Several years ago – actually about a decade ago – Team Canada had the chance to work with a sport psychologist who introduced us to traffic lights.
Dr. Peter Usher showed us his concept of measuring mental performance using the colours green, yellow and red. Whether he was the originator of this idea or had it shown to him by one of his mentors, I have no idea.
I just knew I loved it. Almost immediately, it became a staple of the program and an integral part of my coaching.
More recently I’ve begun to apply this concept to other areas as well and now I’m paying it forward.
Green means go
In sport psychology terms, being “in the green” is equivalent to being in a flow state. Completely in the moment and unencumbered by doubts or irrelevant thoughts of any kind.
I’ve also recognized this in my own coaching. I can think of several times over the years where everything just clicked. I knew exactly what to say and do for my athletes. Doubt-free, completely focused, seeing everything and filtering out what wasn’t necessary.
It feels great to be in the green.
In contrast, when I was streaming on Twitch a few years ago, I was rarely in the green. I almost always had something going on in my mind that made me self-conscious or distracted.
But when those green moments did happen while streaming? It was magic.
Seeing red
The red state is the opposite. In competition, it’s when you’re no longer able to function at anything close to your desired performance level. This usually manifests in anger, apathy, dejection or sadness.
I don’t think I’ve ever been in the red as a coach, but I have been in the red as an athlete, a content creator, a writer, and a father. We’ve all been there in some form or another.
Writer’s block is being in the red. Forcing the issue and not having any ideas flow out easily. It’s beyond frustrating.
As a parent, recognizing that you need a few minutes away from your kids is realizing you’re in the red – or close to it – and you need some space to reset before behaving in a way that you’ll regret.
Yellow is the in-between
In sports, the yellow state is what happens between the green state and the red state. It’s when you’re not quite in the zone, but you’re still functioning at a decent level. You’re grinding. You could be confused, frustrated, or simply over-thinking things.
Like the other zones, it applies to much more than just sports. I would argue that just about any activity can be rated on the basis of these three colours, whether it is professional, recreational or competitive.
Are you a sales person nailing every call today, or trudging through your call list?
Are you a manager on point with their objectives and delegating responsibilities properly? Or are you feeling overworked, behind, and struggling to keep up?
Understanding your lights
Whether you’re a content creator, an accountant, an athlete, or anything else – if your performance matters to you, these colours are important.
What’s your green?
Understanding your green is more than just recognizing when you’re in a flow state. It’s recognizing your behaviours and conditions that lead up to it. It’s different for everyone. In competition, one athlete might be chatty in their green state while another is quiet.
It also varies by activity. The key is to examine how you feel, what you do, and the circumstances that surround a green session for you.
For myself, I like to write in total silence. But I like to build LEGO with a bit of background noise, such as sports on the tv or music.
What conditions do you like to set for yourself to perform at your best – before a meeting, or a training session, or every day life? What routines and systems can you use to help create those conditions to put you into your best mindset before “the lights come on?”
What’s your yellow?
The goal is never to let yellow change to red, but in order to do that you really need to understand what triggers your yellow state. It could be anything.
Thinking back to my return to the Canadian Team Trials in 2024, I was definitely in the yellow for the first half of the first day. I hadn’t coached in a live competition in over six years so I was feeling unsure of myself, a bit nervous and a bit excited.
Even in that state, it was obvious to me that much of the field was feeling the same way to start the tournament. There was a certain tension in the air, creating a sort of self-fulfilling cycle between athlete and environment.
Yellow is the pre-cursor to the red, but it’s also a quick transition to the green if you know what to do. Start by identifying your behaviours and triggers in the yellow.
- What’s your body language like? Are you more or less talkative than in the green? What thoughts are going through your head?
- What happened that changed your mindset? A bit of bad luck? A technical glitch? A simple mistake that you or someone else made? Maybe it was a question you weren’t fully prepared for.
You can dig deep into this area to find plenty of causes and signs that you are sub-optimal. Then you can take action to get back into the green.
If your green is quiet and you are chatting nervously before a meeting starts, it could be as simple as sitting down and being quiet for a few minutes, focusing on your notes.
Give it some thought
Think of a performance that’s important to you – at work, as a partner/parent, or in the competitive arena.
Take a piece of paper and divide it into three sections and start describing what it’s like when you’re at your best, when you’re doing ok, and when you are really struggling.
Then think about what actions you can take that will bring you from red to yellow and from yellow to green.
This can be a challenging self-reflection exercise but the rewards make it worth the investment.
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