Staying in the Zone

“Kimberly, you need to get in the zone.”  This was a common phrase I heard as a child growing up.  Growing up I was involved in many different sports but the ones that I dedicated the majority of my time to were rodeo and track. 

Competing in these types of sports took a lot of time and dedication, just like any other sport.  You are part of a team but you are also competing as an individual.  I will say, competing as an individual takes a lot of heart and dedication.  I was the type of kid that was competitive and put a lot of pressure on myself, and I would say I didn’t always handle it well!  If you would ask my mom, I was a bear cat to be around before an event. 

Before every track race or rodeo event you would find me off by myself.  I was told by my father that I needed to get into the zone.  I would take time to visualize how each race should be ran, or how my goat run should go.  Each step was thought through in detail.  For example, I would visualize me kneeling in the blocks, taking off, how my first 100 should be ran, then the next, and the next, and finally the last.  Yes, I was a 400 runner… still gives me an uneasy feeling in my belly when I think about it!  Rodeo was no different, yes you had livestock that added another factor to the equation, but I spent time going through how I wanted each event to happen.

While in the zone, each event was run exactly how it was supposed to.  By doing this it got me mentally prepared for how I needed to perform.  It gave me the confidence I needed to go out and perform the best I could.  This life lesson that my father taught me, has carried through and is something I still do today.

We all dream.  We dream about having the perfect family, perfect house, being a millionaire and so forth.  We all set goals too.  In order to do this you have to visualize how you are going to achieve them, you have to “get in the zone.” 

Even today, I take time and step away from the chaos and get in the zone.  How do I want Treat U Boutique to succeed, what steps am I going to take to get there?  I visualize how I want things to be.  This mental exercise gives me the confidence to achieve my goals and prepare myself for the next step. 

To this day, I can still hear my dad say, “Kimberly, you need to get in the zone!”  There were times I would get so annoyed and roll my eyes and let me tell you, when I didn’t take his advice, those were the times I would end up face down in a pile of sand during a goat run.  Your welcome for that visual!  😉 Today is no different, getting in the zone and visualizing how you want things to go is so important.  I will forever be grateful for this life lesson that my father taught me. 

If anything, I hope you all take the time and step away from the chaos and allow yourself to dream and visualize your future.  Take charge and “get in the zone” I promise it will give you some mental clarity and help prepare you for whatever your next step may be. 

Kim Handcock
Treat U Boutique