In Pursuit of Excellence | Terry Orlick

In Pursuit of Excellence: How to Win in Sport and Life Through Mental Training by Terry Orlick, PhD is a comprehensive guide to mental training, focus, confidence, and high-level performance.

Drawing on decades of work with Olympic and professional athletes, coaches, dancers, musicians, and other high-performance professionals, Orlick presents practical strategies for developing concentration, positive imagery, commitment, confidence, relaxation, and effective responses to pressure and distraction.

The fifth edition also addresses balance, recovery, teamwork, adaptability, coaching, goal setting, and positive career or life transitions. Although written for sport and performance generally rather than dance alone, its mental-training principles are highly relevant to dancers preparing for competitions, examinations, performances, and demanding training environments.

Contents

Part I – Discovering Excellence

1. Choice of Excellence
2. Wheel of Excellence
3. Focus for Excellence
4. Journey to Excellence

Part II – Focusing for Excellence

5. Self-Examination
6. Intensity, Relaxation, and Recovery
7. Distraction Control
8. Positive Images
9. Simulation
10. Zen Experiences

Part III – Creating Excellence

11. Perspectives
12. Goals
13. Commitments
14. Connections
15. Challenges
16. Actions

Part IV – Living Excellence

17. Composed
18. Balanced
19. Consistent
20. Coachable
21. Team-Oriented
22. Self-Directed
23. Adaptable
24. Transition
    • Appendix: Planning Forms for Positive Performance Enhancement
    • Bibliography
    • Additional Resources
    • Index
    • About the Author