Supposedly, Babe Ruth was once asked, “What do you think about after you strike out?”
His reply was, “I think about hitting home runs.”
What do you think about when you don’t get the results you want?
What you focus on, you get.
Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Kevin Roveda, who is tearing it up at tennis camp this week!
Much of peak performance is staying in the present moment.
Everyone says that we should not focus on the past or the future, but nobody tells us HOW to stay in the present moment.
Here’s a little exercise that can help you stay in the here and now, have laser-focus and get the results you want.
Pick something that you do every day, like walking or eating. Every time you do this activity, give it your total attention. Do it at half-speed. Observe and enjoy every movement, sound, smell, and sight. Be mindful. Focus on taking deep breaths while you are performing this task. At first, you may have to consciously slow down, but after a while you will get used to it. Then, “just do it.”
Great athletes slow the game down to their speed.
Great people slow life down to their speed.
Be present today.
Well, today was a special day.
Not only did I throw out the first pitch at the Trenton Thunder game; I also asked my girlfriend, Sarah McLoughlin to marry me after the pitch.
I went 2-for-2…I threw a strike and she said yes!
A very special Thank You to the Thunder staff and players, especially Bill, Krysten, Rachel, Dave, Justin Snyder and the great Brandon Laird for their help and support on this special day.
So here I am sitting in the front row at the Trenton Thunder game.
I have been spending some time with several of the players before the games and I am amazed at how driven these professional athletes are.
I have given some of them a copy of my book and a mental toughness piece I wrote, with great feedback.
It amazes me how thirsty these players are.
Thirsty for knowledge and constant improvement…they have growth mindsets.
It doesn’t matter if you are a professional baseball player, a dentist, or a pianist…if you’re not thirsty, you’re not growing.
This blog is not to give you something to drink…this blog is to make you thirsty.
Drink up.
How you do anything is how you do everything.
I have seen many athletes (and non-athletes) focus on speed.
They think everything is a race. When they are warming up for a practice, they want to come in first. When they are writing a paper, they want to compete it first. When they are working on a project…well, you get the idea.
Here’s the problem…
When you rush, you are training yourself to be sloppy. You are focusing on quantity, not quality.
When you train yourself in the wrong way, you have to go back and do it over again (re-training your body, re-writing that paper or re-doing that project).
The great Dan Millman once told me, the key is to focus on excellence in the moment. Be mindful. Be great.
Try it, just for today.
Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Michael Sachs, Ph.D. at Temple University.
Ever notice how athletes are superstitious?
Many baseball players don’t step on the foul line when hustling on and off the field.
Tennis players bounce the ball a certain number of times before they serve.
Eating the same meal before competition is also quite common.
Michael Jordan wore his college team shorts under his NBA uniform.
Not shaving until you get out of your slump happens all the time too.
Silly things, right?
Wrong.
New research shows that you may actually perform better if you are superstitious.
Rituals and lucky charms can help you–if you believe they can. They can give you added confidence.
When talking to Austin Romine, one of the Yankees’ top prospects who just played in the MLB Futures Game and the Eastern League All-Star Game, he told me that he has the same routine every single day. “Consistency off the field turns into consistency on the field,” shared Romine.
A long time ago, I wished someone good luck before a competition and they said, “I don’t need luck–I create my own luck.”
I guess they were right.
The less tension and effort, the faster and more powerful you will be.
-BRUCE LEE
If you’re an athlete, go back to a time when you were performing at your peak. Notice how you weren’t exerting that much energy? Weren’t you “just” doing it?
Be loose, clear your mind. But be focused.
When you are practicing, you should think about your technique.
When you are competing, you should be more automatic.
Take a deep breath and trust your game.
You have only one job today.
Take a risk.
Now, don’t take this the wrong way…I’m not saying you should quit your job and sell coconuts on the beach, but you should get out of your comfort zone — in your sport, in your job and in school.
Eleanor Roosevelt said that you should do one thing a day that scares you. She knew that you have to take risks to get results.
One of the biggest risks I took was starting my own business. I was scared to death, but I did it. And I’m glad.
If I had stayed in my comfort zone, I would still just be a tennis pro.
But now, not only am my own boss, I am a speaker, author and authority on mental toughness.
With big risk comes big reward.
One of my biggest risks became one of the best decisions I ever made.
Someone once said, “Go out on a limb, because that’s where the fruit is.”
Never let your fears stand in the way of your dreams.
-author unknown