MESSAGE #615 STAY FOCUSED…

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“Your focus is your future.”
-OPRAH

I played tennis this morning at the Ferris State Racquet and Fitness Center. I have not been playing very consistently in New Jersey, the court surface was very fast, and I was playing “The Quadfather,” Anwar Khan of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Obviously, my timing was off initially, but I managed to make adjustments. We played three groundstroke games to eleven and I won two of them. After that, we played a set and it was pretty close. Towards the end of the set, Anwar took the lead and I began to get nervous. I started thinking, “What if I lose? What will people think?” I was missing easy shots. But luckily I used my mental training skills, re-focused and went back to thinking about my strategy and placement.

It worked.

I ended up winning 7-6, and 7-5 in the tiebreaker.

This was a great way to end a great weekend.

It was a pleasure seeing some old friends and making some new ones. I enjoyed they workshops presented by industry leaders such as, Scott Schultz, Eddie Luck, David Brower, Paul Marcum, Chris Michalowski, Dan Moster, Pat Kearns, Sam Chrome, Mike Snyder, and Dave Ramos.

The Professional Tennis Management program at Ferris State University helped me reach many of my goals and it was my pleasure to come back, give back, and help inspire the next generation of industry leaders.


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MESSAGE #588 THE POWER OF FOCUS…

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to all the student-athletes trying out for high school spring sports this week.

One of my favorite things to do is study extremely successful performers – elite athletes, CEOs, musicians, presidents, doctors, and students. I have found that one thing they have in common is this…

FOCUS

Last night I was on a tele-seminar on focus with Dr. Rob Gilbert and Mike Schwartz. Physical skills take a while to develop, on the field, in the classroom and at the office, but you can instantly become better by changing your focus.

What are you focusing on?

Basketball players, while taking a foul shot, should focus on a specific part of the rim. However, the ones that miss are focusing on something else, like the crowd or that they may miss the shot.

Many people tend to focus too little and think too much. This is called paralysis by analysis.

We need to focus, but we need to focus on the right things, such as the process versus the product. The process is your effort, strategy and attitude. The product is winning.

When you focus less on winning, you actually win more.

When practicing, studying or reading, do it for 15 minutes, then take a break. Repeat. We can only focus for a certain period of time and by taking regular breaks, we can stay focused for longer periods of time.

Multi-tasking was also a topic of discussion. We can do between five to eight things at one time, but we can only do ONE thing well.

Focus on one thing. The right thing. And go all out.

So good luck to all of you trying out this week and remember what FOCUS stands for…

Follow One Course Until Successful



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MESSAGE #546 WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL…

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to Sergeant Longo of the Lawrence Township Police Department.

Can you control what happens to you?
Can you control what your opponent does?
Can you control what the weather is like?
Can you control what your co-workers do?

NO…so why worry about it?

Focus on what you CAN control, like your attitude and effort.

“It’s not what’s happening TO you, it’s all about what’s happening INSIDE you. If you want to be as good as the Williams sisters, all you have to do is train like they train. Greatness is already inside you.”
-BOB RYLAND, the first black professional tennis player

Happy Chinese New Year!


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MESSAGE #525 YOU GET WHAT YOU FOCUS ON…

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Nick Scozzari.

Perhaps the most impressive and memorable quality of leaders is the way they responded to failure. Like Karl Wallenda, the great tightrope aerialist-whose life was at stake each time he walked the tightrope…

Shortly after Wallenda fell to his death in 1978 (traversing a 75-foot-high wire in downtown San Juan, Puerto Rico), his wife, also an aerialist, discussed that fateful San Juan walk, “perhaps his most dangerous.” She recalled: “All Karl thought about for three straight months prior to it was falling. It was the first time he’d ever thought about that, and it seemed to me that he put all energies into not falling rather than walking the tightrope.” Mrs. Wallenda added that her husband even went so far as to personally supervise the installation of the tightrope, making certain that the guide wires were secure, “something he had never even thought of doing before.”

…It became increasingly clear that when Karl Wallenda poured his energies into not falling rather than walking the tightrope, he was virtually destined to fail.

Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus, Leaders (New York: Harper & Row, 1986), 69-70.

MESSAGE #517 FOCUS ON THE RIGHT THINGS…

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Have you ever felt the pressure of a big match? A job interview? An important exam?

Most people focus on that pressure when it arises. Then it gets worse and before you know it, that is all you can think about. How do you think these people perform? Not very well.

When the pressure’s on, you have to step it up. Focus on your strategy instead of your potential result. This will help you stay calm and perform at a higher level.

Here’s what tennis legend Rod Laver once said…

“Wipe everything out of your mind but the ball. Glue your eyes to it. Marry it. Never mind your opponent, the weather, or anything. Make that ball an obsession. If you can get yourself into that trance, pressure won’t intrude. It’s just you and the ball.”
-tennis Grand Slam winner ROD LAVER


Register today for the Sports Psychology event of the year on Feb 21, 2009 in Princeton, NJ with Ed Tseng and John F. Murray. Email for a flyer and registration form.