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MESSAGE #1379 MENTAL BLOCKS

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Mental blocks are common in all sports, at all levels. I have seen beginners and professionals get stuck on the six-inch playing field between their ears. Perhaps they are a baseball player, who, all of a sudden can’t throw the ball to first base. Maybe it’s a diver who can’t do a flip.

Physically, nothing is wrong, but mentally they can’t get out of their head…yet.

Slumps happen when an athlete is thinking about the wrong thing at the wrong time.

During competition, an athlete should focus less on the internal (negative thoughts) and focus more on the external (target, form, etc).

The beauty of focusing on the external is that your brain cannot think about your target/form and negative thougths at the same time.

So the next time you have a mental block, accept it and re-focus on the things you can control (your effort, body language and strategy). I think you will be pleased at the results.

And if it doesn’t help right away, stick with it.

Why?

Because if you don’t quit, you can’t fail.

MESSAGE #1378 MY DOG VISUALIZES

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The other morning, my dog was barking in her sleep. She was moving around and even making chewing motions. She was obviously dreaming. She was visualizing.

Have you ever had a dream so vivid that you woke up and thought that it actually happened?

Did it actually happen?

No, only in your mind.

Your brain cannot distinguish between what you visualize and what you actually do physically.

This means that mental practice is just as good as physical practice.

When I spoke to gold medal skier, Lindsey Vonn, she mentioned that she visualizes before she goes down the slope.

You don’t have to be a skier (or a dog) to visualize.

You can visualize before a presentation at work or school. You can visualize before a test.

When you visualize…

1. Make it as realistic as possible (sounds, smells, temperature, surroundings, etc).
2. Imagine how you want to perform (instead of how you DON’T want to perform).
3. Do it in a relaxed state (just before bed is ideal).

Try it and let me know your thoughts.

MESSAGE #1371 QUITTERS NEVER WIN

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Michael Jordan got cut from his high school basketball team.

Thomas Edison failed over 10,000 times when trying to invent the lightbulb.

Derek Jeter started his professional baseball career so poorly that he called home nearly every night crying.

Did Michael Jordan give up?

No.

Did Thomas Edison give up?

No.

Did Derek Jeter give up?

No.

Did Elmer McAllister give up?

You don’t know who Elmer McAllister is?!?

That’s because he gave up.

MESSAGE #1359 IT’S NOT TOO LATE

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Well here I am back in good ole New Jersey, and as wonderful a time I had on my honeymoon in Hawaii, it’s great to be back. I love traveling, but there’s something I love even more—real life.

Most people “live” for their vacations.

Most people “can’t wait” until the weekend.

Why is that?

1. Many people don’t do what they love.
2. Many people don’t cultivate gratitude for what they already have.
3. Many people don’t think success in sports and life is possible.

Some say that I am successful.

I don’t look at myself that way. I look at myself who is doing what he is passionate about, truly wants to make a difference in the world, and believes that anything is possible.

Did you know I failed out of college—twice?!?

Anything is possible if you believe you can achieve. All you have to do is start taking the correct action.

TODAY.

It’s not too late to be what you might have been.

MESSAGE #1348 MENTAL TOUGHNESS FROM A GOLD MEDALIST

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Here is a brief, but great video I did with gold medal skier, Lindsey Vonn…listen to EVERY word she says…

MESSAGE #1345 LIGHT A CANDLE

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Better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness.

-Chinese proverb

As a coach, I see many players “cursing the darkness.”

“The referee made a terrible call!”

“It was so windy!”

“Why can’t I make a shot today?!?”

The losers in life curse the darkness, or focus on the negatives.

The winners, on the other hand, light a candle (even if it is a small one), and focus on the positives, and the lesson learned.

“I can’t serve!” —Bad

“I am not a good test-taker!” —Bad

“I don’t have any money!” —Bad

“I missed that shot, so what? It’s in the past and I can’t change that, so let’s focus on this point—you’re still in control.” —Good

“Tests are difficult for me, but I am going to relax and trust all the hard work I put into it.” —Good

“Money may be tight, but this is a great excuse for me to think outside the box and creatively make more money—there are many options.” —Good

What you say to yourself affects what type of results you get. You don’t have to win the US Open to think like a winner.

Stop whining, start winning. And the next time adversity hits, don’t curse the darkness, light a candle instead.

MESSAGE #1342 NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP

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You just can’t beat the person who never gives up.

-BABE RUTH

Do you go all out?

If you’ve been following my blog, you know that I always say, it’s better to go all out and lose than it is to hold back and win. Because when you hold back and win, you are training yourself to hold back.

Most people just do the minimum. So think about it, if you gave your full effort, all the time, whether you felt like it or not, wouldn’t you win more? Wouldn’t you get better results?

Of course you would.

Do the winners always feel like going all out in practice and competition?

No, but they do anyway.

Your actions create your destiny.

What actions are you going to take today?

MESSAGE #1334 BE LIKE A HALL OF FAMER

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Willie Stargell was a left fielder and first baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1962-1982. He is also in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Somebody once asked Stargell what the secret of his success was. Stargell said that all he did was follow the umpire’s advice after the National Anthem.

After the National Anthem, the umpire yells, “Play ball!”

Stargell said, “I don’t work ball. I play ball. I never go to the ball park to work; I always go to play.”

Now don’t get me wrong, you have to work hard, and you have to take it seriously, but you can’t be all work and no play. And you can’t be all play and no work.

When you have fun, you loosen up and play your best.

When you put too much pressure on yourself, you set yourself up for failure.

Do people sing to get to the end of the song? Of course not, they sing because they enjoy singing.

Don’t play the game to get to the end of the game. Enjoy the process.

MESSAGE #1333 ARE YOU JUST GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS?

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Cory Arbiso, New York Yankees, Spring Training 2011, Tampa, Florida

Are you just going through the motions in your sport and life?

Do you mindlessly go through practice and wonder why you are not improving?

Do you mindlessly drive your car and find yourself ending up someplace else?

Do you mindlessly speak with people and forget what they say?

This happens all the time.

Recently, I was in Tampa, Florida for Spring Training for the Yankees. I spent some time with pitcher, Cory Arbiso. Cory and I talked about how he mentally prepares for competition.

During pitching drills, instead of just going through the motions, Arbiso uses visualization. Most pitchers just rush through the drills, but Arbiso takes his time and makes the session as realistic as possible. He varies the timing on his delivery and even checks imaginary runners. In his mind, Arbiso imagines the type of pitch he is going to throw and the location, even if there is no ball in his hand.

The more realistic and mindfully you practice, the more you will be able to deliver in competition.

At the professional level, everyone is an elite athlete, but the ones that make it are the ones who slow the game down and master the game between the ears.