The Ritual That Helps You Lock In—Every Time You Compete

What you do in the final moments before a performance can make or break how you show up. But most people aren’t trained for that window. They either overthink, rush, or freeze—and then wonder why their performance feels off.

The truth is, you don’t need more hype. You need a reset ritual that brings your body and mind into alignment.

In this post, we’ll walk through a 3-step pre-performance ritual that helps you shift your state from frantic to focused in under 60 seconds.

Why Most Warm-Ups Don’t Work

Most people think warming up means stretching, practicing, or doing a few quick drills. That matters—but if your nervous system isn’t regulated, none of it will land.

You have to get your body out of fight-or-flight and into a state of calm readiness before your tools and training can kick in.

This 3-step ritual helps you do exactly that.

Step 1: Regulate Your Nervous System

Start by calming or energizing your body—depending on where you are.

Options:

• Shake out your arms and legs

• Bounce gently or march in place

• Try the 4-2-6 breath pattern (inhale for 4, hold for 2, exhale for 6)

You can do this in a bathroom, your car, or behind the curtain. The key is to reset your system before it spirals.

Step 2: Reclaim Your Identity

After regulating, shift into who you want to be in the moment.

Ask:

• Who do I want to show up as?

• What does that version of me focus on?

• What have I already trained to do?

Then repeat a short identity cue:

• “I’m grounded and ready.”

• “This is what I do.”

• “I trust my rhythm.”

Say it out loud or silently—but own it.

Step 3: Refocus Your Attention

Finally, bring your focus down to something simple and specific.

Pick a cue:

• One breath

• One target

• One motion

• One word (like "smooth," "lock in," or "flow")

This reduces overwhelm and helps you stay present, not predictive.

Putting It Together

This ritual can take 60 seconds or 10 minutes. You can expand it into a full warm-up or keep it simple in tight moments.

The sequence:

1. Regulate your nervous system

2. Reclaim your identity

3. Refocus your attention

Use it before every game, match, meeting, speech, or moment that matters.

Ready to Build Your Own Reset Ritual?

Want help tailoring your own performance prep to your nervous system and mindset style?
Take the free quiz at CornholeMeesh.com/quiz and get personalized reset tools for your dominant performance state.

This is how you stop spiraling and start showing up locked in.