MESSAGE #1177 CHANGE YOUR LIFE WHEN YOU’RE SLEEPING

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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 #1175 MINOR THOUGHTS

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I know a minor league baseball player that pretends to get angry at the pitcher when he steps up to the plate.

In my eyes, that this is a minor league mindset.

Here’s what I think…

When you “hate” your opponent, it creates muscle tension and you don’t perform at your peak.

When sprinters train for competition, they run at about 80 percent.

Why?

Because when they run at 100 percent, their muscles constrict and they actually run slower.

Instead of “hating” your opponent, think of them as your teacher–someone who is pushing you to get better.

Have gratitude for your teacher and you will stay loose.

When you stay loose, you perform at a higher level.

Hating your opponent is a minor league attitude, and you can’t make the major leagues with a minor league attitude.

MESSAGE #1171 WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN THE PRESSURE’S ON?

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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

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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

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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

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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 #1163 SALES

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I work with athletes but I also work with salespeople to help them increase sales.

When I was interviewed for my forthcoming book, “Success Simplified” with the great Stephen Covey, the interviewer asked, “Do you have experience in sales?”

I said, “No, but I do have the most difficult sales job–I try to sell people on themselves.”

You see, this blog is not just about mental toughness, it’s about believing in yourself.

Believing in your abilities.

Believing in your potential.

When you look at all the successful people in the world, they were not born to be great athletes, salespeople or musicians–they were trained to be.

Anything is possible with the right training.

What do you want to be great at? Who’s already doing it? Why aren’t you copying them?

I asked minor league baseball players, who do you want to be like? Mariano Rivera?

Are you doing what Mariano Rivera is doing right now? Are you training like him?

The answer is usually no.

You don’t have to wait to become successful to do what successful people do.

Believe.

Achieve.

MESSAGE #1161 MENTAL WEAKNESS

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Recently, I was teaching a high-level high school player and we were playing a groundstroke game to 11 points.

I was up 7-1 and he said to me, “Can we play another one after this one?”

In his mind, he had already lost.

And then he really did lose.

When you think about the future, you can’t perform well in the present.

Remember what the great philosopher, Yogi Berra said, “It ain’t over til it’s over.”

MESSAGE #1160 NERVES

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I have a feeling someone reading this has been nervous before a competition, test, lecture or asking someone out on a date.

Most people feel that being nervous is bad.

Being nervous is good. It means you are about to do something important.

Winners and losers feel the same feelings.

The greatest athletes in the world get nervous, so it’s okay if you do.

The difference is, you don’t have to ACT nervous.

I have spent time with many professional athletes and I always ask them if they get nervous.

They all say yes.

So what do they do?

They take a deep breath, tell themselves that they’ve been in this situation before and then go and kick butt.

I work one-on-one with athletes, musicians, business professionals and students and I have them do the same thing.

Why?

Because it works.