Imagine how you would feel if this happened to you. I had my first performance with the Boston Crusaders Drum & Bugle Corps at age seventeen. The crowd was thunderous and the stadium’s lights made it seem like I was playing in the final seconds of the Superbowl. I stood petrified in the opening formation of our show. My mind went blank! The drum major started the show and on the first move I forgot to stop marching and crashed into the player next to me. I choked! I wasn’t focusing on anything I was taught – I was mindlessly reacting to things after they had happened to me. I still have dreams about it.

Now let’s fast-forward five years to my final performance. The 14-minute show became a mental script that I followed as it unfolded. I was completely in-the-moment and in control yet I performed with energy and emotion. I savored every moment because it was my last performance. It was as if I had a gentle dose of the right information streaming through me during the show. I’d think: watch the drum major for the starting tempo (speed of the music) – CHECK, watch the front of the drum line on this move, so it’s straight – CHECK, listen back to the bass drums for the tempo of the next section – CHECK, enjoy the crowd’s response – CHECK, move my feet fast so this section lines up with the brass section - CHECK, and so on. Quite a difference, hah? What was your first peak performance moment?

Peak performance is an effortless expression supported by technical mastery.

This is an excerpt from the book “Think Like a Musician: The Time Management Skills You Need to Lead a More Joyful & Productive Life.”