How to identify my specific performance hot spots?

ByOratoryCDC

Based on Dr. Dana Sinclair’s Dialed In, identifying your performance “hot spots”—the specific distractions and psychological barriers that derail you—is the first step toward building a plan to overcome them. If you cannot articulate what is standing in your way, you will not be able to learn how to get around it.

Here is the process for identifying your specific performance hot spots:

1. Perform an Honest Self-Audit

To begin, you must be willing to sit with some discomfort and ask yourself, “What is bothering me?”. You need to determine what specific situations frustrate, puzzle, scare, or annoy you to the point that they hold you back.

  • Look for emotional reactions: If you tend to “lose it,” throw a tantrum, or react with outsized anger to an unmet need, you have likely located a hot spot.
  • Check for avoidance: Ask yourself if you are being honest or if you are deflecting blame to external factors (like traffic or weather) to avoid taking ownership of a behavior, such as chronic lateness.
  • Drill down: Do not settle for vague descriptions like feeling “in the dumps.” You must drill down to the specifics, such as realizing you feel disrespected by a coach, are worried about a contract, or are playing through an injury.

2. Use a Distraction Checklist

It can be helpful to view a list of common distractions to see which ones resonate with you. Sinclair notes that seeing a list helps people realize they are not alone. Common hot spots include:

  • Results: Worrying about stats, points, or the final outcome,.
  • Social/External perceptions: Worrying about what others (parents, coaches, audiences) are thinking about you,.
  • Internal noise: Self-doubt, feeling like a fraud (imposter syndrome), or negative self-talk,.
  • Specific triggers: Making a mistake, feeling rushed, harsh criticism, or specific environments (like a “bad rink” or an intimidating boardroom),,.

3. Distinguish “Super Derailers” from Minor Annoyances

Your initial list might be long, potentially containing twenty or more items. However, not all distractions are equal. You must separate the things that are merely a nuisance from those that actually damage your performance.

  • Identify the top three: Review your list and skip over items that don’t cause significant angst. Tick off the ones that truly hurt your performance; these are your “super derailers”.
  • Focus your plan: You only need to plan for these few super derailers. If you manage the big ones, the minor distractions often fade into the background because they were never the real issue.

4. Ask Specific Diagnostic Questions

If you are struggling to find your hot spots, Sinclair provides targeted questions to uncover them in specific areas:

  • Fear: Are doubts making you defensive? Do you make excuses to soften the blow of potential failure?.
  • Confidence: Do you believe you must feel confident before you can perform? Do you tinker with plans excessively to avoid putting yourself to the test?,.
  • Motivation: Have you lost your drive, or are you actually just afraid of letting yourself down? Are you using “lack of motivation” as an excuse?,.
  • Control: Are you relying on superstitions (random actions) rather than routines? Do you struggle when things feel out of your control?.

By listing your distractions and isolating your super derailers, you move from a vague sense of anxiety to a concrete list of problems you can solve.

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