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MESSAGE #1317 FIFTY OUT OF SEVENTY-THREE

Greg Maddux was one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history.

Maddux once left a game with a 2-1 lead, in the seventh inning. The reliever gave up a run to tie the game, which ruined Maddux’ chances of getting the win; frustration for any pitcher. But when Maddux was asked after the game, “How did it go out there tonight?” his reply was, “Fifty out of seventy-three.”

What does this mean?

It means he threw fifty strikes out of seventy-three pitches.

Maddux knows the secret. The key to being a successful is to focus on your execution, not the results. If you stick with your plan and execute properly, your job is done. The beauty of this is, you will get better results. On the other hand, if you focus on things out of your control, like results, the media, or the approval of others, you will decrease your chances of getting the results you want.

What was Maddux’ mantra?

“One at a time.”

How can you argue with someone who won 355 games in his career?

*BONUS FACT*
Greg Maddux faced 20,421 batters in his career and only 310 of them saw a 3-0 count (approximately one in every three starts).

MESSAGE #1024 HOW TO WIN MORE PART II

Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great tennis coach, Javier Perez Cigoj in Argentina.

So yesterday I talked about negative reactions on the court and why they can hurt your performance and results.

Soon after, I received a message from Javier, a tennis coach in Argentina and he said, “Great message, but how should you act instead?”

Well, Javier, the key is to let the point go – you can think about how to make an adjustment, but then, keep it in the past.

1. Take a couple deep breaths (to stay in the present and to lower your heart rate).
2. Project a confident image.
3. Think about where you want to hit your next shot.
4. Focus on the things you can control (your energy, attitude, strategy and effort).
5. Cultivate the feeling of winning the next point (even before the point begins).

The best way to increase your chances of winning is to not focus on winning.

Focus on the process instead of the product and as a by-product you will win more.