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MESSAGE #1298 CONTROL WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL

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Recently, I put this quote on my facebook wall:

‎”Care about people’s approval and you will be their prisoner.” -LAO TZU

It was very well-received, but what does it mean?

As an athlete, we have many potential external distractions. Common ones include: spectators, coaches, parents, friends, weather, fans, media, etc.

If we care what everyone thinks, we will be their prisoner and will not be able to perform to our potential.

These external distractions are out of our control.

We should not worry about things that are out of our control.

Instead, we need to focus on the things we can control, and all of those things are within us. That is where the true power is.

Inside.

Control yourself and you can control your destiny.

Let others control you and your destiny is in their hands.

MESSAGE #1297 SLOW THE GAME DOWN

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“Never hurry when it counts.”
-JOANNE CARNER

When things are not going your way, time goes by very quickly.

When things are going your way, time goes by very slowly.

The greatest athletes in the world slow the game down to their speed.

How do they do it?

1. They focus on taking deep diaphragmatic breaths.
2. They focus on playing one point at a time.
3. They focus on the process, not the result.
4. They focus on things they can control.
5. They focus on having fun.

And you can do the same.

MESSAGE #1295

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Gandhi said:

“Full effort is full victory.”

What does this mean?

Here’s how I see it:

1. Go all-out.
2. Focus more on your effort.
3. Focus less on your results.
4. Most people don’t give it their all.
5. When you focus on the “process,” (effort) you get the “product” (winning) that you want.

MESSAGE #1294 DO THE RIGHT THING

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In 2008, during the Rome Masters, Andy Roddick was the #1 seed. He had match point and was about to win. The umpire called his opponent’s second serve out, resulting in a double-fault. Roddick had won the match. As Roddick walked up to the net to shake his opponent’s hand, he noticed a mark on the clay. It was touching the line, which meant the serve was actually in. Roddick brought this to the umpire’s attention and the match continued. Roddick ended up losing the match.

Did Andy Roddick do the right thing?

MESSAGE #1293 ARE YOU HELPING OR ARE YOU HURTING?

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The other day I was coaching on a court next to another pro. This pro used to be a top junior and collegiate player, so he obviously can play the game. But just because someone can play doesn’t mean they can coach, does it?

In education, there are many intelligent individuals, but does that mean they are great teachers? The answer is no.

From my court, I heard a mis-hit, a ball off the frame of the racquet, by one of this coach’s students. There’s nothing wrong with that. But then I heard the coach yell, “Great shot!”

I looked over to see who he was talking to, and sure enough, he was talking to the boy who made the error.

It’s important to be positive, but it has to be real. You can’t just say “Great shot!” for the sake of saying it. That doesn’t help the student. As coaches, perhaps we can change that and say, “Great swing, but make sure you watch the ball longer next time,” to maximize our students’ improvement.

I have a business partner who tells me how it is, regarding our projects, whether I want to hear it or not. Most people don’t like hearing the truth, especially if it hurts. But guess what? I love hearing the truth. I would rather hear it and learn from it than have someone just telling me what I want to hear in order to make me feel good.

And parents, focus less on telling your children how beautiful they are and start telling them how proud you are of their effort and constant improvement.

That’s how winners are made.

But that’s just my opinion.

Leave your comments below.

MESSAGE #1292 SUPER BOWL PREDICTION

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I have a special talent.

I can predict who will win a sporting event 100% of the time.

Here is my Super Bowl prediction:

The team that will win the Super Bowl tonight is…

The team that plays best.

The Green Bay Packers are the favorites, but not by much. So the game is up for grabs.

Which team will perform best under the pressure? Which team will do their best when it matters the most? And which team will go all-out?

Time will tell.

MESSAGE #1288 HOW ARE YOU PLAYING THE GAME?

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At the end of an athlete’s career, he/she never says, “I wish I would have held back.”

If successful, an athlete most likely will say, “I’m glad I went all-out.”

Taking risks is a key element to success in sports and life. You need to get out of your comfort zone.

Do you want to be comfortable, or do you want to be great?

Today, I took a risk.

I emailed Martin Seligman, the father of Positive Psychology. The guy is a rock star.

Part of me felt that I shouldn’t do it. Why would he want to talk to me?

But I did it anyway.

Not only did he respond, he shared some valuable resources with me.

Have you ever NOT reached out to someone who you thought wouldn’t give you the time of day?

Have you ever NOT hit a shot that you thought you might miss?

It happens all the time. But when that occurs, people are just training themselves to hold back.

Is that how you want to play the game?

MESSAGE #1287 WHAT ARE YOU AIMING FOR?

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A critical element of mental toughness is goal-setting. Many people think they have goals, but in actuality, they are merely wishes.

Most people know what they need to do, but most people do not DO what they know they need to do.

Here are a couple quick tips on setting goals:

1.   Write them down.
2.   Make them specific.
3.   Make them measurable.
4.   Make them attainable.
5.   Make them realistic.
6.   Make them timely (give yourself a deadline)
7.   Find an accountability partner (to keep you on track)
8.   Begin now.
9.   Persist.
10. Celebrate (then set a new goal)

The above is not a new formula, it has been around forever. The reason why, is because it works. And the reason why most people don’t achieve their goals is because they don’t stick with it. Taking action is the key.

I once went to the shooting range with a police sergeant friend of mine. He showed me how the gun worked, how to load/unload it, and he gave me tips on shooting techniques. We chose our type of target, i.e., a traditional target with a bullseye or a silhouette of a person holding a gun (a “bad guy”), which we could control the distances of.

My first shot was right in the bullseye! Beginners luck or good technique? I vote for good technique.

So what’s the point here? If I had just taken the gun and shot around, I would not know what I was doing, I would, most likely, not hit any targets, and someone could have gotten hurt.

Police officers go to the shooting range so that they can practice hitting targets. And practicing hitting targets will help them perform when it matters the most.

This applies to sports and life as well.

Write down your goals today!

MESSAGE #1285 “ONE THING” YOU NEED TO KNOW

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If you play the game like that-one pitch, one hitter, one inning at a time-the next thing you know you look up and you’ve won.
-RICK DEMPSEY, major league catcher

Present-moment focus is the key to peak performance on and off the field.

Like Rick Dempsey says, when you focus on one pitch, one hitter or one inning at a time, you are focusing on the “process” and as a result, you will get a better “product” which is winning.

Today I did a demonstration with a tennis pro. I had him hold one hand up, then said, “Catch!” I proceeded to throw two balls to him simultaneously and he only caught one.

It was a set-up. Nobody can catch two balls at one time.

What does this mean?

Nobody can perform well when they are thinking about the last pitch they missed, or in tennis, the last shot they missed. Many athletes are playing several points at a time and that never works.

Let go of the last pitch or the last point. You can’t change it. Focus on the current pitch or point and that will give you your best chance at winning.

In sales, give your full, undivided attention to your conference call, instead of checking your email or organizing your office.

I think you get the point.

Now go out and do it.