MESSAGE #1524 BRUCE LEE, PEAK PERFORMER
Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.
-Bruce Lee
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MESSAGE #1523 PRE-COMPETITION
What do you think about before you compete?
Do you think about how good your opponent is?
Do you think about the fact that you NEED to win this game?
Do you think about who will be there watching?
If you answered yes to any of the above three questions, you will not be in your performance zone.
Before you compete, you should be thinking about your game plan and HOW you want to compete. Think about WHAT will put you in the best position to win. Think about giving a full effort, and think about what a great opportunity it is to compete.
Then, just do it.
Ed Tseng
Director of Mental Conditioning
Monroe Sports Center
609.558.1077
MESSAGE #1522 WHAT ARE YOU FOCUSING ON?
Focus is not enough.
You have to focus on the right things.
The #1 singles player on my PDS Girls Tennis Team, Samantha Asch recently won the Mercer County Tournament in straight sets.
In fact, she dropped only two games in the entire tournament.
Her opponents were focusing on the wrong thing.
They weren’t focused on beating her, they were focused on not embarassing themselves.
The players that are lucky enough to get a game against her are happy just doing that.
When you are able to get your opponents to focus on the wrong thing, the match is yours.
MESSAGE #1520 THIS IS WHO WINS
Going into the Mercer County Tournament, my Princeton Day School girls tennis team was not the favorite. We weren’t even the second or third favorite. But we were still optimistic.
So how did we win the championship?
1. We went all-out.
2. We focused on the process, not the outcome.
3. We supported each other.
4. We never gave up.
5. We stayed positive.
We were tied with Princeton High School going into the final day and this is what I told my team:
“Day 1 was great, but it’s now in the past. Somebody’s gotta win this, why not us? It’s not the best team that wins, it’s the team that plays best. Play to win, not to ‘not lose.’ ”
And we are now the 2011 Mercer County Champions.
MESSAGE #1516 DAVID GOGGINS PART II
David Goggins is a Navy SEAL.
David Goggins is an ultramarathon runner.
David Goggins ran the Badwater 135 miler through Death Valley.
David Goggins is considered the toughest athlete on the planet.
This is where the story gets good…
“Here’s the thing. I don’t like doing this. I don’t like to run, but it’s one of the ways I can find out who I am in life. I can’t find out who David Goggins is by watching Sunday Night Football. I need to set the bar high and then try to meet it. The only way I can do that is to do ridiculous things at the most ridiculous times. When I’m really tired and want to sleep, that’s when I go out there and do it.”
-David Goggins
Wow.
MESSAGE #1514 IT’S UP TO YOU…
Man can will nothing unless he has first understood that he must count on no one but himself; that he is alone, abandoned on earth in the midst of his infinite responsibilities, without help, with no other aim than the one he sets himself, with no other destiny than the one he forges for himself on this earth.
-Jean Paul Satra
The ten most powerful two-letter words…
If it is to be, it is up to me.
MESSAGE #1513 MENTAL TOUGHNESS IN FIGURE SKATING
When I go out on the ice, I just think about my skating. I forget it is a competition.
-Katarina Witt, figure skater
Peak performance is focusing on the process, not the results.
What are YOU focusing on?
MESSAGE #1512 BE LIKE A ROOKIE
I took the above photograph of Yankee prospect, Austin Romine next to the Yankee Double-A affiliate, Trenton Thunder clubhouse last year. This week, Romine got called up to the big club, caught Mariano Rivera’s 599th career save, started his first Major League game and collected his first major league hit.
Not bad for someone who thought his season was over. Romine was walking out of a Wal-mart in Kentucky when Yankee manager, Joe Girardi called, telling him the news.
4:30am the next morning, Romine began is trip to join the Yankees in Anaheim, ten minutes from his home town.
A couple dozen family members were present and Romine’s brother, Andrew was in the opposing dugout, playing for the Angels.
After traveling from Kentucky, Romine was thrown right into the mix, looking at photos, videos, scouting reports, etc.
“I just took a deep breath and treated it like spring training. I’d caught all these guys before and I’d played (at Angel Stadium) before, so the comfort level was higher than I thought it was going to be. I just took a deep breath and didn’t think.”
Romine knows the secret, don’t think.
His deep breath, relaxed him a bit and kept him in the present moment.
Not thinking helped him avoid paralysis by analysis.
Even though Austin Romine is a rookie, he has a veteran approach.
If you missed my exclusive interview with him, you can watch it HERE.
Make sure you checkout my new FREE video on my top five peak performance secrets. Register and enjoy!
Ed Tseng
Director of Mental Conditioning
Monroe Sports Center
609.558.1077
MESSAGE #1508 A MESSAGE FROM VINCE LOMBARDI
The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless or their chosen field.
-Vince Lombardi
MESSAGE #1507 BE LIKE TED PART II
Recently, I was talking with my good friend, Ted. Ted and I are former baseball teammates and current tennis hitting partners. Ted is also a writer.
Earlier this week, Ted attended a writing workshop in New York City. A key point that he learned was about writer’s block.
His instructor said that when you have writer’s block, find an accountability partner and just write for three minutes. It doesn’t matter what you write, as long as you write…even if it’s the same word over and over.
I know what you are thinking, “How does this relate to me?”
If you don’t feel like writing, just write.
If you don’t feel like working out, just workout.
If you don’t feel like making sales calls, just make the calls.
It’s the start that stops most people.
I know many marathon runners and I often ask them what the most challenging aspect of running is. Their answer is…putting on my shoes.
I don’t care about your feelings, I care about your actions.