MESSAGE #990 MENTAL TOUGHNESS: BE COMFORTABLE BEING UNCOMFORTABLE

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Diane Stevenson in the UK.

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. -NEALE DONALD WALSCH

Admit it, you like to be comfortable. But if you’re comfortable, you’re not growing.

When I give mental toughness coaching sessions, I have people perform mental cross-training. For example, I had a college tennis player sing happy birthday to me at the top of his voice, in a crowded restaurant. He didn’t feel like it but did it anyway and felt great afterwards. And I do it in my own life, as well. Six hours after I solved my first Sudoku puzzle, I competed in the National Sudoku Championships (Beginner level).

The more you put yourself in uncomfortable situations, the more comfortable you will be when they arise.

Sports are mostly mental, but when was the last time you worked on that aspect of your game?

Homework: For the next week, do one thing each day that puts you out of your comfort zone.

MESSAGE #986 THE WORD CAN’T CAN’T HELP YOU

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On a daily basis, in and out of the sports world, I hear people using the word “can’t.”

“I can’t hit a serve.”

“I can’t find a job.”

“I can’t get this math problem.”

But you’re lying to yourself. You CAN.

And if you think you can’t, then what if I offered you a million dollars to do it, could you? I’m sure you’d find a way.

I have had many students say the word “can’t” during lessons and I tell them that the only time you can say that word in a sentence is when you add the word “yet” at the end of it.

“I can’t hit a serve…yet.”

“I can’t find a job…yet.”

“I can’t get this math problem…yet.”

That’s a totally different mindset isn’t it? That’s what the winners think like. And it’s a choice.

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #983

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to all who came out for the first ever Princeton Peak Performance Meetup Group.

For those of you who sent me hate mail and comments yesterday, I hope you had a good APRIL FOOL’S DAY.

S0 yesterday concluded my 21-Day Fitness Challenge. They say it takes twenty-one days to make something a habit and even though I stay active, I wanted to jump-start my fitness regimen. It certainly did that. And many of you joined me from all over the world, which made it even more fun.

Some days I merely performed an ab workout. Other days I went for a run, did jump rope, used my favorite piece of exercise equipment (not on the market yet but I have a prototype…stay tuned), worked out on the basketball court, soccer field or baseball field. If you missed the videos, click these links and watch me bend it like Beckham, shoot it  like Jordan and hit it like Jeter.

I feel like I’m stronger, leaner and have more energy. I actually surprised myself with sports I have never really played, like soccer and basketball, but with some tips from my coach friends, I performed quite well. Any skill is learn-able.

Did I ever not feel like working out? Of course, but I did it anyway. It also helped that I put it into cyberspace.

1. Set a goal

2. Make it public

3. Get to work

What do you want to kick-start in your life?

MESSAGE #980 MOTIVATION

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I feel that I am one of the most motivated people I know, but someone once said, “Motivation is like taking a shower – it feels good and it’s refreshing ,but you have to take a new one every dayp.”

Success is not doing something once, but doing something consistently.

I have a book in my library called, “Motivating Quotes For Motivated People.” Here are a couple of my favorites…

He who would leap high must take a long run. -DANISH PROVERB

Trust only movement. Life happens at the level of events not of words. Trust movement. -ALFRED ADLER

Never discourage anyone who continually makes progress, no matter how slow. -PLATO

Success is a state of mind. If you want success, start thinking of yourself as a success. -JOYCE BROTHERS

You will be a winner when you realize that failure is only a state of mind. -AUTHOR UNKNOWN

MESSAGE #979 YOUR IQ…

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Your “I Can” is more important than your “IQ.”

“I can’t hit a serve.”

“I can’t make any money.”

“I can’t stay positive.”

“I can’t stop smoking.”

Success does not come in bottles, it comes in “cans.”

We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world. -BUDDHA

MESSAGE #975 WHAT HARD WORK WILL GET YOU

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Tom Jolly, sports editor of the New York Times. Happy Birthday to a true peak performer.

 

Many years ago on a rainy July morning in Washington Heights, New York, a 12 year-old boy was watching TV.

“Why don’t you call your friends and go out and play ball?” his dad asked.

“Dad, I’m watching TV and it’s raining out.”

Dad said, “Come over here, I want to show you something.”

From their fifth-floor apartment, they could see the local school yard.

There, in the rain, another 12 year-old boy was hitting a baseball off a makeshift batting tee.

After hitting the ball, he ran after it, teed it up, and hit it again.

This went on for over an hour.

“I guess it’s not raining on Manny,” his dad said.

“Manny” is now one of the greatest hitters of all time: Manny Ramirez!

 

What do you want to be – a great athlete? a great writer? a great student? a great salesperson?

What are you doing to make that happen?

Instead of “trying your best”…Do whatever it takes.

Here are the five words why most people fail:

I DON’T FEEL LIKE IT.

 

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #972 INTERVIEW WITH A RISING STAR…

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In this video blog, Ed interviews rising baseball star, Mike DeJesus of the New Jersey Jackals.

MESSAGE #971 TIGER BACK ON TRACK…

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Well, so far, my prediction is coming true – Tiger Woods is returning to the golf world and showing the world (and himself) how to learn from mistakes. If he stays clean and kicks some major butt, my prediction will have been right on the money.

In his first interviews since the incident Tiger said…

“You strip away the denial, the rationalization and you come to the truth,” he said, “and the truth is very painful at times, and to stare at yourself and look at the person you’ve become, you become disgusted.”

I said from the beginning that Tiger just needs to speak from the heart but many people told me, “That’s not Tiger.” The quote above seems pretty honest to me.

And regarding not knowing his schedule after The Masters, Woods commented…

“That to me is a little bit bothersome, too, in a sense that I don’t like not knowing what to do. But what I know I have to do is become a better person, and that begins with going to more treatment.”

Tiger knows what he needs to do, and he’s doing it. And soon he will be getting it done on the golf course too.

No mistakes are bad if you learn from them.

Go get ’em, Tiger.

MESSAGE #964 WHAT DO YOU DO AFTER YOU WIN WIMBLEDON?

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Do people sing to get to the end of the song?

Do people play sports to get to the end of the game?

Do people read to get to the end of the book?

No. No. No.

Life is not about doing as many things as you can. It’s not about getting to the end. It’s not even about making a lot of money (I know a lot of miserable rich people).

Life is to be lived. To do what matters to you. To do what you’re passionate about. To make a difference in the world.

We play sports because we enjoy the process. If winning was everything, wouldn’t we ONLY play people we knew we could beat? That would get old quick.

After Mats Wilander became number one in the tennis world (something he worked his whole life for), he said, “Is that it?” It got to a point where he would look forward to mowing his lawn more than playing tennis. So it’s not about the trophy. It’s not about the money. It’s not about materialistic objects.

1. Do what you love.

2. Stay in the present moment and savor it all.

3. Work hard but have fun.

4. Don’t let anyone tell you what you CAN’T do (how do THEY know?)

5. Make a difference and help others.

Think about what you want to have accomplished at the end of your life.

Now go and do it.

MESSAGE #963 THE WAY OF LIFE

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A man is born gentle and weak.
At his death he is hard and stiff.
Green plants are tender and filled with sap.
At their death they are withered and dry.
Therefore the stiff and unbending is the disciple of death.
The gentle and yielding is the disciple of life.
Thus an army without flexibility never wins a battle.
A tree that is unbending is easily broken.
The hard and the strong will fall.
The soft and the weak will overcome.
-LAO TZU