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MESSAGE #1589 DON’T SAY DON’T

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DON’T THINK ABOUT A PINK ELEPHANT!

Did you just think about a pink elephant?

Of course you did. This happens because the brain doesn’t know the word “don’t.”

All the brain hears is “pink elephant.”

So if you are getting ready to do your gymnastics routine or drive the golf ball, avoid saying “Don’t mess up” or “Don’t hit it into the water” because you will probably mess up and hit it into the water. Instead, say something like “Focus on your routine” or “Aim for the center of the hole.”

Don’t look where you don’t want to go.

MESSAGE #1587 ADJUSTMENTS

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Recently I was observing some gymnasts and one girl was working on flips with her coach. For some reason, she kept falling over to her left. The coach smartly put some pads on her left so she could try to avoid them. Well, she continued to fall to her left and knocked the pads over. As a consultant to the gymnastics academy, I asked if I could make a suggestion. I told the girl that oftentimes athletes only make minor adjustments, if any. I asked her to try the flip again, but this time, I stood on the right with my hands out. I said, “Okay, this time when you perform your flip, just make your legs hit my hands as you finish.

Guess what?

She landed perfectly.

This minor miracle occurred because when you make an extreme adjustment, oftentimes you find the middle.

Not a gymnast? You can still make adjustments in other sports, school, your job and in relationships.

Give it a try.

Ed Tseng
Mental Conditioning Coach

609.558.1077