Gandhi said:
“Full effort is full victory.”
What does this mean?
Here’s how I see it:
1. Go all-out.
2. Focus more on your effort.
3. Focus less on your results.
4. Most people don’t give it their all.
5. When you focus on the “process,” (effort) you get the “product” (winning) that you want.
In 2008, during the Rome Masters, Andy Roddick was the #1 seed. He had match point and was about to win. The umpire called his opponent’s second serve out, resulting in a double-fault. Roddick had won the match. As Roddick walked up to the net to shake his opponent’s hand, he noticed a mark on the clay. It was touching the line, which meant the serve was actually in. Roddick brought this to the umpire’s attention and the match continued. Roddick ended up losing the match.
Did Andy Roddick do the right thing?
The other day I was coaching on a court next to another pro. This pro used to be a top junior and collegiate player, so he obviously can play the game. But just because someone can play doesn’t mean they can coach, does it?
In education, there are many intelligent individuals, but does that mean they are great teachers? The answer is no.
From my court, I heard a mis-hit, a ball off the frame of the racquet, by one of this coach’s students. There’s nothing wrong with that. But then I heard the coach yell, “Great shot!”
I looked over to see who he was talking to, and sure enough, he was talking to the boy who made the error.
It’s important to be positive, but it has to be real. You can’t just say “Great shot!” for the sake of saying it. That doesn’t help the student. As coaches, perhaps we can change that and say, “Great swing, but make sure you watch the ball longer next time,” to maximize our students’ improvement.
I have a business partner who tells me how it is, regarding our projects, whether I want to hear it or not. Most people don’t like hearing the truth, especially if it hurts. But guess what? I love hearing the truth. I would rather hear it and learn from it than have someone just telling me what I want to hear in order to make me feel good.
And parents, focus less on telling your children how beautiful they are and start telling them how proud you are of their effort and constant improvement.
That’s how winners are made.
But that’s just my opinion.
Leave your comments below.
I have a special talent.
I can predict who will win a sporting event 100% of the time.
Here is my Super Bowl prediction:
The team that will win the Super Bowl tonight is…
The team that plays best.
The Green Bay Packers are the favorites, but not by much. So the game is up for grabs.
Which team will perform best under the pressure? Which team will do their best when it matters the most? And which team will go all-out?
Time will tell.
The difference between winning and losing is between your ears.
Let’s face it, most people play a reactionary game.
When they play well, they react positively.
When they play poorly, they react negatively.
The champions create how they play.
Here’s a great exercise to help you play your best game more often:
1. Think of a past great performance.
2. On an index card, write down what you did well during that performance.
3. Write down what you were focusing on.
4. Write down how you were feeling.
5. Write down what type of body language you had.
6. Keep that index card in your bag.
7. Read it before you practice or compete.
8. Then go out and duplicate that performance.
At the end of an athlete’s career, he/she never says, “I wish I would have held back.”
If successful, an athlete most likely will say, “I’m glad I went all-out.”
Taking risks is a key element to success in sports and life. You need to get out of your comfort zone.
Do you want to be comfortable, or do you want to be great?
Today, I took a risk.
I emailed Martin Seligman, the father of Positive Psychology. The guy is a rock star.
Part of me felt that I shouldn’t do it. Why would he want to talk to me?
But I did it anyway.
Not only did he respond, he shared some valuable resources with me.
Have you ever NOT reached out to someone who you thought wouldn’t give you the time of day?
Have you ever NOT hit a shot that you thought you might miss?
It happens all the time. But when that occurs, people are just training themselves to hold back.
Is that how you want to play the game?
A critical element of mental toughness is goal-setting. Many people think they have goals, but in actuality, they are merely wishes.
Most people know what they need to do, but most people do not DO what they know they need to do.
Here are a couple quick tips on setting goals:
1. Write them down.
2. Make them specific.
3. Make them measurable.
4. Make them attainable.
5. Make them realistic.
6. Make them timely (give yourself a deadline)
7. Find an accountability partner (to keep you on track)
8. Begin now.
9. Persist.
10. Celebrate (then set a new goal)
The above is not a new formula, it has been around forever. The reason why, is because it works. And the reason why most people don’t achieve their goals is because they don’t stick with it. Taking action is the key.
I once went to the shooting range with a police sergeant friend of mine. He showed me how the gun worked, how to load/unload it, and he gave me tips on shooting techniques. We chose our type of target, i.e., a traditional target with a bullseye or a silhouette of a person holding a gun (a “bad guy”), which we could control the distances of.
My first shot was right in the bullseye! Beginners luck or good technique? I vote for good technique.
So what’s the point here? If I had just taken the gun and shot around, I would not know what I was doing, I would, most likely, not hit any targets, and someone could have gotten hurt.
Police officers go to the shooting range so that they can practice hitting targets. And practicing hitting targets will help them perform when it matters the most.
This applies to sports and life as well.
Write down your goals today!
There will be a time in the near future when you will be stressed out.
The stress might come from the pressure of a sports competition. It may come from an exam. Or it may come from asking for a raise.
We can’t avoid stress.
But we can avoid being paralyzed by it.
There is a powerful technique I have the athletes I work with use when the pressure is on, and it can help you too.
Here’s what you do:
1. Take a deep, diaphragmatic breath, inhale through your nose for four seconds then exhale through your nose for four seconds.
2. Repeat.
3. Think of a game plan (no more than two things).
4. Visualize yourself carrying out that game plan successfully.
5. Just do it.