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In the context of human performance, the personal meaning and importance the individual places onhis or her own performance help form an organizing system by which he or she evaluates, interprets, and responds to the competitive world; and,clearly, how one perceives the environment and the behavioral choices made in response to such perceptions and interpretations signifi cantlycontribute to ones success.

Of additional importance, if this personalorganizing system is combined with a genetic/biological predisposition toexperience emotion in a more or less intense manner (often termed nega-tive affect syndrome or neuroticism by theorists (Barlow, Allen, & Choate,2004), the result may be an even greater tendency to interpret threat anddanger, and may subsequently lead to increased behavioral restriction anddistance from perceived (or misperceived) threat.

However, the performer exhibiting functional performance experiences a nonjudging,metacognitive mindful absorption in the task, whereas an individualexperiencing dysfunctional performance typically focuses on inflexiblerule systems (i.e., thoughts about what he or she can or cannot do,

should or should not do, etc.), perceived defi cits, self-doubts, efforts tocontrol thoughts and emotions, and ramifi cations of possible failure.

Performers who believe that theirskills and abilities match performance demands are likely to perform better,and performers who question their skills and experience and are overlyconcerned with outcome are likely to perform more poorly.

But everyone experiences discomfortit is natural and, whileworry may successfully remove immediate discomfort in the short term,it does not help develop the skills necessary for optimal performance

 In other words, performanceoutcomes depend on the degree to which the performer accepts his or herown internal experiences as normal and naturally occurring; is willing topersist on task despite these experiences; and maintains attentional focuson the environmental task at hand rather than on his or her internalthoughts, feelings, and physical sensations

On a theoretical level, this approach draws heavily upon the work ofHayes, Strosahl, and Wilson (1999), which suggests that, when an indi-vidual has an emotional response to an external stimulussuch as whenone experiences anxiety during an important presentation or gameandthen thinks about those situations at a later time, he or she is likely to

experience anxiety directly to those thoughts.

The actual (external) tasks,as well as the internal experiencing of the tasks (thoughts about the task),become cues for the emotion.

In this example, the behavioral response directly guidedby the individuals internal experience is an example of rule-governed behaviour.

n this case, the avoidant behavior is directly governed by the

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personal rule, I cant handle meetings when I feel this bad and is indirect response to the emotions and thoughts experienced

To elucidate further, comments such as I cant work for this guy; hesa jerk, or I didnt take the shot because my confi dence is down, refl ectindividuals who use their internal processes to explain and guide theirbehavioral choices.

he distinction between rule-governedand values-directed behavior is critically important when one considersthe fact that performers of all types and at all skill levels must regularlyand consistently manage their behavior in the service of distal goals andat the expense of more immediate gratifi cation.

Thus, rather than engag-ing in behaviors determined by the needs and realities of external cuesand contingencies, behavioral choices are often guided by the belief thatones thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations require some immedi-ate action.

Forexample, the sales person who is having a diffi cult year is told that sheneeds to spend more time with potential new accounts. She becomesanxious when thinking about making cold calls and begins to think that

she cant do it. She then contemplates what she would do if she losther job, which results in sadness (at the thought of unemployment) andeven more anxiety. She fuses with her self- and future-focused thoughtprocess, believes that thoughts of inability actually equal inability, andchooses to leave work early and call a friend to meet for drinks. Thischoice serves the immediate purpose of reducing the troubling internalprocesses and associated anxiety, and, as such, this avoidant behavior isnegatively reinforced. However, this behavioral choice does nothing toimprove sales performance, which requires consistent committed actionregardless of uncomfortable internal experience

These fi ndings are particularly important for those interested in perfor-

mance enhancement given the recent fi ndings in performance psychology,which suggest that elite performance is associated with decreased levels ofleft-hemisphere cortical activity, indicative of low levels of verbal- linguisticactivity

Third, based on the professional literature, mindfulness also oper-ates through teaching individuals to see their own thoughts simply asthoughts and not absolute realities to which they must respond

This has been referred to asmetacognitive awareness (Teasdale et al., 1995), which is learning toobserve a thought or emotion as just a thought or emotion and not an

absolute reality that requires a response. In this regard, thoughts andemotions are seen simply as passing events that require no change oralteration

In contrast, when thoughts and feelings are seen as absoluterealities that require immediate action, rule-governed behaviors are likelyto occur.

thoughts (or things yourmind tells you, as we refer to them) are learned internal events that

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do not always refl ect absolute reality and do not necessarily requireaction. Rather, our thoughts, learned throughout our lives as languageassociated with particular events, come and go if we just allow them to.