emotions.  You must abandon your fear of failure. First,
list activities or goals in which you have failed. Then take each of the above and write a clarifying statement of why you failed and what you were most worried about while executing the task.
Now you have an idea of thoughts and distractions that cause you not to perform at your highest levels.
When you feel these performance-inhibiting thoughts rising, you must replace them with new thoughts of success. You must visualize a positive end.  You must visualize your peak performance.
In essence, you have two performances to deal with: your mental turmoil and the task.

To deal with the mental turmoil/ non-performance thoughts you must completely sever all prior thought and emotional patterns identified above.  This process allows you to relax and be in a heightened state at the same time because you have allowed your brain to release both adrenalin and nitric oxide.  The adrenalin enhances your mental and physical readiness and the nitric oxide puts your mind in a “happy” state by releasing endorphins and dopamine into your system.  Now you have the best of both, eagerness and relaxation.  In this state, your mind/ mental state is prepared to have a peak experience, which can be characterized by having great clarity of purpose, freedom from fear and anxiety, and a sense of overall unity; and ultimately a sense of power and personal belief.

Before you can have your peak performance, you must be fully prepared for the task you are engaged in.  This comes from the training you have pursued to improve the skill or task you are performing.  There is no substitute for mental preparation.

To learn more about the AMP IT UP principles, visit