In the Army, when you are a second lieutenant in training, you make sure the troops eat their meals before you do.
Why?
To show respect and that we are all on the same team.
You get what you give, so if you are a coach and want respect from your players, give it first. This works both ways, so if you are a player and want respect from your coaches, give it first.
TEAM: Together-Everyone-Achieves-More.
From John Wooden’s book, “Wooden”…
Preparation Is the Prize
Cervantes wrote, “The journey is better than the inn.” He is right and that is why I derived my greatest satisfaction out of the preparation—the “journey”-day after day, week after week, year after year.
Your journey is the important thing. A score, a trophy, a ribbon is simply the inn.
Thus, there were many, many games that gave me as much pleasure as any of the ten championship games we won, simply because we prepared fully and played near our highest level of ability.
The so-called importance of a particular game didn’t necessarily add to the satisfaction I felt in preparing for the contest. It was the journey I prized above all else.
Thanks to the great Fred Klatsky for sharing this with me.
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”
-MARCEL PROUST
As coaches, athletes, parents and people, we often look at things through our narrow perspectives. When we keep an open mind with new ideas and ways to do things, we frequently find better ways to do them, and continuously grow in the process, oftentimes improving our results.
Mental Toughness Homework: Just for today, have an open mind and listen to what others have to say. Look at the world through new eyes and your world just might change.
Here I am in Texas, reading Success Magazine. Today’s message is a quote from the periodical.
Not living in fear is a great gift because certainly these days we do it so much. And do you know what I like about comedy? You can’t laugh and be afraid at the same time-of anything. If you’re laughing, I defy you to be afraid.
-Stephen Colbert
I know what you’re thinking, how can this message help you?
When you are about to do something difficult, like play in the finals of a tournament, take an exam, give a speech, or ask someone out on a date, watch or listen to some comedy. Read a joke book.
By focusing on something relaxing, you will be, well, relaxed.
Go all-out today!
Well, here I am in Austin, Texas visiting my sister Grace and her family.
On the plane I watched Tin Cup starring Kevin Costner on my iPad. It was great. In fact, it was one of the best sports movies I’ve seen in a long time.
If you don’t know, Tin Cup is about a driving range golf pro (Costner) who has all the talent in the world but a weak mental game.
At one point in the movie, Costner gets the “shanks” which is an inexplicable glitch in a golfer’s swing. He can’t hit the ball straight. He tries all these high-tech gadgets and they are not working.
Finally, Romeo, his caddy tells him to do the following:
1. Take all the change from his right front pocket and put it in his left front pocket.
2. Wear his cap backwards.
3. Double-knot his left shoe.
4. Put a tee behind his ear.
He looked ridiculous and was obviously embarrassed. Well guess what? It worked! He hit the ball straight.
Why?
Because he wasn’t thinking about his swing, he was just hitting the ball. Romeo said his brain was getting in the way.
When you think too much in sports (and life), you get paralysis by analysis. Peak performance occurs when you play loose. Loose, but focused.
Yogi Berra says you can’t think and hit at the same time. A full mind is an empty bat.
Well, it’s off to explore Texas. Talk to you soon!
My day began at 6:30am and it has been non-stop until now, 10:54pm. I don’t FEEL like blogging, but here I am. Someone once said, “Exceptions shatter dreams.”
One of my dreams is to help as many people as I can, so if today’s message inspires just one person somewhere in the world, my effort would have been worth it.
Something I learned in life is that winners do what losers don’t feel like doing.
Recently, I was interviewed by a current student in Ferris State University’s Marketing and Professional Tennis Management program, the same one that I graduated from. He asked me if there was any part of my business that I didn’t like, and I said, “Of course. I don’t enjoy doing my taxes, cleaning my office or other things that I have to do. But I do them anyway.”
Now I know there’s someone out there that has to do something today that they don’t feel like doing. Well guess what? If you want results, you have to take action. Don’t be like most others and wait until you feel motivated to do what you need to do.
If you do what everyone else does, you’re going to get what everyone else gets.
The most important part of a player’s body is above his shoulders.
-Ty Cobb
The Six W’s: Work will win when wishing won’t.
I never looked at the consequences of missing a big shot…When you think about the consequences, you always think of a negative result.
-Michael Jordan
When I give seminars on the psychological aspect of peak performance, I always ask someone in the audience to name their favorite athlete. Many times it is Michael Jordan. I then ask the following questions…
“Who is faster, you or Jordan?”
“Who can shoot better, you or Jordan?”
“Who can jump higher, you or Jordan?”
The answer is always Jordan (if they are being honest).
I then ask how long it would take for them to be physically equal to Jordan.
Most say forever.
I follow up and say, “Do you know how you can become just as good as Jordan, almost instantly?”
I have the entire auditorium’s attention as I say…
“By having the same mindset as Jordan. And by giving the same effort as Jordan.”
I recently asked the winningest coach in college history, Paul Assaiante, squash coach at Trinity College, if giving a full effort was one of the main goals for his team. He responded…
“It’s the ONLY goal.”
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