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MESSAGE #867 JUST ASK…

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“If you are not moving closer to what you want in sales (or in life), you probably aren’t doing enough asking.”
-JACK CANFIELD

Are you getting the results you want?

One thing I like about myself is that I ask a lot of questions.

My favorite thing to do is ask someone who is doing what I WANT to do, “What would you do if you were in my shoes?”

That way you save yourself a lot of time.

Ask your coach how you can improve your game.

Ask your teacher how you can improve your grades.

Ask your boss how you can improve your performance.

Ask your significant other, how you can improve your relationship.

Ask your twitter followers how you can improve your business.

Ask, listen, take action. That’s it.

Have a great day, everyone.

Oh, and I almost forgot…

How can I improve this blog?

MESSAGE #863 HUNGRY???

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Determination. Everyone wants to be successful, but those who achieve success are steeled by an unwavering resolve. They are self-motivated – the kind of motivation that fueled and sustained Jack Nicklaus early in his pro career as he beat golf balls for an hour, then another, on the practice range until it was almost dark.

“Let’s go, Jack,” his new wife, Barbara, called out impatiently. “I’m hungry.” With callused hands, Nicklaus hit another ball, then another, then another into the dying light. “So am I,” Jack replied.

(From Mind Gym by Gary Mack with David Casstevens, p. 95)

Are YOU hungry???

MESSAGE #861 CREATE YOUR FUTURE…

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“The best way to predict the future is to create it.”
-ABRAHAM LINCOLN

Well, today is the Princeton Sports Symposium at the university. There will be 59 speakers and 11 panels with experts in all areas of the sports world discussing various topics.

This is a HUGE networking event for me. I’ll be sure to get and give business cards, and will be giving away a signed copy of my book.

What’s the lesson today?

Nobody’s going to ring your (or my) doorbell and hand you success. You have to go out and get it. You have to take action.

K-A=O

Knowledge minus Action equals Zero.

The best ideas and the best skills are nothing if nobody knows about them.

Go create your future today…

MESSAGE #859 MINI-MEDITATION…

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One area of sports psychology is relaxation/stress reduction.

In sports and life, we reach peak performance by staying in the present moment, using relaxed focus.

Here is a mini-meditation, an ancient technique used by monks that you can use anytime, anywhere to relax, reduce stress and stay in the present moment.

Take a couple deep breaths…in through the nose for four seconds and out through the nose for four seconds, from the stomach (vs the chest).

Now just observe the rise and fall of your abdomen. Don’t force it, just observe it. Thoughts may arise, that’s okay, just accept them and go back to focusing on the rising and falling.

Continue on your own for a few moments….

Notice while you were meditating, you didn’t have many thoughts going on in your head (if you did, that just means that you need to practice)…you weren’t thinking about work. You weren’t thinking about school. You weren’t thinking about getting a goldfish.

Life moves pretty fast, but when you make time for relaxation (meditation), you will have less stress, which is the main cause of disease and sickness. When you have less stress, you will perform at a higher level, slow life down and begin to enjoy the process.

You can use this technique at work, on line at the grocery store or before you perform at Carnegie Hall.

MESSAGE #858 LEARN FROM MY MENTOR…

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“At the end of the day, take the pillow test – when you put your head on the pillow, are you going to say, ‘I’m glad I did,’ or are you going to say, ‘I wish I had’?”
-ROB GILBERT, Ph.D., Ed Tseng’s mentor

My only question for you today is…

Are you going to go all out, or are you going to hold back?

My good friend and mentor, Dr. Rob Gilbert, is a college professor and one of the top sports psychologists and motivational speakers on the planet.

After his students graduate, many times they come back and visit.

They never say, “I wish I would have partied more.”

They always say, “If I worked just a little bit harder, I could have been national champion.”

How are YOU doing?

WHAT are you doing?

Here is my challenge to you…

Go all out today, and at the end of the day, take the Pillow Test…and see if you say, “I’m glad I did.”

MESSAGE #857 BEAT THE HOLIDAY STRESS…

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“Some people wait so long for their ship to come in that their pier collapses.”
-author unknown

Well, it’s officially the holidays and the game of stress has begun.

The malls are like zoos and the tension is building within all of us. We seem to have less time during the day and we need to constantly check if we are breathing.

And I know something about you – during this holiday season, there will be things that you have to do, but don’t feel like, i.e., paying the bills, working out, or practicing the piano.

Here’s what the winners do…

Use the 15-minute rule: make an agreement with yourself that you will “just do it” for fifteen minutes, then you can stop. Go to the gym for fifteen minutes, clean the house, or make those calls. Here’s the beauty of it – YOU WON’T STOP AFTER FIFTEEN MINUTES. You’ll get into it. Before you know it, you’ll be at the gym for the full hour.

If you’ve read my book, or have been following this blog, you know you should…

1. Procrastinate procrastination.
2. Just do it.
3. Make no exceptions.
4. When things are difficult, relax more and breathe deeper.
5. Enjoy the process…and make sure you exercise.

Now take a few deep diaphragmatic breaths (in through the nose for four seconds, using your stomach, then out through the nose for four seconds). Smile, and go all out!

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #854 DON’T BE VANILLA…

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“Falling into a routine can destroy your life. Routine is so dangerous and so powerful that even the best of intentions can be knocked down for good because of it. Recognize if you are in a routine and break free.”
-author unknown

Our habits form our lives. Most of what we do on a daily basis is the same as the day before.

Most of what we do is normal, standard, boring.

VANILLA (as in ice cream).

I just really started getting into Twitter. Gary Vaynerchuck, author of CRUSH IT! gave me some great ideas on how to use social media to “crush it” and take my personal brand to the next level.

I started following a large number of people.

They all responded with the same message…

“Thanks for the follow! Checkout my website at…”

That’s annoying.

That’s what everyone does. Why wouldn’t you do something different?

Stop ordering vanilla ice cream.

What if you saw a black crow today? You wouldn’t think anything of it.

But what if you saw a pink crow today? I think you would definitely take notice.

You can be sure I will be direct messaging people with unique messages.

In tennis, if your strategy isn’t working, try something different. Change speeds, go to net, hit some moon balls.

You’ll get different results.

Business, school and relationships are the same way.

MESSAGE #850

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“Being creative is the fuel of the future. Change occurs moment by moment, and being creative is the only way to ensure success in the long term.”
-BRUCE MANDELBILT

If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.

If you do what everyone else is doing, you’ll get what everyone else is getting.

Are you vanilla ice cream, or are you blood orange sorbet?

A new employee once asked Thomas Edison, “What are the rules around here?”

Edison replied, “Hell, there ain’t no rules around here…we’re trying to accomplish something!”

If you’re game plan isn’t working, try another strategy. Get creative.

The worst thing you can do is lose and then say, “Maybe I should have done something different.”

MESSAGE #849 TENNIS (AND LIFE) STARTS AT LOVE…

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“We come to love not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly.”
-SAM KEEN

This quote is not just about personal relationships, it’s about athletic teams, work teams and ANY type of relationship you may have.

You’re never going to find the perfect mate.
You’re never going to find the perfect player.
You’re never going to find the perfect employee.

Great business owners hire for attitude and train for skill.
Great coaches recruit for attitude and train for skill.
Great women date for attitude and train for putting the toilette seat down.

Okay, that last one was a joke, but I think you get the point.

So what if you’re trying out for a team? If you’re applying for a job? Going on a date?

If you have a great attitude; if you give it all out effort…

Success is inevitable.

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #847 THE PURSUIT OF PERFECT…

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Tal Ben-Shahar is the author of “Happier” and “The Pursuit of Perfect.” He has also taught one of the most popular courses at Harvard.

Yesterday, I asked Tal, who was Israeli national squash champion, if he ever felt like NOT practicing.

Tal said that quite often he didn’t feel like practicing, but “feelings are irrelevant, so in turn, they are MOST relevant. Accept feelings as part of reality, then do it anyway.”

What do you need to do today but are putting off?