MESSAGE #1561 A MESSAGE FROM MICHAEL JORDAN

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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.”

Comments? Leave them below.

MESSAGE #1543 I HAD A NIGHTMARE

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Last night I had a nightmare. I dreamt that I was at an event and my iPad, camera and laptop were missing. I was getting pretty stressed since they are not cheap items. I woke up and was relieved when I realized it was just a dream, but I wondered why I had such a stressful dream.

I now know why.

Last night, before going to bed, I was looking for a used book I recently purchased. But I couldn’t find it. I checked everywhere it could be including my car. No luck. I was disappointed and it obviously affected my sleep.

Now I know what you are thinking, what does this blog entry have to do with me?

A lot.

Research has shown that what you think about in the 30 minutes before bed gets replayed in your mind over a dozen times while you are sleeping.

Do you watch the news with crimes and world tragedies? Do you watch scary movies? Do you think about all the work you have to do when you get to work in the morning?

What I normally do before bed is read some inspirational books and/or meditate.

Oprah said, “Your focus is your future.”

Focus on positive things and you positive results.
Focus on negative things and you get negative results.

PS Happy Birthday to one of my she-roes, the great Rayna Dubose. Checkout my video with her here.

MESSAGE #1541 NEVER GIVE UP

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At a certain point, if he’s going to get to the top of the boxing profession, a fighter has to learn the difference between the truth and a lie. The lie is thinking that submission is an acceptable option. The truth is that if you give up, afterward you’ll realize that any of those punches that you thought you couldn’t deal with, or those rough moments you didn’t think you could make it through, were just moments. Enduring them is not nearly as tough but having to deal with the next day and the next month and the next year, knowing that you quit, that you failed, that you submitted. It’s a trainer’s job to make a fighter understand about difference, that the parts of a fight that are urgent last only seconds; seconds during which you have to stave off the convenient excuse- “I’m too tired” or “I hurt too much” or “I can’t do this” or even simply “I’m not going to deal with this.” Sometimes it just comes down to not floating- just being there and understanding that if you give in, you’ll hurt more tomorrow. Maybe there is no more important lesson to learn from boxing than that.

From: Atlas: From the streets to the ring: A son’s Struggle to become a man.

MESSAGE #1538 10 POWERFUL WORDS AND 10 WORDS TO AVOID

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I have observed and spoken to thousands of athletes from all over the world. I know powerful words that help athletes and I know weak words that will hurt athletes.

The 10 Most Powerful Words

If it is to be, it is up to me.

The 10 Most Devastating Words

What will other people say…what will other people think?

Ed Tseng
Director of Mental Conditioning
Monroe Sports Center
609.558.1077

MESSAGE #1536 AROUND ME

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I love what I do.

As I look around my office, I see books like these…

Body Mind Mastery
Sports Slump Busting
Heads-Up Baseball
The Golfer’s Mind
The Fighter’s Mind
Mind Gym
Mindset
Secrets of Mind Power
Clutch
Awakening the Giant Within
Hypnotism
The Inner Game of Tennis
Success
The Tao of Bruce Lee

This is just a small sampling of my library.

Why did I share this with you? Because I wanted to show you that I’m totally INTO peak performance and the mental game. I can’t get enough of it.

How INTO it are you with your sport, job, academics or relationships?

Many people say that you should be well-rounded.

I feel differently.

I say that you should be sharp-edged.

Be REALLY, REALLY good at one thing.

MESSAGE #1529 HOW TO BEAT STRESS

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We encounter stress every day in sports, in school, in our jobs and in our relationships. One of the three main areas of peak performance is relaxation. Everyone tells us we need to relax, but nobody teaches us HOW to relax. You will learn how in today’s blog message.

I am currently reading a great book entitled, “Just One Thing: Developing A Buddha Brain One Simple Practice At A Time” by Rick Hanson. Below are some of my favorite de-stressing techniques he shares in his book.

1. Do a few things more slowly than usual. Leisurely lift the cup to your lips, don’t rush through a meal, let others finish talking before jumping in, or stroll to a meeting instead of racing. Finish one task before moving on to another. A few times a day, take a long slow breath.

2. Take lots of microbreaks (hey, I did this yesterday!). Many times a day, step out of the stream of doingness for at least a few seconds: close your eyes for a moment; take a couple of deep breaths; shift your visual focus to the farthest point you can see; repeat a saying or prayer; stand up and move about.

3. Make your body happy. Wash your face; eat a cookie; smell something good; stretch; lie down; rub your eyes or ears.

4. Go on a mental holiday. Remember or imagine a setting (mountain lake? tropical beach? grandma’s kitchen?) that makes you feel relaxed and happy. When you can, go there and enjoy yourself. As I’ve told myself in certain situations, “They may have my body, but they don’t get my mind.”

5. Before beginning a routine activity, take a moment to become fully present. (My favorite). Try this with meals, starting your car, brushing your teeth, taking a shower, or answering the phone.

The time is NOW.

Do you have any favorite ways to beat stress? Leave your comments below.

MESSAGE #1527 THE MENTAL GAME VIDEO

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I’m a Yankee fan, but I have to respect this guy:

E:60 Evan Longoria from E60 on Vimeo.

MESSAGE #1526 BE LIKE PAULO COELHO

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Paulo Coelho, author of The Alchemist, is one of the greatest writers in history. His book has sold more than 65 million copies worldwide.

Recently, I was listening to an interview he did with the great Brendon Burchard and Coelho said something amazing.

Often, he does not feel like writing, but at 10pm, Coelho makes an agreement with himself to write for half an hour.

Guess what?

He then proceeds to write until 3 in the morning!

Most writers wait until they FEEL like writing, but the great ones just start writing.

It’s the start that stops most people.

When you start writing, you begin to get into it and then you gain momentum.

Working out is the same way. So is practicing the piano, cleaning the house and studying.

The next time you need to do something but don’t feel like it, just do it for half an hour. Or be like me and do it for fifteen minutes and you can stop.

But you won’t.

MESSAGE #1525 ARE YOU A PEAK PERFORMER?

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Yesterday, at 4pm, I told my PDS girls tennis team something very important just before their match. And then at 10:30 last night, I told the Lawrence Township Police Department the same thing just before their shift. And now I’m going to tell you.

The biggest decision you have to make is are you going to go all-out, or are you going to hold back?

As a peak performance coach, I don’t care about results. Okay, I’m lying. I DO care about results, but they are not the most important thing.

The most important thing is our effort.

Are you going to go all-out or are you going to hold back…in sports, in school, in your job, in your relationships?

At the end of the day, only YOU will know if you gave your full effort.

When you put your head on the pillow tonight, you are going to say one of two things to yourself about your day…

1. I’m glad I went all-out.

2. I wish I had.

Which one can you live with?

Ed Tseng
Director of Mental Conditioning
Monroe Sports Center
609.558.1077