MESSAGE #1187 A TIP FROM JOHN MCENROE
There are scores of players who can hit every shot in the book who never make it into a Grand Slam event. Those who make it are there because they are mentally tougher. They wanted it more.
-JOHN MCENROE
MESSAGE #1186 WHEN TO STOP
I always tell people, you can stop as many times as you want, just don’t stop moving your feet.
Too many people stop.
Too many people quit.
Too many people give up.
Those who persist are the ones who make it.
You don’t have to be great to persist.
HANG ON UNTIL YOU CATCH ON.
As everyone else is giving up, guess who will be left?
YOU.
MESSAGE #1179 PRACTICE MAKES IMPERFECT
“Practice makes imperfect. People practice until they ‘think’ they know it. The key is to remain a learner.”
-ELLEN LANGER, Ph.D, Harvard
In conversations I’ve had with Dr. Langer, we spoke about how when practicing, athletes need to be mindful. Don’t just practice in perfect conditions, practice in realistic conditions, i.e., in tennis, practice hitting balls with different pace, spin, and depth coming at you. Practice in sun and wind and extreme cold and heat. Practice with people better than you. Practice with people worse than you.
Notice what is happening, make adjustments.
Rarely will conditions be perfect, so why practice that way?
MESSAGE #1178 GO FOR IT!
There are two types of people in the world…
Those who take action.
And those who don’t.
As I work on my forthcoming book, “The Pinstripe Principles: Why The Yankees Are So Mentally Tough (and how you can be too),” I am reaching out to people that I never thought I would ever talk to.
Yesterday, I interviewed Babe Ruth’s daughter, Julia Ruth Stevens. Last night I was chatting with Yogi Berra’s wife, Carmen.
Jorge Posada has already agreed to speak with me after the season is over.
I also spoke with John Zieman at the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum and he already wants me to do a book signing next season.
And this is just the beginning.
But what does this have to do with you?
You have to take action.
You can’t just talk about writing a book, or taking up the guitar, or eating better, or studying, or practicing.
Anyone can talk about what they’re going to do.
But the successful people DO what they’re going to do.
MESSAGE #1177 CHANGE YOUR LIFE WHEN YOU’RE SLEEPING
Did you know that whatever you think about during the 30 minutes before you go to bed gets replayed in your mind 15 or more times while you’re sleeping?
What do you do right before bed?
Do you watch the news, ie, the down economy, terrorism, food recalls, shootings, etc?
Or do you cultivate gratitude for all you have in your life?
Do you think about what you have to do tomorrow and visualize it going the way you planned?
Your focus is your future.
Think about what you want to happen and don’t give energy to what you don’t.
MESSAGE #1171 WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN THE PRESSURE’S ON?
Well, the Yankees were losing 3-0 in Game 1 of the ALDS versus the Minnesota Twins last night and they came back to win 6-4.
“The switch kind of turns on when the postseason rolls around over here,” says Yankee Nick Swisher.
That’s a winning mindset.
Most people fold when the pressure is on.
But the great ones get turned on by the pressure.
It’s a choice.
What will you choose?
MESSAGE #1170 SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY
The other day I was getting ready to teach a young boy. Before we went on the court, I said, “This just might be the best lesson you’ve ever had.”
“I thought EVERY LESSON is the best I’ve ever had?” he responded.
I liked his answer.
So we went on the court and his energy level was exceptionally high, even in the warmup. We started hitting and he was totally focused and high-energy.
It truly was one of the best lessons he ever had.
And he created it in his mind first.
The problem with many people is that either they act how they feel or they think negatively.
And that’s what they get. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Does your day determine your attitude, or does your attitude determine your day?
MESSAGE #1168 WHEN TO GET SERIOUS
Dr. Alan Goldberg is one of the top sports psychologists in the world. Goldberg says you have to know when to be serious in sports.
“The time to try hard and get serious should ONLY be WHEN YOU PRACTICE and NEVER, EVER WHEN YOU STEP INTO THE COMPETITIVE ARENA,” says Goldberg.
“When you get ‘serious’ about the outcome of any game, match or race you inadvertently set yourself up for frustration and failure.”
Think about a time when you performed “in the zone” or “in flow.”
Didn’t you “just” do it? Weren’t you focused but relaxed?
That’s peak performance.
How do you do it?
Focus on your strategy, effort and attitude, instead of the outcome.
MESSAGE #1166
In Derek Jeter’s professional debut in the minor leagues, he played a doubleheader and went 0 for 7 with five strikeouts.
He doubted himself.
But he didn’t show it. Nobody knew.
He continued to work hard and he persisted.
Challenges can make or break you.
In fact, William Arthur Ward once said, “Adversity causes some men to break, others to break records.”
How do you react in challenging situations?
MESSAGE #1159 MO
This is the last year of Mariano Rivera’s contract with the Yankees. Asked if he was worried about what would happen after this year and Rivera said, “Why should I worry about something that I can’t control?”
Many times we worry about winning and losing, the economy, the weather, our opponents, but we can’t control those things. So why worry about them? That’s wasted energy.
Be like Mariano and focus on the things you can control like your effort, attitude, energy and reactions.
You might not be the best closer in major league history, but you can have the same attitude and mindset as him.