Relaxation / Stress Reduction Archives - Page 11 of 12

MESSAGE #961 MEETING OF THE MINDS

March 13, 2010/0 Comments/in Attitude, Confidence, Effort, Fear, Focus, Goal Setting, Gratitude, Motivation, Overcoming Adversity, Performing Under Pressure, Practice Perfect, Relaxation / Stress Reduction, Teamwork, Visualization /by admin

We all know that sports are about 80 percent mental, so doesn’t that mean we should practice our mental game 80 percent of the time?

I met with meditation teacher, Jonathan Star yesterday and he explained his theory of “The Art of Being On” to me. It was very intriguing. An average tennis match lasts about 90 minutes and only approximately 18 of those minutes are actually playing. So Star developed a meditation to help you win “the game between points.”

Nobody can do it all on their own. Use all the brains you have and all that you can borrow. (Woodrow Wilson) I have a feeling Mr. Star and I will be collaborating on several projects in the near future. We have already begun planning a joint seminar.

Jonathan sought me out from the Princeton Peak Performance Meetup Group I started (see sidebar). The secret to success is to have a growth mindset and strive for constant improvement, but remember you don’t have to do it all on your own.

Ideas are the best currency – If you exchange dollar bills with someone, you both have one dollar bill. But if you exchange ideas, you both have TWO ideas.

Author’s note: Day 3 of my 21-Day Challenge is in full-force with being on court and hitting lessons. I will be sure to break a sweat and even do some running with my students.

I’d love to hear your comments. Leave them below.

MESSAGE #958 HOW TO PLAY THE GAME

March 10, 2010/0 Comments/in Attitude, Confidence, Effort, Fear, Focus, Goal Setting, Motivation, Overcoming Adversity, Performing Under Pressure, Practice Perfect, Relaxation / Stress Reduction, Visualization /by admin

Playing it safe in any form is a recipe for disappointment, frustration, and stagnation.
-JEFF GREENWALD

The quote above is from my friend, Jeff Greenwald, noted sports psychology consultant and author of The Best Tennis of Your Life. Greenwald believes that most people play it safe because they “fear missing and giving up a free point.”

Most people have this mindset. They want to stay in their comfort zone. The problem is that when you are scared of losing the point, you are training yourself to hold back. That is not peak performance. It doesn’t matter whether your weapon of choice is a racquet, pen, paintbrush or frying pan – you have to GO ALL OUT.

I recently had a mental coaching session with a young baseball, basketball and tennis player. He’s only in the 4th grade, but he gets it. Since working with me, he focuses on going all out every time he steps on the court or field. He’s even using my techniques and applying them to school. Not only is he getting better results, he’s also having more fun!

It’s better to go all out and lose than it is to hold back and win.

Leave your comments below.

MESSAGE #955 TENNIS TRYOUTS

March 7, 2010/1 Comment/in Attitude, Confidence, Effort, Fear, Focus, Goal Setting, Motivation, Overcoming Adversity, Performing Under Pressure, Relaxation / Stress Reduction, Teamwork, Visualization /by admin

In this video blog, Ed talks about how to make the most of your tryouts and how you can overcome your nervousness.

What makes YOU nervous? Leave your comments below…

MESSAGE #954 PRINCETON INDEPENDENT AUTHOR EVENT

March 6, 2010/1 Comment/in Attitude, Confidence, Effort, Fear, Focus, Goal Setting, Motivation, Overcoming Adversity, Performing Under Pressure, Relaxation / Stress Reduction, Teamwork, Visualization /by admin

In this video blog, Ed Tseng reports from the Independent Author Event at the Princeton Public Library.

MESSAGE #952 THE PROBLEM…

March 4, 2010/1 Comment/in Attitude, Confidence, Effort, Fear, Focus, General, Goal Setting, Gratitude, Motivation, Overcoming Adversity, Performing Under Pressure, Practice Perfect, Relaxation / Stress Reduction, Teamwork, Visualization /by admin

I know what the problem is…

YOUR FEELINGS.

I know what the solution is…

YOUR ACTIONS.

Any questions?

Leave your comments below.

MESSAGE #951 DR. SEUSS

March 3, 2010/0 Comments/in Attitude, Confidence, Effort, Fear, Focus, General, Goal Setting, Gratitude, Motivation, Performing Under Pressure, Practice Perfect, Relaxation / Stress Reduction, Teamwork, Visualization /by admin

Yesterday was my father’s birthday. Do you know who else had a birthday yesterday?

Dr. Seuss.

He’s the childrens book author, right?

Wrong.

Everyone can learn from his words.

Here are some great quotes…

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself, any direction you choose.

Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you.

Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So… get on your way.

And will you succeed? Yes indeed, yes indeed! Ninety-eight and three-quarters percent guaranteed.

Happy Belated Birthday, Dr. Seuss.

What’s YOUR favorite quote? Leave your comments below…

MESSAGE #947 A GREAT STORY

February 27, 2010/0 Comments/in Attitude, Confidence, Effort, Fear, Focus, Goal Setting, Gratitude, Motivation, Overcoming Adversity, Performing Under Pressure, Practice Perfect, Relaxation / Stress Reduction, Teamwork, Visualization /by admin

In this video blog, Ed Tseng, Pro of the Year USTA 2005 and author of “Game. Set. Life.” shares a great story about “acting as if” and peak performance in sports and life.

MESSAGE #946 WALK LIKE A MATADOR

February 26, 2010/0 Comments/in Attitude, Confidence, Effort, Fear, Focus, Goal Setting, Motivation, Performing Under Pressure, Practice Perfect, Relaxation / Stress Reduction, Visualization /by admin

It’s easier to act yourself into a way of feeling than it is to feel yourself into a way of acting.

Dr. Jim Loehr once watched hundreds of hours of videotape of professional tennis matches and noticed a difference between the champions and everybody else. The difference wasn’t talent or skills, but what they did in the 15-20 seconds between points.

“Champions like Chris Evert…kept their heads high even when they’d lost a point, maintaining a confident posture that telegraphed no big deal. Loehr nicknamed this ‘the matador walk’ after a Spanish matador told him, ‘The most important lesson in courage is physical, not mental. From the age of 12, I was taught to walk in a way that produces courage.’

The tennis champions like Evert would next concentrate their gazes on their rackets or touch the strings with their fingers and stroll toward the back court–focusing, avoiding distraction, relaxing, and effectively letting the past go. After this mini-meditation, they’d turn back toward the net, bounce on their toes, and visualize playing the next point.” (Source: Psychotherapy Networker; “Living on Purpose” by Katy Butler)

What’s the point?

How you act is how you are going to feel.

Act how you want to feel and you will feel the way you act.

MESSAGE #944 TODAY IS THE ONLY DAY THAT MATTERS

February 24, 2010/0 Comments/in Attitude, Confidence, Effort, Fear, Focus, Goal Setting, Gratitude, Motivation, Overcoming Adversity, Performing Under Pressure, Practice Perfect, Relaxation / Stress Reduction, Visualization /by admin

If you would not be forgotten, as soon as you are dead and rotten,
either write things worth reading, or do things worth writing.
-BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

My only question to you is…

ARE YOU GOING ALL OUT?

If you’re a writer, write things that are worth reading. But if you’re not a writer, do things worth writing about.

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

1. You have unlimited potential.

2. All of the ability is already inside you (you just have to discover the strategy).

3. You can learn any skill, mental or physical.

4. You can’t win when you’re focused on winning.

5. You don’t have to be great at the start, but you need to start to be great.

So today is the only day that matters. Why?

Because you can only live one day at a time.

Make every day the most important day of your life.

Make every practice the most important practice of your life.

Make every competition the most important competition of your life.

If you do this, I’m sure you will be pleased with the results.

Go all out today!

MESSAGE #943 A MENTAL TOUGHNESS EXERCISE

February 23, 2010/1 Comment/in Attitude, Confidence, Effort, Fear, Focus, Goal Setting, Gratitude, Motivation, Overcoming Adversity, Performing Under Pressure, Practice Perfect, Relaxation / Stress Reduction, Teamwork, Visualization /by admin

It’s not what’s happening around you. It’s not what’s happening to you. What matters most is what’s happening inside you.

Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Steven Nakagama Magee in Millburn, NJ.

EXERCISE:

Think back to a “good day” in your sport. Visualize what went on before, during and after that peak performance. Re-create those feelings and actions.

Now go back to a “bad day” that you had. Visualize what went on before, during and after that poor performance. Re-create those feelings and actions.

Compare the two.

The difference is always in your head.

So what does this mean?

It means you have to be mindful of your self-talk during practice and competition.

Instead of breaking yourself down, build yourself up.