MESSAGE #981 ACCOUNTABILITY

Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great, Eileen Sinett.

Goal setting is one of the keys to peak performance. But goal setting is not enough. You need to have an accountability partner to keep you on track.

Recently, I had a meeting with speech coach, Eileen Sinett. Eileen is writing a book, but has put it off lately. Well, I’m helping her reach her goal. Sinett wants to finish the first draft of her book by July 31, 2010. To ensure that she makes that happen, we made a not-so-friendly wager.

If Eileen does not reach her goal, she must take me and my girlfriend, Sarah to dinner anyplace we want…on the planet.

I told her I always wanted to go to Paris.

Do you think she won’t get it done?

Time will tell, but I have faith in her. So set your goals and get an accountability partner.

And Eileen, get writing…

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #980 MOTIVATION

I feel that I am one of the most motivated people I know, but someone once said, “Motivation is like taking a shower – it feels good and it’s refreshing ,but you have to take a new one every dayp.”

Success is not doing something once, but doing something consistently.

I have a book in my library called, “Motivating Quotes For Motivated People.” Here are a couple of my favorites…

He who would leap high must take a long run. -DANISH PROVERB

Trust only movement. Life happens at the level of events not of words. Trust movement. -ALFRED ADLER

Never discourage anyone who continually makes progress, no matter how slow. -PLATO

Success is a state of mind. If you want success, start thinking of yourself as a success. -JOYCE BROTHERS

You will be a winner when you realize that failure is only a state of mind. -AUTHOR UNKNOWN

MESSAGE #979 YOUR IQ…

 

Your “I Can” is more important than your “IQ.”

“I can’t hit a serve.”

“I can’t make any money.”

“I can’t stay positive.”

“I can’t stop smoking.”

Success does not come in bottles, it comes in “cans.”

We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world. -BUDDHA

MESSAGE #978 WIN

Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great D.A. Abrams, Executive Director and COO of the USTA Eastern Section.

 

I may not know you, but I know this about you…

You want to win more…in sports, sales, school, relationships, music, etc.

Here’s how you do it: Don’t focus on winning!

Focus on the things that will help you win more.

1. Write down exactly what you want to accomplish

2. Write down three things you can do each day to get closer to that goal.

3. Do those three things!

4. Repeat.

And if you really want to ensure that you will reach your goals, find an accountability partner, who you will talk to at least once a week to make sure you are on track. (If you know you are going to talk to that person, you will be more likely to get the important things done.)

Remember what WIN stands for…

What’s Important Now

MESSAGE #976 LIVE LIFE

Today’s message is especially dedicated to Brittany Eckett. Happy Birthday to a softball great.

Most of us live a life of mediocrity.

We don’t like to get out of our comfort zones.

We fear change.

Well, guess what?

1. You don’t have to settle for mediocrity.

2. If you don’t get out of your comfort zone, you won’t get better.

3. Change is inevitable.

I recently listened to an interview with one of my favorite authors, Robin Sharma, who wrote “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” and more recently, “The Leader Who Had No Title.” In the interview, Sharma said something profound that stuck with me.

When we are born, we cry while the world rejoices. When we die, the world should be crying while we rejoice.

What do you want to have accomplished at the end of your life?

You can’t take your trophies with you. You can’t take your money with you. You can’t take your iPhone with you.

So what’s the purpose of life? To discover your gifts.

What’s the meaning of life? To give those gifts away.

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

MESSAGE #975 WHAT HARD WORK WILL GET YOU

Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Tom Jolly, sports editor of the New York Times. Happy Birthday to a true peak performer.

 

Many years ago on a rainy July morning in Washington Heights, New York, a 12 year-old boy was watching TV.

“Why don’t you call your friends and go out and play ball?” his dad asked.

“Dad, I’m watching TV and it’s raining out.”

Dad said, “Come over here, I want to show you something.”

From their fifth-floor apartment, they could see the local school yard.

There, in the rain, another 12 year-old boy was hitting a baseball off a makeshift batting tee.

After hitting the ball, he ran after it, teed it up, and hit it again.

This went on for over an hour.

“I guess it’s not raining on Manny,” his dad said.

“Manny” is now one of the greatest hitters of all time: Manny Ramirez!

 

What do you want to be – a great athlete? a great writer? a great student? a great salesperson?

What are you doing to make that happen?

Instead of “trying your best”…Do whatever it takes.

Here are the five words why most people fail:

I DON’T FEEL LIKE IT.

 

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #972 INTERVIEW WITH A RISING STAR…

In this video blog, Ed interviews rising baseball star, Mike DeJesus of the New Jersey Jackals.

MESSAGE #971 TIGER BACK ON TRACK…

Well, so far, my prediction is coming true – Tiger Woods is returning to the golf world and showing the world (and himself) how to learn from mistakes. If he stays clean and kicks some major butt, my prediction will have been right on the money.

In his first interviews since the incident Tiger said…

“You strip away the denial, the rationalization and you come to the truth,” he said, “and the truth is very painful at times, and to stare at yourself and look at the person you’ve become, you become disgusted.”

I said from the beginning that Tiger just needs to speak from the heart but many people told me, “That’s not Tiger.” The quote above seems pretty honest to me.

And regarding not knowing his schedule after The Masters, Woods commented…

“That to me is a little bit bothersome, too, in a sense that I don’t like not knowing what to do. But what I know I have to do is become a better person, and that begins with going to more treatment.”

Tiger knows what he needs to do, and he’s doing it. And soon he will be getting it done on the golf course too.

No mistakes are bad if you learn from them.

Go get ’em, Tiger.

MESSAGE #970 HANGING OUT WITH BOBBY VALENTINE

Yesterday, I drove up to Stamford, Connecticut to attend the Diamond Sports Career Seminar with Bobby Valentine at Bobby Valentine’s Academy. My friend, Walter Recher, and Dave Torromeo are the founding partners of Diamond Sports Group, who create amazing events and programs in affiliation with professional sports down to the grassroots.

I met some amazing people at this event, including panelists, Rod Mergardt of CBS/MaxPreps and Shane Beardsley of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, an affiliate of the NY Islanders. Other interesting people I met were, Mary Jane Wells, business manager of the Bridgeport Bluefish, who shared with me a great George Steinbrenner story, Tom Chiappetta, executive director of the Fairfield Sports Commission, and Dave Torromeo of Diamond Sports Group.

I have some great conversations with each of them, but the person I really drove up to see was the great Bobby Valentine. During the panel discussion, there were some great quotes on the sports industry.

“When you go for it, you get it.” -BOBBY VALENTINE

“You have to learn responsibility – write down three things you want to accomplish every day. Then do them.” -BOBBY V.

“Winners will make more mistakes, but they move on immediately.” -ROD MERGARDT

“Losers can become winners.” -BOBBY V.

“Work hard.” -SHANE BEARDSLEY

Bobby Valentine managed 3,500 games and only won 1,900, but he said, in those losses he had little successes and those little successes turned into big successes.

I actually had a couple great conversations with Bobby before and after the event. I asked him what mental skills the Japanese players had that the US players didn’t. He said that the Japanese players just practice more. “Practice creates confidence and less fear. The Japanese players have less fear.”

Bobby V also said that the US players never play again without practicing first, which means, they never skip batting practice like the US teams.

My goal was to do an exclusive interview with Bobby, but unfortunately, ESPN doesn’t allow him to do that, but I did ask a question during the seminar to all three panelists, as seen in the video below.

 

MESSAGE #964 WHAT DO YOU DO AFTER YOU WIN WIMBLEDON?

Do people sing to get to the end of the song?

Do people play sports to get to the end of the game?

Do people read to get to the end of the book?

No. No. No.

Life is not about doing as many things as you can. It’s not about getting to the end. It’s not even about making a lot of money (I know a lot of miserable rich people).

Life is to be lived. To do what matters to you. To do what you’re passionate about. To make a difference in the world.

We play sports because we enjoy the process. If winning was everything, wouldn’t we ONLY play people we knew we could beat? That would get old quick.

After Mats Wilander became number one in the tennis world (something he worked his whole life for), he said, “Is that it?” It got to a point where he would look forward to mowing his lawn more than playing tennis. So it’s not about the trophy. It’s not about the money. It’s not about materialistic objects.

1. Do what you love.

2. Stay in the present moment and savor it all.

3. Work hard but have fun.

4. Don’t let anyone tell you what you CAN’T do (how do THEY know?)

5. Make a difference and help others.

Think about what you want to have accomplished at the end of your life.

Now go and do it.