MESSAGE #1098 DON’T STOP
“Set your goals high and don’t stop until you get there.”
-BO JACKSON
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MESSAGE #1097 THE KARATE KID
I have a confession.
I like taking notes at movies.
The movies I like to watch are inspirational. They have a lot of great quotes. Recently, I went to see The Karate Kid, I knew it would have some good quotes. Here is my favorite…
There is no such thing as bad student only a bad teacher.
The “evil” kung fu instructor’s motto was “No fear, no mercy.”
Mr. Han’s (good kung fu instructor) motto was “Win or lose, it doesn’t matter. Fight hard, earn respect…Kung Fu is about making peace.”
I know coaches that tell their players to call the ball out when it is close. They teach them to be jerks on the court. They think winning is everything.
Is it?
When I work with athletes and business professionals, I ask them, “At the end of your life, what do you want to be known for?”
The answer is never, I want to be #1 in the world, or I want to be a millionaire with five homes and a boat.
The answer is always something like, “I want to have been a role model; someone who made a difference and led by example. I want to be known as someone who went all-out, regardless of the situation.”
We may not all be coaches, but we are all teachers. We may be teaching our children, our friends, our parents, our fans, our employees or a stranger on the street. But what are we teaching them?
Roger Federer said, “It’s nice to be important, but it’s important to be nice.”
People say, nice guys finish last.
I say, nice guys are winners before the game begins.
MESSAGE #1096 LESS EFFORT
The way to run faster is with four-fifths effort. Just take it nice and easy.
-BUD WINTERS
If I had a dollar for every time I saw an athlete try to perform by tightening every muscle in their body, I could retire. Most people think that they need to be tight to succeed. This is false.
It is a bad sign when I see the veins in athletes’ arms, or their faces turning red.
People perform at their best when they are loose and “just doing it.”
When you constrict your muscles, you cannot swing freely.
Instead, use only the muscles you need and trust your swing/stroke/shot. This will help you throw faster, hit farther, run faster and get the results you are looking for.
Everyone says, “Less is more.”
Why?
Because it’s true.
MESSAGE #1095 DO YOU HAVE IT BACKWARDS?
I saw a sign today that read…
“First we will be the best, then we will be first.”
This is a great quote, but unfortunately most people have it backwards.
Most people think that they need to be first to be the best.
That’s the wrong focus.
When you focus on being first, you probably won’t become first.
But when you focus on being the best by giving the best effort/service/attitude, you will be first at whatever you do. And don’t worry if you don’t become first right away, stick with it because I’d like to see who’s going to beat you in the long-run. I guarantee there won’t be many still around.
MESSAGE #1093 THINK LIKE THE BABE
Supposedly, Babe Ruth was once asked, “What do you think about after you strike out?”
His reply was, “I think about hitting home runs.”
What do you think about when you don’t get the results you want?
What you focus on, you get.
MESSAGE #1092 BE PRESENT
Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Kevin Roveda, who is tearing it up at tennis camp this week!
Much of peak performance is staying in the present moment.
Everyone says that we should not focus on the past or the future, but nobody tells us HOW to stay in the present moment.
Here’s a little exercise that can help you stay in the here and now, have laser-focus and get the results you want.
Pick something that you do every day, like walking or eating. Every time you do this activity, give it your total attention. Do it at half-speed. Observe and enjoy every movement, sound, smell, and sight. Be mindful. Focus on taking deep breaths while you are performing this task. At first, you may have to consciously slow down, but after a while you will get used to it. Then, “just do it.”
Great athletes slow the game down to their speed.
Great people slow life down to their speed.
Be present today.
MESSAGE #1090 FIRST PITCH…
Well, today was a special day.
Not only did I throw out the first pitch at the Trenton Thunder game; I also asked my girlfriend, Sarah McLoughlin to marry me after the pitch.
I went 2-for-2…I threw a strike and she said yes!
A very special Thank You to the Thunder staff and players, especially Bill, Krysten, Rachel, Dave, Justin Snyder and the great Brandon Laird for their help and support on this special day.
MESSAGE #1088 TRAINING
How you do anything is how you do everything.
I have seen many athletes (and non-athletes) focus on speed.
They think everything is a race. When they are warming up for a practice, they want to come in first. When they are writing a paper, they want to compete it first. When they are working on a project…well, you get the idea.
Here’s the problem…
When you rush, you are training yourself to be sloppy. You are focusing on quantity, not quality.
When you train yourself in the wrong way, you have to go back and do it over again (re-training your body, re-writing that paper or re-doing that project).
The great Dan Millman once told me, the key is to focus on excellence in the moment. Be mindful. Be great.
Try it, just for today.
MESSAGE #1087 VERY SUPERSTITIOUS
Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Michael Sachs, Ph.D. at Temple University.
Ever notice how athletes are superstitious?
Many baseball players don’t step on the foul line when hustling on and off the field.
Tennis players bounce the ball a certain number of times before they serve.
Eating the same meal before competition is also quite common.
Michael Jordan wore his college team shorts under his NBA uniform.
Not shaving until you get out of your slump happens all the time too.
Silly things, right?
Wrong.
New research shows that you may actually perform better if you are superstitious.
Rituals and lucky charms can help you–if you believe they can. They can give you added confidence.
When talking to Austin Romine, one of the Yankees’ top prospects who just played in the MLB Futures Game and the Eastern League All-Star Game, he told me that he has the same routine every single day. “Consistency off the field turns into consistency on the field,” shared Romine.
A long time ago, I wished someone good luck before a competition and they said, “I don’t need luck–I create my own luck.”
I guess they were right.