MESSAGE #1275 HOW TO PERFORM UNDER PRESSURE

/0 Comments/in , /by

Recently, a tennis coach asked me for some advice. He said there was a student of his who wanted to win, but was afraid to play tournaments. She was uncomfortable under the pressure. In practice, she was great.

I told him that in order to be more comfortable being uncomfortable, she needed to put herself out there. She needed to play more tournaments. You can run from fear (it will chase you), or you can face fear (it will lose power). And I told the coach that Pete Sampras love it more when the pressure was on, so it is not the pressure, but your perception of the pressure that makes or breaks you.

When I spoke to gold medalist, Lindsey Vonn at the US Open last year, she told me that the reason why she was able to perform so well under pressure was because she put herself in those situations over an over again.

You may not be able to ski like Vonn, or serve like Sampras, but you can have the same attitude towards pressure as them.

MESSAGE #1263 KEEP CLIMBING

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

Suppose you are down at the beach and you catch a crab. If you put it in a bucket, you need to cover the bucket or the crab will climb out. But if you catch more than one crab, you don’t need to put a cover on the bucket. Why?

Because when one crab tries to climb out of the bucket, the other crabs will grab it and pull it back in. It doesn’t matter how many crabs are in the bucket.

Now what does this have to do with you?

You’re not a crab and other crabs will not bring you down.

But other people might bring you down by things that they say or things that they do. Certain events or situations might bring you down.

But don’t let them.

You choose how you react to different people and different situations. There are some things that you cannot control, but you can control your actions. And your reactions. Here’s my recommended action:

Keep climbing.

MESSAGE #1262 A MESSAGE FROM MARK

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , , , /by

The only pressure I’m under is the pressure I’ve put on myself.
-MARK MESSIER, hockey great

Recently, there was a football kicker training at my sports center. He is only 13 but has “phenom” written all over him. He has been working hard, doing all the right things and developing quite nicely.

This past week he was training for a pro event, which is a very big deal and only a few days away.

Then something happened.

He started missing kicks he was making easily the weeks prior. He started looking and feeling nervous. He was not the same person.

What changed?

Nothing physically, but mentally he started over-thinking. He was focusing on how important this upcoming pro event is. He started trying too hard. The little negative voice inside his head began getting louder and louder.

This happens all the time in sports and life.

When the pressure’s on, many people fold.

But it is not pressure, it is perception.

There are two ways to look at pressure–you can either get frustrated or fascinated by it.

The choice is yours.

What would be my advice to this young kicker?

1. Understand that nerves are normal. Everyone gets nervous.

2. Take a deep breath to lower your heart rate and stay in the present moment.

3. Focus on the target, not the outcome.

4. Act as if it were impossible to fail.

5. Cultivate gratitude and have fun!

For a free 10-minute mental toughness consultation, email: or call 609.558.1077

MESSAGE #1260 THE WORLD’S SHORTEST SAD STORY

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , , /by

Once upon a time a young boy said to his family, “I want to do great things in this world; I know I can.”

Then, an old man said to his family, “I wish I had done great things in this world; I wish I did.”

End of story.

Why is this story so sad?

Because the young boy and the old man were the same person.

At the end of your life, do you want to say, “I wish I had” or “I’m glad I did”?

I think we all know the answer.

You can also apply this mindset to each and every day. Each and every practice. Each and every game.

At the end of the day, or at the end of the game, take the mental toughness test.

You pass the test if you say:

“I’m glad I did.”

MESSAGE #1253 IS THIS WHAT YOU DO?

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , /by

Think about the last time you were under pressure.

Perhaps it was during an athletic competition.

Perhaps it was with a deadline at work.

Perhaps it was speaking in front of your class in school.

Physically, how did you react?

If you are like most people, your body tensed up.

How did you perform?

If you are like most people, you didn’t perform at your best.

Now think about the last time you performed effortlessly.

Physically how did you react?

Your body was probably pretty loose.

How did you perform?

Quite well, I’m sure.

A large part of peak performance is staying loose. Focused, but loose.

How do you do it?

Here’s one way:

Think of something funny before you perform.

It could be a joke, a comedy clip or video, maybe even reading from a joke book you carry around with you. And when things get tough, think of that funny thing.

Here’s an exercise: The next time you see a “big game” on television, watch how some of the players react with smiles and laughter.

Then watch what kind of results they get.

MESSAGE #1252 THIS IS COURAGE

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , /by

Courage is not the absence of fear-it’s inspiring others to move beyond it.
-NELSON MANDELA

Fear is part of sports…and life. Let me share with you a secret:

Winners and losers feel the same feelings.

The difference is in the action they take.

Before the Super Bowl, the US Open, and World Series, the athletes are nervous. Some players even get sick in the locker room before the game.

But once the competition begins, they don’t ACT nervous. They move beyond their feelings.

That’s courage.

That’s mental toughness.

And you can do the same.

MESSAGE #1245

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , /by

“The first and best victory is to conquer self.”
-PLATO

Recently, I worked with a young girl and she hated serving. She avoided it. Every time she practiced her serve, she would inevitably expect the worst.

I told her I was optimistic about her serve and that she should be as well. “You get what you focus on,” I told her.

Instead of focusing on how much she hated serving, I just told her to think about her technique and adjustments.

She stuck with it and started getting her serves in. And guess what?

She started smiling.

Had she given up or avoided serving, her serves would still be the same.

She conquered herself and began getting the results she wanted.

My student came up to me after class and said, “Thank you, coach. Today I learned a very important lesson.”

Conquer yourself and the sky is the limit.

MESSAGE #1242 FOCUS

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , , /by

We choose what we focus on.

Suppose you are winning a tennis match by a score of 5-0, and your opponent then wins the next three games. You start to think that the momentum has switched and that the person on the other side of the net has a chance to win.

STOP!

This type of thinking is normal, however, many people end up losing that set by focusing on the possible loss instead of focusing on HOW they can close it out.

The key is acknowledging that negative little voice inside your head and then moving on. Focusing on the next point. Your strategy. Your footwork.

Is this easier said than done?

Yes and no. Simple…yes. Easy…no. Mental training is just like physical training. You have to work at it.

Here’s an example of how you can shift your focus at any time.

Look around you and find three things that are blue.

Now quickly close your eyes and find something green.

Isn’t it hard to do?

Why?

Because it’s hard to focus on two things at the same time.

You can’t get green when focusing on blue.

You can’t get a win from focusing on a loss.

MESSAGE #1230 THIS IS MORE IMPORTANT

/0 Comments/in , , , , , /by

Life is always throwing curveballs at us.

There will always be situations that are not to our liking.

It could be the economy, the weather, umpires, grumpy co-workers, bad influences, etc.

The situation is not nearly as important as…

OUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS it.

We control our attitudes.

Suppose you are driving and the person behind you begins to tailgate you. They then pull in front of you, and irritated, you tailgate them back.

Doesn’t this make you just as bad as them?

You can’t control if someone tailgates you, but you can control your reaction to them, can’t you?

Absolutely.

Nothing external from you has any control over you, unless you let it.

Don’t let it.

MESSAGE #1229 MARIANO RIVERA

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , , /by


Today I had the fortunate opportunity to meet one of the most mentally tough athletes in history, Mariano Rivera, closer, New York Yankees.

Teammates have said that Mariano is very humble and is the same person that he was when he played in the minor leagues. I could believe that. He was such a pleasure to speak to and had such a great positive energy about him.

Rivera once said:

“When you start thinking, a lot of things will happen. Emotions take place, and you have to know how to control your emotions. If you don’t control your emotions, your emotions will control your acts, and that’s not good.”

Rivera told me today that during pressure situations, you need to keep your composure.

How does Rivera do it? He focuses on the catcher’s mitt. He acknowledges the pressure, then gets to work.

You may not have Mariano Rivera’s cut fastball, but you can have the same mindset and focus as him.

Starting NOW.