MESSAGE #1507 BE LIKE TED PART II

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Recently, I was talking with my good friend, Ted. Ted and I are former baseball teammates and current tennis hitting partners. Ted is also a writer.

Earlier this week, Ted attended a writing workshop in New York City. A key point that he learned was about writer’s block.

His instructor said that when you have writer’s block, find an accountability partner and just write for three minutes. It doesn’t matter what you write, as long as you write…even if it’s the same word over and over.

I know what you are thinking, “How does this relate to me?”

If you don’t feel like writing, just write.

If you don’t feel like working out, just workout.

If you don’t feel like making sales calls, just make the calls.

It’s the start that stops most people.

I know many marathon runners and I often ask them what the most challenging aspect of running is. Their answer is…putting on my shoes.

I don’t care about your feelings, I care about your actions.

MESSAGE #1506 BE LIKE TED

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All I want out of life is that when I walk down the street folks will say, “There goes the greatest hitter who ever lived.”
-Ted Williams

Ted Williams certainly was one of the greatest hitter to ever play the game of baseball. I recently heard a great anecdote about Williams.

Ted Williams once said that when he wakes up in the morning, he thinks about his hitting.

When he goes to bed at night, he thinks about his hitting.

When he eats, he thinks about his hitting.

As a matter of fact, the only time Ted Williams didn’t think about his hitting was…when he was hitting.

Another way to put it:

You can’t think and hit at the same time. A full mind is an empty bat.
-Yogi Berra

Ed Tseng
Director of Mental Conditioning
Monroe Sports Center
609.558.1077

MESSAGE #1505 CONTROL

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Learn to control your emotions, or your emotions will control you.

Are you a thermometer, or a thermostat?

Do you read what’s going on outside (around you), or can you control your internal temperature?

We can’t really control our thoughts and feelings, but we can shift our focus when we are negative or angry.

How?

1. Take a deep breath.
2. Think about your ideal reaction.
3. Do what you need to do, whether you feel like it or not.

Be a thermostat today.

Ed Tseng
Director of Mental Conditioning
Monroe Sports Center
609.558.1077

MESSAGE #1503 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Fred Weiland in Westchester, New York.

If you are like many of my blog readers, you are searching for the road to success. Here it is…

Take a look at the figure above. Imagine driving up the road to success and coming to a fork. It is your decision whether you take the road to Nowhere or you take the road to Success. Forget your GPS and choose to bear right and take the road to Success.

How do you do it?

When you don’t feel like practicing…do it anyway.

When you don’t feel like studying…do it anyway.

When you don’t feel like eating a healthy meal…do it anyway.

Winners do what losers don’t feel like doing.

The power is in your hands.

Ed Tseng
Director of Mental Conditioning
Monroe Sports Center
609.558.1077

MESSAGE #1502 THE WINNER OF THE US OPEN WILL BE…

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I am going to make a prediction.

I know who is going to win the US Open this year.

Here it is:

The winner of the 2011 US Open will be…

The player who plays best.

Let me explain.

The best player does not win the US Open, the player that plays best wins the US Open.

It’s not about rankings, it’s about how well you play. Anything can happen in sports. There have already been several upsets in both the men’s and women’s draws.

So the next time you get ready for a competition, forget about who you’re up against. Instead, focus on your strategy and giving your full effort. If you do things that will help put you in a good position to win, you will win more often.

Leave your comments below.

Ed Tseng
Director of Mental Conditioning
Monroe Sports Center
609.558.1077

MESSAGE #1501 HOW TO BE A CHAMPION

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Muhammad Ali once said, “To be a great champion, you have to believe you are the best. If you’re not, pretend you are.”

Most people wait until they “feel” something to act that way.

The most successful people in the world know that it actually works in the opposite way.

If you want to be confident, PRETEND that you are confident.

If you want to be energetic, PRETEND that you are energetic.

If you want to be motivated, PRETEND that you are motivated.

Not convinced? Then just remember these eight words…

ACT AS IF IT WERE IMPOSSIBLE TO FAIL.

Thanks for reading.

Here is my recent interview with award-winning tennis writer, Ann LoPrinzi: http://www.nj.com/times-sports/index.ssf/2011/09/post_66.html

Ed Tseng
Director of Mental Conditioning
Monroe Sports Center
609.558.1077

MESSAGE #1500 DON’T TRY

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Tony Robbins says that we live in a “try” culture.

We “try” to lose weight.

We “try” to practice more.

We “try” to improve our relationships.

Here’s how I look at it…

Don’t “try” your best. DO WHATEVER IT TAKES.

Ed Tseng
Director of Mental Conditioning
Monroe Sports Center
609.558.1077

MESSAGE #1497 IT BEGINS NOW

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Whatever you do, or you dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.
-Goethe

MESSAGE #1496 HUNGRY?

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Jay Colella in Kensington, Maryland.

The purpose of this blog is not to give you something to eat.

The purpose of this blog is to make you hungry.

Hungry to get to the next level.

Hungry to go all-out.

Hungry to do your best when it means the most.

Recently, I received a nice message from Jay Colella in Kensington, Maryland, wanting to purchase my book. I could tell that he was hungry for knowledge. Even though we didn’t speak in person, I could feel his enthusiasm through his words. Having that desire is such a big part of success…in sports and life.

To reach peak performance, you need to be hungry to be the best you can be. And if you think that is difficult, imagine how difficult it would be to compete against someone who is hungry and you are not.

When I was speaking to some top college and NBA coaches at the University of Florida recently, I told them that I did not want them to be well-rounded, I wanted them to be sharp-edged, i.e., be really, really good at one thing versus average at many things.

So how hungry are you to get to the next level? And what steps are you taking to make sure that happens? Only you can answer those questions. And only you can take the action necessary to create the person you want to be.

Leave your comments below.

Ed Tseng
Director of Mental Conditioning
Monroe Sports Center
609.558.1077

MESSAGE #1495 ACTION

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Your past does not equal your future…unless you let it.

If you do what you’ve normally done, you’ll get what you’ve normally gotten.

If you want different results, take different ACTION.

We all know what we need to do to reach peak performance, but very few actually do it.

The next time you don’t “feel” like doing something, just remember this quote:

A true champion does what he needs to do, when he needs to do it, whether he feels like it or not.