MESSAGE #1268 DON’T BE A ZEKE

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Zeke Bonura was a first baseman in the major leagues. He had one of the top fielding percentages in pro baseball during his playing days.

The reason why Bonura’s average was so good was because he didn’t go for anything he thought he might miss.

In fact, he was known for giving the ball the “Mussolini Wave” with his glove as he let it go by. Eventually, Bonura got traded.

Zeke Bonura didn’t go all-out.

Is that what you want to be known for?

Someone who didn’t make mistakes?

The most successful people in the world made the most mistakes.

Why would you want to train yourself to hold back?

As you go through your day today, remember what Zeke Bonura did…

And do the opposite.

MESSAGE #1263 KEEP CLIMBING

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Suppose you are down at the beach and you catch a crab. If you put it in a bucket, you need to cover the bucket or the crab will climb out. But if you catch more than one crab, you don’t need to put a cover on the bucket. Why?

Because when one crab tries to climb out of the bucket, the other crabs will grab it and pull it back in. It doesn’t matter how many crabs are in the bucket.

Now what does this have to do with you?

You’re not a crab and other crabs will not bring you down.

But other people might bring you down by things that they say or things that they do. Certain events or situations might bring you down.

But don’t let them.

You choose how you react to different people and different situations. There are some things that you cannot control, but you can control your actions. And your reactions. Here’s my recommended action:

Keep climbing.

MESSAGE #1262 A MESSAGE FROM MARK

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The only pressure I’m under is the pressure I’ve put on myself.
-MARK MESSIER, hockey great

Recently, there was a football kicker training at my sports center. He is only 13 but has “phenom” written all over him. He has been working hard, doing all the right things and developing quite nicely.

This past week he was training for a pro event, which is a very big deal and only a few days away.

Then something happened.

He started missing kicks he was making easily the weeks prior. He started looking and feeling nervous. He was not the same person.

What changed?

Nothing physically, but mentally he started over-thinking. He was focusing on how important this upcoming pro event is. He started trying too hard. The little negative voice inside his head began getting louder and louder.

This happens all the time in sports and life.

When the pressure’s on, many people fold.

But it is not pressure, it is perception.

There are two ways to look at pressure–you can either get frustrated or fascinated by it.

The choice is yours.

What would be my advice to this young kicker?

1. Understand that nerves are normal. Everyone gets nervous.

2. Take a deep breath to lower your heart rate and stay in the present moment.

3. Focus on the target, not the outcome.

4. Act as if it were impossible to fail.

5. Cultivate gratitude and have fun!

For a free 10-minute mental toughness consultation, email: or call 609.558.1077

MESSAGE #1260 THE WORLD’S SHORTEST SAD STORY

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Once upon a time a young boy said to his family, “I want to do great things in this world; I know I can.”

Then, an old man said to his family, “I wish I had done great things in this world; I wish I did.”

End of story.

Why is this story so sad?

Because the young boy and the old man were the same person.

At the end of your life, do you want to say, “I wish I had” or “I’m glad I did”?

I think we all know the answer.

You can also apply this mindset to each and every day. Each and every practice. Each and every game.

At the end of the day, or at the end of the game, take the mental toughness test.

You pass the test if you say:

“I’m glad I did.”

MESSAGE #1259 HOW TO SUSTAIN MOTIVATION

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to Nate Kunnen and Dan Beedle in Michigan.

How soon ‘not now’ becomes ‘never’.
-MARTIN LUTHER, German priest

By request, I was asked to blog about how to sustain motivation and how to persist and have inner strength. Two separate requests which are actually related.

It’s that time of year where people are looking to become more fit, get better grades, be a better romantic partner or save more money. I don’t know if I am a fan of New Year’s Resolutions, but I do know that most people don’t stick with them.

Do you want to be like most people?

Today, one of my students told me that in school they were making New Year’s Resolutions. The teacher said that most people don’t stick with their resolutions, so this year they were going to make resolutions they definitely couldn’t break, like:

1. Ice skate with the Queen of England.
2. Eat a live frog.
3. Date a Sports Illustrated model.

When I heard this assignment, I said to myself, “NO! This teacher doesn’t get it.”

It’s not about just keeping your resolution, is it?

To me, resolutions are made to better yourself, to kick-start a new you. And to lead by example so that everyone around you wants to become better as well.

It’s January 3rd…Everyone is motivated right now. But by the last week of January, most resolutions will be broken.

So how do you sustain motivation?

How do you persist and gain inner strength?

1. Understand that motivation is not a feeling, it is an ACTION. Do what you need to do, when you need to do it, whether you feel like it or not.

2. Understand that you already have inner strength, but you have to make your goals important enough. Think of it this way, if someone knew that if they smoked a cigarette today, they would get lung cancer tomorrow, would they still do it? Of course not. So we have the will-power, we just have to exercise it.

3. Use my 15-minute rule when you don’t “feel” like persisting. Whatever it is you have to do (work out, study, make calls, clean the house), just do it for 15 minutes and then you can stop. But you won’t. Once you start you get into it and you will keep going. But most people don’t even begin.

I planned on going to the gym tonight after work at 9pm, but I didn’t feel like it.

I did it anyway.

Why?

Because anyone can do something when they feel like it. I like doing things when I DON’T feel like it.

So tonight, I not only worked out my body, I worked out my mind.

You can too.

Final words:
Don’t quit, can’t fail.

MESSAGE #1254 SUCCESS IS NOT MAGIC

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Nancy Johanson in Phoenix, Arizona.

“Magic is pretty simple: It’s practice, it’s training and it’s experimenting while pushing through the pain to be the best I can be.”
-DAVID BLAINE

Magic is not unlike sports, or life, for that matter.

David Blaine was not “born” to be a magician. He was “trained” to be one. As a young boy, Blaine was intrigued by Houdini. Magic became his passion. Then he got to work. He began training.

Blaine took the time to practice, he trained, he experimented and pushed through the pain.

Whether you’re a tennis player, chef, or business owner, you need to do the same.

Last night I spoke with my good friend Bob Ryland, who was the first black professional tennis player. He was also Arthur Ashe’s hero and coached the Williams sisters. Bob told me that the first time he saw the Williams sisters, he didn’t think they were talented.

But guess what?

They worked hard.

Harder than anybody.

And they got results.

And you can do the same.

MESSAGE #1253 IS THIS WHAT YOU DO?

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Think about the last time you were under pressure.

Perhaps it was during an athletic competition.

Perhaps it was with a deadline at work.

Perhaps it was speaking in front of your class in school.

Physically, how did you react?

If you are like most people, your body tensed up.

How did you perform?

If you are like most people, you didn’t perform at your best.

Now think about the last time you performed effortlessly.

Physically how did you react?

Your body was probably pretty loose.

How did you perform?

Quite well, I’m sure.

A large part of peak performance is staying loose. Focused, but loose.

How do you do it?

Here’s one way:

Think of something funny before you perform.

It could be a joke, a comedy clip or video, maybe even reading from a joke book you carry around with you. And when things get tough, think of that funny thing.

Here’s an exercise: The next time you see a “big game” on television, watch how some of the players react with smiles and laughter.

Then watch what kind of results they get.

MESSAGE #1252 THIS IS COURAGE

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Courage is not the absence of fear-it’s inspiring others to move beyond it.
-NELSON MANDELA

Fear is part of sports…and life. Let me share with you a secret:

Winners and losers feel the same feelings.

The difference is in the action they take.

Before the Super Bowl, the US Open, and World Series, the athletes are nervous. Some players even get sick in the locker room before the game.

But once the competition begins, they don’t ACT nervous. They move beyond their feelings.

That’s courage.

That’s mental toughness.

And you can do the same.

MESSAGE #1250 NO EXCEPTIONS

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Well, Christmas Day is almost over.

I am a little under the weather, so I spent most of it resting.

Laying in bed, I remembered that I had not blogged yet today.

I didn’t feel like getting up, but I did it anyway.

In my head, I recalled one of my favorite quotes:

“Exceptions shatter dreams.”

I know it’s a holiday.

I know I’m not feeling well.

But I also know that there could be one person out there reading my blog for the first time, and I owe it to them to give it my best.

After all, Lou Gehrig played 2,130 consecutive games for the New York Yankees, all while breaking 17 bones in his hands and suffering many injuries, including concussions.

One day Gehrig got hit on top of the head and was unconscious for five minutes.

Guess what?

The next day, he was in the lineup wearing one of Babe Ruth’s caps that had been cut at the seams so the enormous bump on top of his head could fit in it.

If Lou Gehrig could tough it out, I surely could write a blog entry.

MESSAGE #1245

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“The first and best victory is to conquer self.”
-PLATO

Recently, I worked with a young girl and she hated serving. She avoided it. Every time she practiced her serve, she would inevitably expect the worst.

I told her I was optimistic about her serve and that she should be as well. “You get what you focus on,” I told her.

Instead of focusing on how much she hated serving, I just told her to think about her technique and adjustments.

She stuck with it and started getting her serves in. And guess what?

She started smiling.

Had she given up or avoided serving, her serves would still be the same.

She conquered herself and began getting the results she wanted.

My student came up to me after class and said, “Thank you, coach. Today I learned a very important lesson.”

Conquer yourself and the sky is the limit.