MESSAGE #1342 NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP

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You just can’t beat the person who never gives up.

-BABE RUTH

Do you go all out?

If you’ve been following my blog, you know that I always say, it’s better to go all out and lose than it is to hold back and win. Because when you hold back and win, you are training yourself to hold back.

Most people just do the minimum. So think about it, if you gave your full effort, all the time, whether you felt like it or not, wouldn’t you win more? Wouldn’t you get better results?

Of course you would.

Do the winners always feel like going all out in practice and competition?

No, but they do anyway.

Your actions create your destiny.

What actions are you going to take today?

MESSAGE #1337 LET GO #2…

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Recently, I gave some advice to a young friend of mine, Madison (above). She had a test in school the next day and I told her to just relax while taking it and give it her all. Well, I saw Madison yesterday and asked her how her test went. Her response was, “I got a 100!”

We all want to achieve greatness, but the problem is we often put too much pressure on the results.

The best way to get the best results is…

Not worrying about the results!

Focus instead on staying loose and concentrating on the task at hand.

If you put the time in studying (or practicing), you are ready. Trust the work you put in, take a deep breath and go for it.

When you focus on HOW you can perform well, instead of IF you can perform well, your world changes. Your results change.

Too many people worry about what parents will think or what friends will think…if they perform poorly. This is a recipe for disaster. Don’t worry about the past or the future…the power is in the present. The best performers in the world from athletes to students to business owners, know the secret.

Relax and go all out!

One question at a time. One point at at time. One meeting at a time.

Gandhi put it best…

“Full effort is full victory.”

Thank you, Madison, for reminding me of this very important lesson and inspiring me to be better at everything that I do!

MESSAGE #1335 NATIONAL CHAMP!

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Anthony Robles has just become the NCAA Division 1 National Champion for wrestling. And Anthony Robles has only one leg. Watch this inspiring interview.

MESSAGE #1333 ARE YOU JUST GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS?

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Cory Arbiso, New York Yankees, Spring Training 2011, Tampa, Florida

Are you just going through the motions in your sport and life?

Do you mindlessly go through practice and wonder why you are not improving?

Do you mindlessly drive your car and find yourself ending up someplace else?

Do you mindlessly speak with people and forget what they say?

This happens all the time.

Recently, I was in Tampa, Florida for Spring Training for the Yankees. I spent some time with pitcher, Cory Arbiso. Cory and I talked about how he mentally prepares for competition.

During pitching drills, instead of just going through the motions, Arbiso uses visualization. Most pitchers just rush through the drills, but Arbiso takes his time and makes the session as realistic as possible. He varies the timing on his delivery and even checks imaginary runners. In his mind, Arbiso imagines the type of pitch he is going to throw and the location, even if there is no ball in his hand.

The more realistic and mindfully you practice, the more you will be able to deliver in competition.

At the professional level, everyone is an elite athlete, but the ones that make it are the ones who slow the game down and master the game between the ears.

 

MESSAGE #1327 KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BALL

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In the image above, Derek Jeter is keeping his eye on the ball.

In your life, whether in sports, sales or school, you need to keep your eye on the ball. Stay focused on what you are doing, and do one thing at a time. When you are eating…eat. When you are practicing…practice. When you are studying…study.

Let me tell you a story…

A young boy traveled across Japan to the school of a famous martial arts master.

“What do you wish from me?” the master asked.

“I wish to be your student and become the finest karateka in the land,” the boy replied.

“How long must I study?”

“Ten years at least,” the master answered.

“Ten years is a long time,” said the boy.

“What if I studied twice as hard as all your other students?”

“Twenty years,” replied the master.

“Twenty years! What if I practice day and night with all my effort?”

“Thirty years,” was the master’s reply.

“How is it that each time I say I will work harder, you tell me that it will take longer?” the boy asked.

“The answer is clear. When one eye is fixed upon your destination, there is only one eye left with which to find the Way.”

MESSAGE #1323 GREETINGS FROM TAMPA!

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Here I am in Tampa, Florida, the spring training home of the New York Yankees. I got off the plane and headed straight to the minor league camp. It was great to see some familiar faces like Ryan Baker, Justin Snyder, Luis Nunez, Tony Franklin, and others. The player development facility is made up of four fields with different drills running on each of them. Those that are not taking live batting practice take their cuts in the batting cages.

This is an impressive facility, but the thing that impressed me most was the prospects. They hustled to and from different fields—taking their jobs seriously. Very professional, something that the Yankees instill at every level.

You may not be a Yankee, but you can certainly give a Yankee effort, and you can begin today.

MESSAGE #1321 SECRET FORMULA

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I recently sent this secret formula to a pitcher on the New York Yankees via Facebook message:

T + T + T + T + T = C

Today + Today + Today + Today + Today = Your Career

The best way to have a Hall of Fame career is to ACT like a Hall of Famer TODAY. Then do it again tomorrow. And the next day and the next day…

Focusing on the past and the future is weak.

Focusing on the present moment is powerful.

MESSAGE #1302 DOUBT YOUR DOUBTS

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One of my favorite sayings is:

“Doubt your doubts.”

We all have a little negative voice inside our heads that shows up every once in a while (more often for some people).

Recently, I was coaching some tennis players and I introduced topspin to them. Before they even hit one ball, one of the players said, “Oh, I can’t do that.”

I was in shock.

This was a grown woman and she was counting herself out before she even started.

Fortunately, I was able to help her re-frame her negative voice and she actually performed quite well, but it could have been ugly. This type of limiting attitude is quite common, but we can choose to believe it, or doubt it.

Choose wisely.

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #1290 HOW TO PLAY YOUR BEST GAME

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Let’s face it, most people play a reactionary game.

When they play well, they react positively.

When they play poorly, they react negatively.

The champions create how they play.

Here’s a great exercise to help you play your best game more often:

1. Think of a past great performance.
2. On an index card, write down what you did well during that performance.
3. Write down what you were focusing on.
4. Write down how you were feeling.
5. Write down what type of body language you had.
6. Keep that index card in your bag.
7. Read it before you practice or compete.
8. Then go out and duplicate that performance.

MESSAGE #1287 WHAT ARE YOU AIMING FOR?

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A critical element of mental toughness is goal-setting. Many people think they have goals, but in actuality, they are merely wishes.

Most people know what they need to do, but most people do not DO what they know they need to do.

Here are a couple quick tips on setting goals:

1.   Write them down.
2.   Make them specific.
3.   Make them measurable.
4.   Make them attainable.
5.   Make them realistic.
6.   Make them timely (give yourself a deadline)
7.   Find an accountability partner (to keep you on track)
8.   Begin now.
9.   Persist.
10. Celebrate (then set a new goal)

The above is not a new formula, it has been around forever. The reason why, is because it works. And the reason why most people don’t achieve their goals is because they don’t stick with it. Taking action is the key.

I once went to the shooting range with a police sergeant friend of mine. He showed me how the gun worked, how to load/unload it, and he gave me tips on shooting techniques. We chose our type of target, i.e., a traditional target with a bullseye or a silhouette of a person holding a gun (a “bad guy”), which we could control the distances of.

My first shot was right in the bullseye! Beginners luck or good technique? I vote for good technique.

So what’s the point here? If I had just taken the gun and shot around, I would not know what I was doing, I would, most likely, not hit any targets, and someone could have gotten hurt.

Police officers go to the shooting range so that they can practice hitting targets. And practicing hitting targets will help them perform when it matters the most.

This applies to sports and life as well.

Write down your goals today!