MESSAGE #1228 WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?

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Are you looking for a certain level of success in sports, sales or school?

Is there somewhere you want to get to?

Let me tell you a secret.

It’s not out there.

Success is already inside you.

If you have the right mindset (all-out effort/constant improvement) and have passion for what you do, you are successful.

Set goals, but enjoy the process.

Success is a journey, not a destination.

Success is a marathon, not a sprint.

I recently spoke to a minor league baseball player and asked how his off-season was going, how his workouts were going. He said they were going fine. There wasn’t excitement in his voice. It didn’t sound like he was pushing himself to get to the next level. It almost sounded like he was giving up or that the major leagues was a near impossibility.

All of the successful people in the world have one thing in common–They act successful BEFORE they become successful. That comes from inside. And this is trainable.

There are no limits, you can always improve. Don’t be content. Create your vision. Start taking action.

With this mindset, ANYTHING is possible.

MESSAGE #1224 BRUCE LEE 3

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“Defeat is a state of mind.
no one is ever defeated
until defeat has been accepted
as a reality.
To me, defeat in anything
is merely temporary,
and its punishment is but an urge
for me to exert greater effort
to achieve my goal.
Defeat simply tells me
that something is wrong in my doing;
it is a path leading to
success and truth.”
-BRUCE LEE

MESSAGE #1223 BRUCE LEE TOO

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As promised, today’s message will include more of Bruce Lee, who would have turned 70 yesterday.

“If you want to learn to swim, jump into the water. On dry land, no frame of mind is going to help you.”
-BRUCE LEE

Think about it. If you learn all the technical and physical aspects of your sport/job, that is good. But you have to put yourself out there to get “tougher.”

In college, you learn theory.

In the real world, you gain experience and first-hand knowledge.

In practice, you learn theory.

In competition, you gain experience and learn how to win.

Most people don’t like to be thrown into pressure situations, but it is there where you learn the most.

It is there where you grow the most.

MESSAGE #1221 KEEP GOING

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With Billie Jean King at my US Open book signing

Champions keep playing until they get it right.
-BILLIE JEAN KING

I once had a student who began playing tournaments. In her first tournament, she lost first round. In the next tournament, she had the same result. And the next, and the next. For practically the first year, she didn’t get past the first round.

I told her, “This is a great way to improve, learn and develop as a player.”

She agreed with me, although she wanted better results. Well, she stuck with it and then started getting results.

She started winning some matches. She got to the 2nd round, then the 3rd and now it is rare if she doesn’t make it to at least the semifinals. She is also on her high school varsity team.

Most people give up too soon. They want immediate results. The great ones persist.

You need to hang on until you catch on.

Winning may feel good temporarily, but you learn more from losses.

The two most important questions you can ask yourself after a game/match/practice session are:

1. On a scale of 1 to 10, how did I play?

2. What can I do differently next time to get to a 10?

Focus on constant improvement and as a by-product, you will win more.

MESSAGE #1218 IMPROVEMENT

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Players get better after their coach gets better.

Students get better after their teacher gets better.

Employees get better after their manager gets better.

Many coaches, teachers and managers wonder why their players, students and employees are not getting optimal results.

But it’s not about the players, students or employees.

It’s about the coaches, teachers and managers.

So what can you do?

1. Lead by example. Others will follow.
2. Show your passion. It will be contagious.
3. Respect EVERYONE. We are all equal.
4. Strive for constant improvement. We can always improve our craft.
5. Develop a TEAM-first mentality. The great ones know individual goals come second.

MESSAGE #1216 ACTION

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to all the great basketball/tennis players, coaches and parents that attended my “Mental Edge” seminar.

In my seminar today, in conjunction with the great Micah Lancaster’s basketball session, I talked about how to get the mental edge in sports and life. I shared some of the mental secrets of the world’s greatest athletes.

One of the keys I stressed was that knowing the mental secrets was not good enough–you need to APPLY them.

Information is nothing without implementation.

Everyone knows what they need to do, but most people don’t do it.

And here’s the secret…

A real champion does what they need to do, when they need to do it, whether they feel like it or not.

You don’t have to feel like a champion to act like a champion. It’s a choice, and it can begin right now.

A special thanks to Brian Klatsky for making “The Mental Edge” possible today.

MESSAGE #1200 MINER #12

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I have a new hero.

His name is Edison Pena.

Edison Pena was one of the 33 men trapped underground in the Chilean mines for 69 days.

And this Sunday, he will be running in the New York City Marathon.

While trapped, Pena, known as miner No. 12, ran up to 6 miles a day in underground black tunnels with a flashlight and often dragging a wooden pallet behind him. He ran in work boots. He ran in 86 degrees.

Before the miners got trapped, Pena’s daily commute was nearly two hours each way…on bicycle.

And then he became trapped underground. During this time, Pena fought with his own mind.

“I became two people: the weak person who wanted simply to give up, and the person who chose to be strong – to run and to survive,” he said. “Eventually, I chose to live.”

“I ran to forget that I was trapped.”

And even though he has never run more than 10 miles, he will be giving his all this Sunday in the marathon.

“I know it will be very hard, but I have no fear,” Pena said.

Edison Pena said he is an athlete, “not a grand champion.”

He’s wrong.

As for the rest of you reading, the next time you don’t feel like running, going to work, or studying…

THINK OF EDISON PENA.

MESSAGE #1196 MAKE UP YOUR MIND

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When you talk about success, I think it all starts in your mind.

It starts with that little voice inside your head.

And if you’re asking yourself right now, “Do I have a little voice inside my head?”…that’s the voice I’m talking about.

In order to be successful, you need to have the right mindset.

1. You need confidence–believe anything is possible (even if you have to fake it).

2. You need to accept and let go of negative thoughts (yes, they will arise).

3. You need to set goals (specific mastery goals).

4. You need to add value and help others (then you will get what you want).

5. You need to focus on the process (attitude and effort) instead of the product (winning/losing, making the sale, final grade, etc.)

Once you make this paradigm shift, you world will change.

And your results will change.

MESSAGE #1188 EMBARRASSING

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I once had a student who hated being embarrassed. During lessons and during competition, he would just drive himself crazy thinking about what people thought about how he was playing, and what they would think if he lost, or missed a shot.

Guess how he played?

Poorly!

The reason why this type of focus hurts your performance is because when you focus on external factors, you are not focusing on what is going to help you play your best game.

The way to play your best game is to focus on your strategy, your effort, your attitude. If your strategy isn’t working, make an adjustment.

The key is to NOT let anything external have any influence over you.

Is it hard?

Sure.

Is it a choice?

Definitely.