MESSAGE #1196 MAKE UP YOUR MIND

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When you talk about success, I think it all starts in your mind.

It starts with that little voice inside your head.

And if you’re asking yourself right now, “Do I have a little voice inside my head?”…that’s the voice I’m talking about.

In order to be successful, you need to have the right mindset.

1. You need confidence–believe anything is possible (even if you have to fake it).

2. You need to accept and let go of negative thoughts (yes, they will arise).

3. You need to set goals (specific mastery goals).

4. You need to add value and help others (then you will get what you want).

5. You need to focus on the process (attitude and effort) instead of the product (winning/losing, making the sale, final grade, etc.)

Once you make this paradigm shift, you world will change.

And your results will change.

MESSAGE #1194 MJ

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I’m a big Michael Jordan fan.

Everyone knows that MJ got cut from his high school basketball team.

But here’s something that nobody knows…

Michael was cut from his varsity team but was allowed to play on junior varsity.

Well, on the last day of the season, MJ asked the varsity coach if he could just ride on the bus with the varsity squad.

The coach said yes, as long as he carried the varsity players’ uniforms.

He agreed.

So not only did Michael Jordan get cut from his high school basketball team, Michael Jordan carried the varsity team’s uniforms.

Then, the next school year, he worked harder than anyone else and eventually became the Michael Jordan that we all know.

Be like Mike.

MESSAGE #1193 MOTIVATION

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I know something about you.

You want to get better.

You want to get to the next level.

Do you know how I know that?

Because you wouldn’t be reading this blog if you didn’t.

I work with a lot of athletes and a common challenge is motivation.

Many people just can’t get motivated.

But they have it wrong.

They wait until they FEEL motivated.

It doesn’t work this way.

Motivation is an action.

Start acting motivated and then you will start to FEEL motivated.

If you have to practice, study, clean the house or make phone calls…

Don’t wait until you feel motivated, just start doing it!

The other day I decided I was going to wake up, go for a run and do some yoga.

Well, I woke up and wanted to go back to bed for a little while, but I didn’t. I got dressed, put on my running shoes and headed out the door.

As I got out the door I noticed that it was raining and that little voice inside my head asked me, “Should I still run?”

Before I could negotiate with myself to NOT run, I just went.

After I got home, I practiced some yoga and then started the rest of my day.

It was a good one.

It doesn’t take talent to take action, but it does take mental toughness.

MESSAGE #1192 I’M A THIEF!

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Someone once said, (and that someone may have been me), that good teachers borrow and GREAT teachers steal.

Well, today’s message was stolen.

My good friend and mentor, the great Rob Gilbert, Ph.D, one of the top sports psychologists in the world shared something with me recently.

He said that Lou Holtz, the former head coach of the Notre Dame football team once said that there are four types of people in the world…

The cop-outs.

The hold-outs.

The drop-outs.

And the all-outs.

The cop-outs make excuses.

The hold-outs hold back.

The drop-outs give up.

And the all-outs go all-out all the time.

Which category do you fall into?

MESSAGE #1191 THANK YOU!!!

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MESSAGE #1190 THE DENTIST

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Today, I went to the dentist. For most people, the dentist is not a pleasant thing.

I really enjoyed it. When I walked in, there was a cupcake with a candle (for my birthday)!

That was a nice touch.

I had a great cleaning and learned a lot about my teeth.

While I was getting my teeth cleaned, I decided to meditate. As the great Dr. Katz cleaned my teeth, I was practicing my breathing techniques…it actually made me relaxed and made the time go by quickly.

But not everyone has an enjoyable time at the dentist.

I remember a story about a professional tennis player who, when she was a little girl, witnessed her mother die in the dentist chair. This girl was so scared of the dentist that she never went. That is, until her teeth were so bad that she HAD to. She grew into a lovely woman who played on the pro tennis tour, but was having much problems with her teeth.

So finally, she went to the dentist and she totally drove herself crazy with anxiety.

And guess what happened?

She died in the dentist chair!

What is the moral of this story?

The mind is a powerful thing–use it in a positive way.

MESSAGE #1189 GEORGE STEINBRENNER’S FAVORITE QUOTE

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The following was George Steinbrenner’s favorite quote:

“I am wounded but I am not slain. I shall lay me down and rest a while and then I will rise and fight again.”

MESSAGE #1188 EMBARRASSING

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I once had a student who hated being embarrassed. During lessons and during competition, he would just drive himself crazy thinking about what people thought about how he was playing, and what they would think if he lost, or missed a shot.

Guess how he played?

Poorly!

The reason why this type of focus hurts your performance is because when you focus on external factors, you are not focusing on what is going to help you play your best game.

The way to play your best game is to focus on your strategy, your effort, your attitude. If your strategy isn’t working, make an adjustment.

The key is to NOT let anything external have any influence over you.

Is it hard?

Sure.

Is it a choice?

Definitely.

MESSAGE #1187 A TIP FROM JOHN MCENROE

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There are scores of players who can hit every shot in the book who never make it into a Grand Slam event. Those who make it are there because they are mentally tougher. They wanted it more.
-JOHN MCENROE