Preparation, Trust, and Joy
What the Milan–Cortina Winter Olympics Revealed About Flow and High Performance
Preparation Creates Trust
Full focus is only possible when preparation creates trust.
If doubt is present, attention fragments. If preparation is incomplete, the mind searches for reassurance. When the work has been done deeply and repeatedly over time, performers develop trust in their preparation. That trust allows attention to narrow fully to the task at hand.
Preparation reduces cognitive interference by removing uncertainty about execution. Attention can then be directed entirely toward responding to the unfolding moment.
Flow is often misunderstood as something mysterious or accidental. In reality, it emerges when certain conditions align: high skill, meaningful challenge, clear goals, and complete engagement with the activity itself.
When these conditions are present, attention becomes fully absorbed. Action and awareness merge. Performance feels both in control and almost effortless.
Seeing Performance from the Inside
Watching the 2026 Milan–Cortina Winter Olympics offered a rare opportunity to observe the psychology of elite performance up close.
Advances in broadcast technology brought viewers closer to athletes than ever before. We could see the stillness in an athlete’s eyes at the start gate, the quiet focus before launching down a course, and the surge of emotion at the finish line.
Much of this perspective came from agile first-person view (FPV) drones. These small manoeuvrable aircraft, piloted using video goggles, followed athletes at speed and from angles rarely seen in Olympic coverage. The result was an unusually intimate view of elite performance.
For those interested in what occurs from the performer’s perspective, this technology offered something remarkable: a window into the psychology of high performance.
Across the many disciplines at Milan–Cortina there were extraordinary displays of skill, courage, and resilience. One event that captured my attention: was the final of the women’s snowboard cross, where Australian Josie Baff delivered a performance of remarkable composure and strategic intelligence on her way to winning gold.
In a pre-Olympic interview with fellow Australian Olympian Steph Hickey, Baff described her process at the start gate:
“I look straight down the course, blocking out anything in my periphery. Just focusing on me and my breath, trusting in the work I’ve already done. And this is the moment that is fun.”
Applying this principle
Before an important moment, ask a simple question:
“What preparation would allow me to trust myself here?”
Often the barrier to focus is not distraction but uncertainty. When preparation is thorough enough that you trust your capability, attention naturally settles on the task itself.
Flow: When Skill Meets Challenge
This principle extends far beyond sport. In leadership, business, the performing arts, medicine, or any field requiring sustained excellence, the same dynamic applies. The deeper the preparation, the more attention can be devoted to the moment of execution.
The athletes of Milan–Cortina provided many vivid examples of this psychological state.
The Games also revealed another important dimension of high performance: the emotional experience of the performer.
Throughout the events we saw genuine camaraderie among competitors. Athletes celebrated each other’s performances, supported rivals after difficult moments, and shared in the joy of excellence regardless of national affiliation.
The Olympic spirit of excellence, friendship, and respect was visible not only in podium ceremonies, but also in the immediate post-event footage, where excellence was celebrated, and empathy was clearly on display. Competition grounded in mutual respect can unite rather than divide.
Joy as a Performance Advantage
One performer who generated widespread media attention during these Games was American figure skater Alysa Liu. Liu’s gold medal performance in the women’s final was technically flawless. What captivated audiences, however, was the visible joy she brought to the ice.
It is relatively rare to see an athlete perform at an Olympic final while appearing to experience such genuine enjoyment. Liu’s short program and free skate were marked by freedom, presence, and expressive energy that radiated throughout the arena.
In post-performance interviews, journalists repeatedly asked how she could perform under such scrutiny without appearing burdened by pressure. Her response was simple:
“Where is there pressure? I have no pressure.”
Her perspective beautifully illustrates findings from my early research on flow. In the early 1990s I interviewed elite figure skaters about their experiences when performing at their very best. Their descriptions were strikingly consistent: complete concentration, a sense of control, clarity of purpose, effortless execution, and deep enjoyment.
When asked to rate the dimensions of the flow experience, enjoyment consistently ranked highest (Jackson, 1992).
High performance is often associated with intensity and pressure. Yet the experience of flow suggests something more nuanced. When performers are driven primarily by intrinsic motivation, by love of the activity itself, they are more likely to access the psychological conditions that support exceptional performance.
Enjoyment does not diminish seriousness or commitment. It reflects deep engagement with the activity.
Alysa Liu’s performances at Milan–Cortina offer a vivid illustration of this principle. Her visible joy was not a distraction from performance. It was part of the psychological state that allowed excellence to emerge.
Applying this principle
When preparing for an important challenge, try shifting one simple question.
Instead of asking
“How do I avoid pressure?”
Ask
“What do I genuinely enjoy about doing this well?”
Reconnecting with intrinsic motivation often restores the curiosity and engagement that support flow.
What the Games Remind Us About Excellence
Across disciplines we saw the same pattern emerge. Athletes prepared deeply enough to trust their training. That trust allowed their attention to narrow fully to the moment of execution. And when skill and challenge aligned, many entered the psychological state we know as flow.
At the same time, the performances at Milan–Cortina revealed something equally important. The athletes who appeared most fully engaged in their performance were often those who retained a genuine enjoyment of the activity itself. Preparation created trust. Trust enabled focus. And intrinsic motivation helped sustain the engagement that allows excellence to emerge.
More than executed, performance is experienced – and in those experiences flow becomes visible.
Bringing Flow into Practice
The principles of flow and optimal performance apply across many domains, including leadership, business, education, sport, and the performing arts.
If you are interested in exploring how these ideas can support performance in your organisation or professional context, please feel free to get in touch.
You can reach out using the contact form below.
About the Author
Dr Sue Jackson is a psychologist and internationally recognised expert on flow, the optimal psychological state where people perform and feel their best. Her career began with pioneering doctoral research on flow in elite athletes in the early 1990s, and she has continued to shape the field through decades of research, writing, and consulting.
Today, Sue works with high performers across sport, medicine, business, and the arts, helping them cultivate focus, presence, and joy in both performance and daily life. Drawing on mindfulness, CBT, and Acceptance & Commitment Therapy alongside the science of flow, she blends practical tools with deep expertise to guide clients toward positive, lasting change.
Her new book, Experiencing Flow: Life Beyond Boredom and Anxiety, weaves together her research and practice to show how flow can enrich performance and make everyday life more meaningful.
