MESSAGE #617 NOT AN OLYMPIC SPORT…

“Just like your physical skills, your mental skills are something you need to practice and work on consistently.”
-ED TSENG

I have a feeling that someone reading this blog entry has been distracted by external forces in their sport, in their job, or in school. You may be affected by the weather, your opponent, the spectators, or co-workers. There will always be distractions, but there are ways to overcome them. I want you to get comfortable being uncomfortable. Below is an exercise you can do. I like to call it trashketball.

Take 20 pieces of used paper, or old newspaper, and crumple them up into balls. Get a trashcan.

Exercise #1 Casually toss a few of the balls, towards the trashcan. Did you make any?

Exercise #2 Now, focus on the center of the trashcan and take some shots. See if your results and focus changed.

Exercise #3 Finally, take some shots, focus on the center of the trashcan again, but this time, have someone stand behind you and try to distract you with random sounds or pokes in the ribs.

You will notice how Exercise #3 is difficult and affects your focus and concentration, but if you perform this exercise several times, you will start to become more comfortable with this uncomfortable situation. I like to call this mental cross-training. If you can perform under this type of pressure playing trashketball, you can overcome any other external distractions or pressures.

Instead of running away from pressure, embrace it.

Leave me any comments…

Thanks for reading.