MESSAGE #1348 MENTAL TOUGHNESS FROM A GOLD MEDALIST
Here is a brief, but great video I did with gold medal skier, Lindsey Vonn…listen to EVERY word she says…
MESSAGE #1338 YOUR MENTAL DIET
What are you feeding your brain?
Negative thoughts or positive intentions?
It’s your choice what type of mental diet you have, but be mindful that you will reap what you sow.
I once knew someone who didn’t take chances and who didn’t have high expectations due to the fact that he didn’t want to be disappointed. He was right, he was rarely disappointed, but he also didn’t do much with his life.
Let me tell you a story.
There once was a young man who said, “I want to do great things in this world, and I know I can!”
Then there was an old man who said, “I wish I would have done great things in this world, and I regret that I didn’t.”
End of story. To me, this is the saddest story. Why?
Because it was the same man.
You see, you may be living, but are you ALIVE?
Are you counting the days, or are you making the days count?
Recently, I got a message on Facebook from a young man in Toronto who was determined to help others…after he received his medical degree. I said that he didn’t have to wait to get his degree to make a difference in others’ lives. He could pay someone a sincere compliment. He could volunteer his time to people in need. He could just be a good listener.
So take a look at your goals. And take a look at your mental diet.
Someone once said that the beauty of life is that you need not wait another moment to make a difference in the world.
Yes, I’m talking to YOU.
MESSAGE #1335 NATIONAL CHAMP!
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 #1321 SECRET FORMULA
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 #1318 WOW! POW!
Take a moment and think about a wonderful event in your life. Where were you? How did you feel? What was the weather like? What smells were in the air? Who else was there?
You just practiced visualization, or imagery.
It doesn’t matter if you visualized a vacation, a great performance in your sport, a delicious meal, your wedding, etc.
Many top athletes use the power of visualization to help them perform at their peak during competition.
I recently heard a powerful example of visualization.
There was a POW, Prisoner of War. While he was held in custody, he visualized himself playing 36 holes of golf, every day. He never physically played a game of golf in his life, but he did this to help pass the time by. This lasted years. And after he became free, he instantly became a great golfer.
You can visualize playing your best game, or your worst game and making adjustments. You can visualize potential challenges and how you would want to react to them. You can visualize when you get into bed at night and you can visualize just before a pitch/point/play/down.
You CAN do all of these things, but WILL YOU?
The mind is a powerful thing, use it to your advantage to play your best game.
MESSAGE #1317 FIFTY OUT OF SEVENTY-THREE
Greg Maddux was one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history.
Maddux once left a game with a 2-1 lead, in the seventh inning. The reliever gave up a run to tie the game, which ruined Maddux’ chances of getting the win; frustration for any pitcher. But when Maddux was asked after the game, “How did it go out there tonight?” his reply was, “Fifty out of seventy-three.”
What does this mean?
It means he threw fifty strikes out of seventy-three pitches.
Maddux knows the secret. The key to being a successful is to focus on your execution, not the results. If you stick with your plan and execute properly, your job is done. The beauty of this is, you will get better results. On the other hand, if you focus on things out of your control, like results, the media, or the approval of others, you will decrease your chances of getting the results you want.
What was Maddux’ mantra?
“One at a time.”
How can you argue with someone who won 355 games in his career?
*BONUS FACT*
Greg Maddux faced 20,421 batters in his career and only 310 of them saw a 3-0 count (approximately one in every three starts).
MESSAGE #1310 FORGET IT
Suppose you are playing a tennis match and the score is tied. Your opponent hits you a weak shot and you…hit the ball into the bottom of the net.
How do you react?
If you’re like most people, you will either, let out a sigh of frustration, say something like, “How can you miss that?!?” or perhaps even hit your racquet on the ground.
Do these reactions help you or hurt you?
They hurt you, of course. Plus, you will give your opponent increased confidence to “finish you off.”
Here’s a better response for next time:
1. Transfer the racquet into your opposite hand.
2. Immediately turn away from the net.
3. Walk confidently.
4. Take a long, deep breath.
5. Think about how you can make an adjustment next time.
6. Say an affirmation to yourself like, “That shot is in the past—I can’t control the past. Let it go and focus on this point.”
7. Move your feet like a boxer, and get ready for the next point.
8. Think about your strategy for the next point.
9. Trust your game.
10. Just play.
The greatest athletes in history have something in common, and that is, they are able to let go of past. You can too, it’s a choice.
Thanks for reading.
JUST RELEASED! How to be Unstoppable—A Mental Skills Workbook by Ed Tseng. If you are an athlete, coach, parent or just someone who wants to be more mentally tough at work or in life, pick one up today! In a few weeks, Ed will be introducing the workbook to some Yankee players down in Spring Training. Email for team discounts, otherwise order above under PRODUCTS.
MESSAGE #1307 TRY THIS DIET…
Confidence is one of the keys to success. There are many sources of confidence, such as hard work, body language, past achievements, etc.
Try giving yourself a steady diet of positive thoughts and affirmations, throughout your day, and especially during competition. You get what you focus on, but unfortunately, most people focus on the negative, or what they don’t want to happen.
Here are some sample affirmations:
“I am a confident athlete who goes all-out, whether I feel like it or not, and inspires others to do the same.”
“When the pressure is greatest, I love competition the most.”
Your affirmations:
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MESSAGE #1290 HOW TO PLAY YOUR BEST GAME
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 #1281 AN EXERCISE
Do you remember a time when you performed REALLY well?
Perhaps you were playing tennis and you could not miss, or you were working and had unbelievable focus, or you were performing a violin recital and nailed it.
Here’s your assignment:
Go back in time to when you were performing at your peak. Write down:
1. Where you were
2. What you were feeling
3. What you were thinking
4. Smells
5. Sounds
6. What your body language was
After doing this exercise, you now have a model of success. Go to this model when things aren’t going so well. Read it and re-create it.
Better yet, create a voice memo on your phone and listen to it whenever you are in a slump.
Slumps are part of life, you can’t control that.
The only thing you can control is HOW YOU REACT TO THEM.
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