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MESSAGE #1467 ONE STEP AT A TIME

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Recently, I was talking sports psychology with yoga guru, the great Naime Jezzeny. He mentioned that many marathon runners focus on one thing…the next step.

A marathon is 26.2 miles (approximately 55,335 steps).

If you think about running 26.2 miles, it could be quite intimidating. But if you focus on just taking one step, you will be fine. Then, do it 55,334 more times.

Let me put it another way. If you are driving at night, your car headlights can only help you see about 160 feet in front of you. Even though you are only driving 160 feet at a time, you can still drive through the night.

In sports, sales and school, set goals, but then “chunk it down,” or break the goal into smaller parts. Tackle one goal at at time and before you know it, you will attain your larger goal.

The journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.
-Buddha

MESSAGE #829 WHAT AM I DOING?!?

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“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”
-ALBERT SCHWEITZER

Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Rob Gurden in Orange County, CA.

It’s 2:52am…

I am awake and motivated.

To my defense, I did go to bed early, at 9:30pm.

I didn’t even watch the end of the Yankees game. Anyone that knows me, knows that I bleed pinstripes. But it’s just a game, isn’t it?

Yesterday, I gave a three-hour workshop with the great Naime Jezzeny at Yogaphoria in New Hope, PA.

There were athletes and coaches there. Some were runners, some were swimmers, some were tennis players and some were equestrian riders. Some were there for the game of life.

During the workshop, Naime talked about caring.

“If you care too much in sports and life, you’re weak. If you care, but not too much, you’re powerful,” Jezzeny said.

I care about the Yankees, but if they don’t win, I know that it’s not the end of the world.

When I compete, I like winning, but when I don’t, I make sure that I learned something.

I care about my new Tseng Performance Academy, and was up writing down ideas, but it’s not a “have to,” it’s a “want to.”

When you’re competing, strive for relaxed focus, or as my friend, noted-sports psychologist, Jeff Greenwald says, playing loose.

Go all out, but be a little relaxed…like Bruce Springsteen in Message #807.

Remember the quote above.

Do what you love and you will work harder.

If you work harder, you will have a greater chance at success.

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #783 KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BALL…

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“One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular.”
-ANTHONY ROBBINS

Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Kari Adams in Princeton, NJ.

When we play sports, we need to focus. We need to keep our eyes on the ball.

But focus is not enough.

We need to focus on the right things.

1. Focus on your strengths, but focus on your weaknesses too.
2. Focus on where you want to go, not where you don’t.
3. Focus on the things you can control and forget about the things you can’t.

Goal setting is a major component. Write down your goals. Make them specific. Set a time frame in which to reach them. “You can’t hit a target you cannot see.”

My friend, Jeff Greenwald, author of “The Best Tennis of Your Life,” has an interesting perspective on focus. He says that when you’re playing a point, you need to have laser focus. Pretend that your eyes are a camera lens and you are zoomed in. But after the point, have the lens go to wide-angle and relax. Take in nature, have gratitude.

I really like this technique because most people think you have to focus all the time. This isn’t true…or possible. Focus and then relax. I have parents tell me that their child has no focus and that they’re looking at the other courts during a tournament. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that if they can re-gain their focus for the next point.

You can use this at work or school too. My friend and mentor, the great Dr. Rob Gilbert, Professor of Sports Psychology at Montclair State University and author of “How to Have Fun without Failing Out” talks about the 15-minute rule. If you’re doing work (business or school), go all-out for fifteen minutes and then take a quick break. Then get back to work. Keep alternating between your work and breaks. This will keep you fresh and focused.


Thanks for reading.

For all you athletes out there, don’t miss my workshop with internationally known yoga master, Naime Jezzeny at Yogaphoria in New Hope, PA on October 4th from 10am-11am. The free session will focus on the mental side of sports and the power of yoga to improve focus, gain strength and prevent injuries.

MESSAGE #764 HOW GOLF CAN HELP YOU…

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Know what you want
Believe in what you want
See it happen

Recently, I took a yoga class with one of the top yoga instructors in the country, the great Naime Jezzeny in New Hope, PA. He walked into the class and said “I have a book for you.” So he let me borrow a book called, “The Seven Principles of Golf – Mastering the Mental Game On and Off the Course” by Darrin Gee.

I’m not a golfer, but that doesn’t matter…

The Third Principle in his book is VISUALIZE THE SHOT. Gee breaks visualization down into three steps:

1. Knowing what you want
2. Picturing or visualizing what you want (the path of the ball) in your mind’s eye
3. Trusting and committing to that visualization 100 percent

When I teach tennis, after a student misses a shot, I always first ask them, “Did you have a target?”

99 percent of the time they say no.

When I ask them if they had a target, that’s code for “I know you didn’t have a target.”

Even if you hit a great shot, it’s luck if you didn’t plan to do it. At any level, you need to have a target. In any area of life, you need to have a purpose.

Next, visualize the path of the ball. When you are playing your sport, you should visualize the ball going where you want, the trajectory, spin, etc. And if you are a student, musician or business professional, you should visualize the steps you will take to reach your goal.

Finally, trust and commit to your visualization. You need to be confident in your plan. Expect it to happen. The truth is, sometimes it may not happen, but if you focused on the right process, that’s all that matters. Perhaps you need to make an adjustment. And that’s okay.

Sports and life are not about doing something one hundred times. Sports and life are about making one hundred adjustments. If you focus on the things you can control, you will have more fun, continue to improve and win more.


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #762 PICTURE THIS…

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“We are what and where we are because we have first imagined it.”
-DONALD CURTIS

Today’s message is especially dedicated to yoga masters, Sue Elkind and Naime Jezzeny in Bucks County, PA.

The thoughts that you have are the results that you get.

Tiger Woods visualizes every shot before he takes it.

Roger Federer visualizes every shot before he hits it.

Anthony Robbins visualizes every seminar he gives before he gives it.

Do you think that they visualize negative events?

No way.

We are what we continuously think about, so if we keep thinking that we are not good at golf, guess what?

We’re not going to be good at golf.

Life is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The great athletes, students, business professionals and performers imagined themselves great before they became great.

Today I will be taping a segment for the “Let’s Talk with Gary Gellman” television show. Zig Ziglar has been on the show. Eli Manning (NY Giants), Nadia Comeneci (Olympic Gold Medalist), Dorothy Hammill (Olympic Gold Medalist), and Thomas Kinkade (International Artist), have as well.

I’m excited.

And I’m nervous.

Before I give a talk, I’m always nervous. But I don’t act nervous. I always visualize myself being successful and confident before I begin.

Today, while I’m driving to the studio, I will visualize myself on the show, in front of the cameras and being confident. I will mentally rehearse the main points of what I want to say. I will make the visualization as real as possible, imagining sounds and smells, as well as the surroundings. I will take deep diaphragmatic breaths to stay relaxed.

Anyone can use this technique.

Use it before a match.

Use it before asking someone out on a date.

Use it before taking a big exam.

But the key is, you have to USE IT.


Thanks for reading. Wish me luck today…