The Hard 90 Podcast With Zach Sorensen: Recent Episodes
Zach Sorensen
Empowering individuals to become champions on and off the field by helping them prepare, compete, and progress in the mental game.
Measure everything! Measurement gives you information. Measurement gives you answers. Measurement Creates Motivation!
When you need a pick me up - Get Up And Move! Sweat before screens. Positive energy will result!
When you are going through a tough time - go to the cookie jar. A jar full of reminders of the victories that you have had in your life.
Have You ever written a letter to yourself? Trying sending yourself a letter that you can utilize and read when you are in need of a pick-me-up.
What password do you use to open up a device or an account? Reprogram your password to remind yourself of your one word focus.
"It was my body language. When I focused on mastering my body language, I became a much more confident player."
Take notice of your body language. Are you exhibiting body language that will bring success? Or more failure?
This is entirely in your control.
A.C.E. Acting changes everything. Don't let a bad performance shape your body language. Instead, control your body language to let it positively affect your performance.
While you are on your journey in life, don't forget to look up and see the majesty around you. Don't forget to take the time to recognize the small victories in your daily life and use them to build your confidence.
Create personal victories by making promises with yourself and then keeping promises with yourself each and every day. When you trust yourself, you develop more confidence in your relationship with yourself.
When you create habits, you are creating victory each day. Successfully executing these habits leads to confidence. When you share your habits, you are holding yourself accountable to what you say you want to do.
I need to prepare my mind for challenges that are going to come my way that are out of my control. I need the momentum, I need the confidence, I need the personal victories.
Do you want to be a much more confident person? Create Personal Victory. Schedule wins in your day. Execute on your routine and benefit from the rewards of Creating Personal Victory.
Confidence. It’s a choice and a decision more than it is a feeling.
Stop searching for confidence and start acting with confidence. You act with confidence by acting big, breathing big, and committing big.
What is more important than having perfect mechanics when it comes to your skill? If you don't believe you can, you never will.
Most people say confidence comes from success. What happens if you don't immediately get that success? Can you still be confident? Where else can you get confidence?
Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your self-talk, your self-talk becomes your actions , your actions become your habits, your habits become your performance, your performance becomes what you are remembered for.
Where does confidence come from? Don't wait for confidence. Go out and do it. Confidence Is Something You Do Not Just Something You Get.
Develop Anti-fragile Confidence
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- Intense trust
- Do What You Will Say You Will Do
- The worse I feel to more committed I will be to my protocol
You will believe the story you tell yourself every day. What is your story?
“The Brain Simply Believes What You Tell It Most.” Shad Helmstetter Ph.D.
What stage of self-talk do you live in?
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Negative
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I "should not" stage
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Declaration stage based on negative statement - I will never ....... again.
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Positive declaration of who you aspire to be.
Rumble strips alert you when you are out of your lane, wake you up, and get you back on track. What are your built in rumble strips?
What are the confidence conditioning or positive affirmation statements that you need to be saying to yourself on a daily basis?
One of my favorite childhood stories teaches us about The Optimist And The Pessimist. You have the choice to be whichever one you want.
How do you get mental reps? Set a reminder on your phone - every hour - with a power statement that describes the individual that you want to be.
Use sticky notes on your accountability mirror to shape your self-talk and remind you of who you want to be and what you need to accomplish to win the day.
Overpower your negative thoughts by Listening To Yourself Less And Talking To Yourself More.
How do you build a wall? Focus on laying one brick at a time. Being overwhelmed can lead to negative self-talk. Change your focus to change your thoughts.
“AERODYNAMICALLY, THE BUMBLE BEE SHOULDN’T BE ABLE TO FLY, BUT THE BUMBLE BEE DOESN’T KNOW IT, SO IT GOES ON FLYING, ANYWAY.” – MARY KAY ASH
WHAT WOULD BE POSSIBLE IF WE ONLY BELIEVED THAT WE COULD FLY, INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON HOW SMALL OUR WINGS ARE?
Train like a Racehorse, train like a bumblebee. Racehorses are incapable of thinking for themselves. Good. They don't compare themselves to others, they just focus on themselves.
What is your self-talk that gets you into the present moment. what is your go-to phrase that lock you into the present moment?
When you find yourself using negative self-talk, tell yourself to "stop" and then replace the talk with positivity or direction on what is the next best move.
How do you talk to yourself? Do you say things to yourself that build you up or are you always tearing yourself down?
"Respect for our family and our ancestors." And then pointing at the words, as if translating, they continue, "We stand on this field ready to battle. At our backs we feel the might of tradition. Remembering, we honor our family and our ancestors who have gone before. Over our hearts we bear the emblem to die for, this challenge is now thrown to you."
Challenge - Kia Kaha. To be Forever Strong
I Want You To Be Forever Strong On The Field, So That You Can Be Forever Strong Off The Field
Good Decisions Don't Make Life Easy, But They Do Make It Easier. Plan tomorrow - today!
Another great lesson from the movie Forever Strong. When you perform poorly or have a bad day, gather information about what happened, flush the emotions, and get yourself back on track.
In the movie Forever Strong, we learn how to listen right and the importance of playing like it is your last game.
How you can utilize mental imagery during the compete phase or in the middle of your competition.
How Kerry Rosenboom helped me use mental imagery in the prepare phase of my training while I was playing college baseball at Wichita State.
The visualization routine that Steve Nash used to become one of the best free throw shooters to ever play in the NBA
Proving to you that the brain does not know the difference between what you see yourself do and what you really do - it's all the same!
Make a big deal when you execute the way you want to. Say "That's Me" every time you execute!
Dr Kris Heap shares an awesome story explaining how Michael Phelps used mental imagery to overcome disaster in the pool and win gold!
How do you get strong in the weight room? You push yourself to failure. It is exactly the same in life. Growth comes after you repair yourself from failure.
This episode teaches you how to use mental imagery when you are not getting the reps you need as an everyday player.
Manny Ramirez teaches how he uses visualization to prepare himself for his day. He uses the phrases "That's not me" and "See your best self" to remind himself of the type of player he wants to be.
Another test you can use to show that visualization is effective and that the brain does not know the difference between what you see and what you do.
Proving to you that the brain does not know the difference between what you see yourself do and what you really do - it's all the same!
When you meet adversity, instead of bailing out, gather as much information as possible, tell yourself, "I've almost git it," and ask yourself, "what is my next best move?"
Why do you succeed? Many successful people attribute success to their past failure. Without having a positive relationship with failure, you often miss out on success.
Strength doesn’t come from what you can do, it comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t. Strength comes from both.
This episode will teach you have you can take a failure and actually use it to your benefit by recognizing that failure is feedback.
So many times, we let the way we feel dictate how we will perform. In the moments when you don't feel your best, you need to act different than you feel.
The very best fail time and time again. Why do they continue to succeed amidst all the failure?
Derrick Coleman teaches how he overcame adversity to become an NFL star. Trust the power within.
You job as a player is to Act As If It Were Impossible To Fail. The #1 job as a coach is to allow your players to Act As If It Were Impossible To Fail.
They might get dented, dirty, or lost. But, if you don't open them up, you will never know what is inside.
Goals are good for planning your progress and systems are good for actually making progress.
Goals can provide direction and even push you forward in the short-term, but eventually a well-designed system will always win. Having a system is what matters. Committing to the process is what makes the difference.
What are your 2 wins for the day? Your two best shots? Your 2 best pitches or swings? Collect these on video or write them in your journal.
I am my best when I am believing in what I am working on. Maybe you don't have to feel your best to be your best. Maybe you just need to believe in the work you are doing.
Go to what you are good at and start from there. Attack your struggles from the lens of the things that you are good at.
It's not about talent. Why? Everyone has talent at the elite level. You need GRIT. Grit is passion and sustained persistence applied toward long-term achievement, with no particular concern for rewards or recognition along the way. It combines resilience, ambition, and self-control in the pursuit of goals that take months, years, or even decades.
How are you going to do the things that you want to do better? How can you repeat what you did well?
What were you trying to do?
What went wrong, if anything?
What will you do better next time?
What I learned from Eric Gagne about the gap between mission and emotion and the importance of gathering information while focusing on getting a little better every day.
How do you respond when an individual is trying to teach you? Are you a player that is willing to learn?
Why do you constantly ask questions about your situation? Because you will do whatever it takes to gain an advantage.
Can you control if you are the best?
Can you control if you are good enough?
Focus on getting a little better each and every day.
Is it worth it to invest 1% of your day into doing something that is going to make you better? That is 14 minutes and 24 seconds. What is your 1424?
The number one mantra to help you get from where you are to where you want to be - Know Thyself. Be honest with who you are. What are your strengths? What are your limitations? What do you need to be doing to close that gap?
Having a mindset of getting a little better every single day does not go unnoticed and might even keep you in the big leagues.
Everybody needs an accountability partner to check in with and to help you stay on your path to success
Your are a work in progress. You need to work in progress. You don't have to be at your goal to be ok with yourself.
"People sometimes say I’m ‘locked in,’ but that’s not it,’ Kobe said, referring to the times when he’d been in flow or in the zone and had performed at a particularly high level. ‘When you’re there, it’s something that’s free and easy. It’s not about being ‘locked.’ It’s about being loose."
‘It’s really about unlocking. It should feel perfectly natural and unencumbered. It’s about just being. Just doing.
Let’s shift our focus from being “locked in” to getting “unlocked!”
What were you trying to do?
What went wrong, if anything?
What will you do better next time?
Everyday you are making a deposit for your future and your chances for being successful in the future
- finish strong
- do hard things
- try your hardest
- let go of your ego
- fight through adversity
- learn from everything
- leave your comfort zone
- stay poised and positive
- be consistent and coachable
- find solutions, not excuses
Listen to what the Pittsburg Pirates organization has to say about the makeup of their new star, Konnor Griffin.
You have 6 seconds to get over a mistake and focus on "this pitch." What are you going to say to yourself?
Athletes who view pressure situations as a challenge outperformed those who view it as a threat.
Anything multiplied by zero always ends up zero. What are you forgetting about or failing to give effort to in your training to be the best version of yourself? Make sure there are no zeroes in your preparation.
Athletes adopt an alter ego—a secondary, performance-driven persona—to mentally separate their personal self from the competitor, allowing them to silence self-doubt, increase confidence, and tap into peak performance. This mental tool helps them embody specific, aggressive, or composed traits needed to dominate under pressure.
Don't always go to the question, "How are you feeling?" Ask instead, "What are you feeling?"
If you were to do three things on every single pitch that would give you the best chance to have success, what would they be?
Have You ever written a letter to yourself? Trying sending yourself a letter that you can utilize and read when you are in need of a pick-me-up.
What are you going to say to yourself each morning to remind yourself how amazing you are?
The Difference Between Fear And Excitement is MINISCULE. Maybe the fear you are experiencing is just an accelerated version of excitement. You are in control of the story you are telling yourself. Tell yourself it is excitement.
In a letter to his younger self, Ray Allen discusses what will eventually lead him to success in the NBA - Boring old habits!!
Often times players tell me that they turn the corner in their career when they stop caring. Is It Better To Care Or Not To Care?
How to use mental imagery after a game or performance (the progress phase) to get yourself right back on track.
How you can utilize mental imagery during the compete phase or in the middle of your competition.
How Kerry Rosenboom helped me use mental imagery in the prepare phase of my training while I was playing college baseball at Wichita State.
The visualization routine that Steve Nash used to become one of the best free throw shooters to ever play in the NBA
Dr Kris Heap shares an awesome story explaining how Michael Phelps used mental imagery to overcome disaster in the pool and win gold!
Just like in the weight room where we train failure for maximum growth, you can train failure in your life to achieve growth.
We don't rise up to the occasion. We sink to the level of our training. You will never fall below the level of your preparation
Make a big deal when you execute the way you want to. Say "That's Me" every time you execute!
Jerry Rice teaches us how he believed in the importance of seeing himself finish in the end zone on every catch he made in practice.
Manny Ramirez teaches how he uses visualization to prepare himself for his day. He uses the phrases "That's not me" and "See your best self" to remind himself of the type of player he wants to be.
Proving to you that the brain does not know the difference between what you see yourself do and what you really do - it's all the same!
Proving to you that the brain does not know the difference between what you see yourself do and what you really do - it's all the same!
Proving to you that the brain does not know the difference between what you see yourself do and what you really do - it's all the same!
How to use mental imagery in between your performance to stay sharp and prepared for what might come your way.
This episode teaches you how to use mental imagery when you are not getting the reps you need as an everyday player.
The Failure Is Feedback Routine:
Start, Stop, Continue
Live in the gap between Mission and Emotion
Well, Better, How
Why do you succeed? Many successful people attribute success to their past failure. Without having a positive relationship with failure, you often miss out on success.
Often times we see ourselves failing before we even get to the first tee. Don't declare failure before the event starts.
Strength doesn’t come from what you can do, it comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t. Strength comes from both.
How you fell does not dictate how you will perform. If you are not feeling your best, get in the habit of acting different than you feel.
In order to succeed, we need to embrace failure. Here are 8 reasons why we should embrace failure.
Derrick Coleman teaches how he overcame adversity to become an NFL star. Trust the power within.
You job as a player is to Act As If It Were Impossible To Fail. The #1 job as a coach is to allow your players to Act As If It Were Impossible To Fail.
Why don't you open up a set of baseball cards? Some say the value increases if you leave them unopened. Why? They can't get damaged, bent, dirt, or lost if you keep them unopened. However, you will never know what is inside the pack if you don't open it up.
Tom Hopkins I am not judged by the number of times I have failed, I am judged by the number of times I succeed. And the number of times that I succeed is directly related to the number of times I fail and keep on trying.
Just because you fail doesn't mean that you need to bail. What did you learn from that experience that can help you to accomplish the act next time?
Gathering data from a previous engagement is the best way to develop a game plan that will give you the best chance for success.
When you feel like life is dumping on you - use it to your advantage. Shake it off and step up
An example of how I used to concept of being uncomfortable with being uncomfortable to get me through a a tough stretch in my life.
So many of us hover in our comfort zone. In order to truly push yourself to becoming the best version of yourself, you need to get comfortable being uncomfortable.
Having a solid perspective will help you overpower adversity and have a better relationship with failure.
What do you do when you are not the best on the team? What if you aren't in the lineup? What if you are struggling?
Recognize your value and do more of it!
When you are faced with adversity, you can either get bitter or you can get better. Find a way to turn your adversity into an advantage.
3 Good Books To Listen To In The Car as you enroll in Automobile University
Chop Wood Carry Water by Joshua Medcalf
Win Forever by Pete Carroll
Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins
Justin Su'a is the Mental Performance Coach for the Tampa Rays. In this podcast he shares a 3-5 minute message (M-F) that is guaranteed to impact you and your quest to become better.
Success Hotline Podcast
(973)743-4690
Dr Rob Gilbert has the longest running mental performance messaging in the Success Hotline. For over 30 years, he has left a daily message on his phone for you to hear and apply to your life. These 3 minute messages can impact each and every day and help you to get in the game.
How are you using your time? Are you having a hard time finding time to train your mind?
Enroll in Automobile University and take advantage of road time to learn how others achieve success.
What can you implement into your day to continue to sharpen your mind?
Concentration Grids,
Crossword Puzzles,
Sudoku,
Reading a Book,
and even Bad Dad Jokes.
Give yourself a chance to be better every single day.
What does the NOTES section of your phone look like?
Are you taking notes on the lessons learned from the lessons life is teaching you?
Success leaves clues....
Ask yourself..
What Can I Learn From That?
What is my nest best move?
Gather information.
If your focus is on getting a little better each and every day...
What do you need to start doing?
What do you need to stop doing?
What do you need to continue doing?
The number one greatest tool you can use to develop and progress in life is a personal scouting report. Do you have a scouting report on yourself? If not, let me help you create one. This process will create a blueprint on where you are right now as well as a plan to excel in your game or life.
The number one mantra to help you get from where you are to where you want to be - Know Thyself. Be honest with who you are. What are your strengths? What are your limitations? What do you need to be doing to close that gap?
An example of how a competitive Crossfit athlete implemented the 14:24 to enhance his abilities to perform in the Crossfit games.
Having a mindset of getting a little better every single day does not go unnoticed and might even keep you in the big leagues.
Everybody needs an accountability partner to check in with and to help you stay on your path to success
Your are a work in progress. You need to work in progress. You don't have to be at your goal to be ok with yourself.
Is it worth it to invest 1% of your day into doing something that is going to make you better? That is 14 minutes and 24 seconds. What is your 1424?
How do you get better every day? Measure everything. It gives you a baseline, lets you know where you are at, and gives you motivation by setting a target for you to beat every day.
How do you respond when an individual is trying to teach you? Are you a player that is willing to learn?
What I learned from Eric Gagne about the gap between mission and emotion and the importance of gathering information while focusing on getting a little better every day.
Can you control if you are the best?
Can you control if you are good enough?
Focus on getting a little better each and every day.
We so often let the way we feel dictate how we perform. Remember, if your commitment is greater than your feelings, you will get results.
What do you need to do to get back on track? What are the steps of the refocus routine?
When you start to struggle, do you go harder, do you begin to pray and hope, or do you feel like you have to be perfect?
You can either feel sorry for yourself because of the situation or you can learn from the situation.
Don't let one small moment in your day cause you to throw away the rest of the day. Take a deep breath, get back on track, and stay focused on what matters most.
How you fell does not dictate how you will perform. If you are not feeling your best, get in the habit of acting different than you feel.
They are not called first reactors, but instead, first responders. Before you have an emotional response, assess the situation, gather information, and ask yourself what is the next best move.
Thank you Dr Ken Ravizza for teaches us the analogy of recognizing your signal lights as a way to maintain our emotional control.
Green = Dialed in
Yellow = Distracted
Red = Defeated
Before you react to any situation, pause for a moment and ask - "What is my next best move?"
If I were playing right now, I Would Be A Wristband Guy. Changing wristbands help you to flip the switch.
How do you go from a tough event to a new event? Flip the switch. Be so in control of your emotions that you can flip the switch at any time to allow you to be your best.
As we complete our mission, emotional reaction always follows. In between execution and emotions is a gap that needs to be mastered. It is here where you gather information and decide if you should go emotional. Master the gap!
In his book titled “Above the Line,” Urban Meyer uses a formula to discuss this topic. He says that E + R = O. The event that takes place, plus the way you respond to that event, equals the outcome. You can't control the event that is taking place, but you can always control the way you respond to it.
The toughest part of the well, better, how is recognizing things that you do well each day. There are some days that you do nothing well. That is why you always need to look good in uniform. At the very least, you can always look good.
Make sure you keep your jersey on until you complete your post game routine. When you take your jersey off, you are ending your day. Wash your jersey to make sure it is fresh and ready for tomorrow.
Whether it be good or bad, you have to flush each and every day. Each day is a new day, a new beginning, a fresh start.
What does your post-game routine look like? How log does it take you to get over a tough loss or a poor performance? Learn about the 1 Hr rule and how it can help you flush and regroup for a new day.
How do you describe what losing feels like to you? Kobe Bryant answers this question in a most unique way. Pay attention to to how he evaluates his performances.
When you are at your best, are you more in control, or are you more intense? Maybe you are a perfect balance of control and intense. Wherever you are on the scale, that is your neutral. Now you can make adjustments within your performance.
Every road has a speed limit that describes the safest and best speed to travel. If you drive too fast, you can lose control. If you drive too slow, you can disrupt the flow of traffic. You also have an optimal speed. What is your optimal range of controlled intensity or speed that will yield the best results?
We understand that having a certain level of intensity can benefit your performance. If you are dragging a bit, can you crank it up? If you are too amped up, can you dial it back? What is your perfect level of intensity?
Our goal is to compete every single day. In order to compete, you have to be in control. When you are in control, you slow the game down, allow yourself to relax and focus, and give yourself a chance to succeed.
Your goal is to stay in the competition as long as possible. How do you do this? You compete - every day. You can't control many things within your performance, however, you can compete every single day.
What do you want to start doing? What do you want to stop doing? What do you want to continue doing? The key word - DO. What are you going to do with the drills and skills that you learn on a daily basis?
Start, stop, continue. What Do You Want To Stop Doing? What are things that occupy your time that you want to stop doing?
A honest self-evaluator is constantly looking to improve their daily habits to make the most out of their day. When doing this, start by asking yourself, "what do I want to start doing?"
Three phases of optimal mental performance - Prepare, Compete, Progress. What does your prepare phase look like? If confidence comes from preparation, what are you doing to prepare?
After you complete your reframe, create a plan to achieve the results you want. Plan your process.
In this episode, I teach you how to use the reframe. Instead of saying "I am not good at......," start saying, "I am good at ......., when I ......."
You are not lacking it - you are blocking it.
It is important to recognize your limitations. If you can start to master your limitations, you will quickly close the gap from where you are to where you want to be.
What are good at? It is important to know what your "go to" skills are. Make sure you recognize what separates you from the rest. Bring these skills with you every day!
Everybody needs a personal scouting report. What are your strengths, limitations, and plans for execution? Bringing awareness to who you are is the first step to becoming better. Who are you?
In the MVP process, your vision is a list of things you want to accomplish. What is your vision?
In this episode, I teach about how you can create alignment in your life by defining your mission in your personal MVP Process.
What are you focusing on? You Will Become What You Put Your Emphasis On. Make sure you focus on what you want to become, not on what you don't.x
What is your Mission? What is your Vision? What are your core Principles? Let this process help you become your own MVP.
Before you get or go emotional because of the outcome or results of the even ask yourself..... What Is The Next Best Thing That Needs To Get Done?
The best advice to help you do things on purpose, with purpose - be where your feet are. Do What You're Doing While You're Doing It.
Why are you doing what you are doing? Can you give the reason why? Avoid going through the motions and have a reason why.
Sometimes the answer isn't to just go harder. Sometimes you need to take a step back and sharpen your axe.
If you know the "why," you can believe in the process and execute with conviction. Don't be afraid to ask "why?"
Athlete Tough. If I were to ask you what is the key to being mentally tough, what would you say the answer is?
I was always looking for was to give myself extra motivation and extra drive. I couldn't stand the thought that someone out there might be outworking me. It was that thought that pushed me to do more, to stay focused, and remain consistent in my workouts. Find a reason to build your drive and motivation and use it. Even if it is a t-shirt.
What is your passion? Can you make your work your passion? Your passion will give you enjoyment in the process. Your passion will give you enjoyment in the struggle.
Listen to Coach Mike Bianco tell us a story about tapping into your why and the power it can bring into your life, drive, and motivation.
Why do you do the things you do? What is the reason for doing it? If you can establish an even bigger reason why, that reason why will help you get through the difficult days. Also, it is during your failures that you can lean on your reason why to keep you in the fight and help you get back on track.
If you were to hang signs on your wall with a one word focus, a mantra, or an encouraging phrase, what would your sign say?
What are your above the line behaviors that you want to hold yourself accountable each day? Above the line behaviors are positive behaviors that line up with your core values.
What are your core values? What do you stand for? What are the qualities and key characteristics that you want to hold yourself accountable to?
What do you want to accomplish? What are your goals for the upcoming season? It is important to have these targets in front of you to have something to aim for. After you set your targets, it is your system or process that will get you there.
Listen as we teach you about the importance of having a personal MVP process by outlining your MISSION, VISION, and PRINCIPLES. In this episode we talk about your mission, what it is, and how to develop it in order to help you establish goalposts for your daily life.
"Heart of a champion" is a phrase that refers to the qualities and characteristics that make someone a champion. Lets's focus in what is takes to be a champion and become a champion.
The heart of a champion is not measured by how many titles they've won or by the number of trophies on the wall. The heart of a champion is much deeper than that. It's the ability to rally a team together for a common goal. It's the ability to clearly define a goal and then achieve it.
I love to ask the question why. When you understand the why, you can believe in the why. When you believe in the why, you can execute with conviction.
What separates the good from the elite? The elite performer is constantly doing the things that he/she doesn't want to do. Commit to doing these things.
What does Yankees slugger Aaron Judge do in the middle of an at-bat when he is in "RED Light" or mentally compromised? Listen to him describe his red light RELEASE ROUTINE.
What are the three steps to ownership?
Step 1 - Know it.
Step 2 - Do it.
Step 3 - Own it.
What is your response when things get difficult? Do you see the negative in everything? Do you feel sorry for yourself? Try flipping the script. Hard times? Good. This may be the adversity that helps you turn the corner. Tough times makes for good opportunities.
No Blaming.
No Complaining.
No Defending.
Great rules to live by when working in a team environment.
What is your definition of mental toughness? Consider this definition... doing things that you don't want to do.
The number one strategy I can give you to help you have self-control and discipline is to be where your feet are. Stay in the present moment, focusing on the present moment, right here, right now. When you find yourself getting pulled in another direction, get back to the present moment moment and lock into the now.
It is the start that stops most people. Movement will always begin the building of momentum. Have a narrow focus with a goal of winning one play at a time. It is the stacking victories that will lead to the momentum that will help you to be unstoppable.
How Do You Stop Their Momentum? Focus on yourself. Stay in the present moment, control what you can control, and win one play at at time.
How do yo gain momentum? How do you find yourself controlling the perceived momentum in the game. How can you stop the momentum of the other team?
Most of my athletes come to me looking for help when they are struggling. As long as they are unsatisfied with their performance, they will continue to work the mental game. When things start to go good, often they forget the mental game and neglect to train it. Stay disciplined work the mental game, when things are going good as well. Make it who you are.
Stay locked in on the current day. Stay focused on the present moment. Don't look to the finish line, but instead, work on making every day and every moment count.
Kirk's definition of perfection....
Never getting bored of the basics,
Always staying present, and
Focusing on getting better each and every day.
Non-judgement allows us to be more attuned to the present moment, instead of worrying about the future or ruminating on the past. When we remove the value-based judgments of our thoughts and remember that they are just thoughts, not facts – we remove their power.
It's not about talent. Why? Everyone has talent at the elite level. You need GRIT. Grit is passion and sustained persistence applied toward long-term achievement, with no particular concern for rewards or recognition along the way. It combines resilience, ambition, and self-control in the pursuit of goals that take months, years, or even decades.
There is no good or bad without us. It is only an event. What makes it good or bad is the story that you tell yourself. You are in control of the story that you tell yourself. Make sure that the story you are telling yourself is serving you.
What do you do to hold yourself accountable? What do you do to maintain your self-control and discipline? Listen to what Michael Cuddyer used to do to remind him to stay locked in each and every game.
What do you do to flip the switch to get yourself into compete mode? Use a physical action to remind yourself that it's "go time."
"It's not about the number of hours you practice, it's about the number of hours your mind is present during the practice." Kobe Bryant
It is your choice to have a good start to your day. Choose to have a good day. Choose to bring the energy. Choose confidence. Choose preparation. Choose to have a good bad day.
Use this message as a guided grounding session to help you gather your thoughts and get you locked in on the present moment.
In this episode, we teach you about the meditative practice known as grounding or earthing. Learn about the benefits of taking your shoes off and walking.
Here is a meditation exercise known as BALL meditation.
Breathing
Affirmations
Look Back
Look Forward
Use this meditation and mental imagery exercise to get yourself into a relaxed state, build your belief system and master your self-talk, re-visit some of your best performances in your career, and then see yourself dominating a future performance. Listen to this Imagery on a daily basis, on game day, or on the day of your start, to get you locked in mentally and ready for your performance. See yourself being your best.
Meditation is a practice that every athlete should be doing to calm the mind and get into the present moment. Listen to this episode to hear the 4 Reasons Why Every Athlete Should Meditate.
Add the 54321 body scan when you are looking for a total body relaxation. This guided meditation will help you focus on different parts of your body and help you bring focused relaxation to these specific parts. Uses this mediation to help you wind down or get you into a meditative state any time during the day.
Use this five by five box breathing technique to help you stay focused on your breath and meditative practice. While you focus on your breathing, visualize the shape of a square, inhale for a count of five, hold for 5, exhale for a count of 5, and the hold for another 5. Repeat this sequence for a series of breaths to gain a relaxed and focused state.
In for six, hold for two, out for eight. One breath at a time. The 6-2-8 breathing technique will allow you to relax and focus as well as serve as the gateway to the present moment. Use this technique while meditating in the morning to start your day, or just before bed to set your mind at ease, reduce anxiety, and calm your thoughts and worries.
What are you doing to help control your anxiety? What are you doing to slow down the game and get into the present moment? What strategy are you using to play the game one play at a time? In this episode, we will teach you three breathing techniques to practice to help you relax, focus, and live in the present moment.
What does the breath do for you? It allows you to relax and focus. It is the gateway to the present moment. It will release all the tension in your body. You should be taking a deep breath before every pitch, before every shot, before every down. Get relaxed and focused by taking a deep breath.
What is the number one thing you need to work on in the upcoming month? Make it your one word focus. Bring attention to this one word focus, put a plan in place, and then attack it. You will be amazed at the progress you will make by bringing attention to your one word focus.
Listen to Brian Cain teach us the lesson he learned from Dr Ken Ravizza about the importance of focusing on staying present and playing the game one play at a time.
We need to be different. Everybody has the same goal. We need a different goal - a narrow goal. While everybody is focusing on winning championships, we will focus on what it takes to win championships. To win championships, focus on winning one play at a time, one play at a time.
Winners Focus On Winning, Losers Focus On Winners. Let's spend more time focusing on what it takes to win than on comparing ourselves to others. Comparison is the thief of all joy.
What is a spot at your field that you can focus on that can help bring you back to the present moment? It will help bring you back to neutral, slow the game down, and help you regain control of your focus and awareness.
Can you create your own circle of focus so that you can help yourself lock in when you need it most? Step in to focus and then step out. Step in, and then out.
When you are driving in a car on the highway at night, your headlights shine 200 feet. You can only see and focus on the next 200 feet. Then the next 200 feet. Then the next 200 feet. We sould focus the same in our own journey. Keep it small and focus on the present moment.
You aren't running 26 miles, you are running 1 mile, 26 times. Narrow your focus. Focus on small tasks or victories. Create small wins. Little by little, a little becomes a lot.
What Separates High School College And Professional Baseball Players? It is consistency. How do you become more consistent? You do it by having more pitch by pitch execution. How do you do that? You narrow your focus and win the small victories.
If I were to give you one piece of advice, it would be this: stay in the present moment. Just focus on this moment. Win this moment. And then do it again.
According to many of the people interviewed in the Last Dance, Michael Jordan's secret to success is his ability to be in the present moment. What do you do to stay in the present moment? What is your routine to get back into the present moment after you lose focus? Let's do all we can to train to BE LIKE MIKE!
What is your role on your team? How can you push yourself to carry out your role to your very best. Do you have the respect of your teammates to challenge them to carry out their role?
When you aren't satisfied with the outcome, what are you going to do about it? No blaming, no accusing, just personal accountability. Ask yourself what didn't work, why it didn't work, and then put your head down and get to work.
How do you sustain and maintain your drive for excellence? What is your motivation to keep on pushing. Where do you look to find that motivation? Let's learn from Michael Jordan and his daily drive for motivation.
Listen to learn how Michael Jordan creates a game within the game to drive motivation, focus, and energy to get the most out of his performance.
Write a self-confidence letter to yourself to read when things are going tough. Make it a brag sheet. Include your goals, aspirations, and your why. Remind yourself of your very best performances, and what you did to get yourself into the zone.
It is the start that stops most people. Usually the stop comes in the form of negative self talk that starts with "I can't," or "I'm not good enough." Flip the script, get moving, and trust yourself by unblocking your mind and releasing your confidence.
Listen to Brian Cain listen to what he calls the confidence confusion. Confidence is not a feeling - it is an action. Confidence is a choice.
Your body language greatly affects your performance. It is within your control. Don't let anyone see your frustration through your body language. Stay tall, stay strong, stay in control and weaponize your body language.
Firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something. Focus on building trust and this will lead to confidence.
While you are on your journey in life, don't forget to look up and see the majesty around you. Don't forget to take the time to recognize the small victories in your daily life and use them to build your confidence.
Confident people make promises with themselves. When you make a promise to yourself, you build trust. People who have high trust, also have elevated confidence.
Why do I get out of bed at 4:45 am to workout? For my mental health. For my belief system. I need the confidence.
Instead of waiting for victory or for the big success to give you confidence, create daily personal victories that will build trust that leads to personal confidence.
Confidence Is A Choice. How do you choose confidence?
A - Act big.
B - Breathe big.
C - Commit big
A little belief goes a log way. Show that you believe in others and you will be amazed at how much that will do for their very own belief system.
Where does confidence come from? Preparation leads to trust which will ultimately lead to confidence. Focus on your preparation.
Where does confidence come from? Don't wait for confidence. Go out and do it. Confidence Is Something You Do Not Just Something You Get.
Resilience - When life throws you a curveball, get back to your process. Will your process withstand and give your the resiliency needed to withstand a series of blows that life may throw at you?
Whatever it is, get in the habit of doing.
- Making my bed, doing the dishes, weeding the garden, sweeping the floor, and putting away the groceries are all just as important as writing a blog post, climbing a mountain, or hosting a party. Doing the mundane, and appreciating doing the mundane, gets us in the habit of doing and appreciating the great things as well.
If your commitment to your feelings is greater than your feelings, you will get results. Akira tells John that “living by our feelings is like riding an emotional rollercoaster” after John returns from the hospital after sustaining an injury that would delay his normal training by a few months. Akira goes on to articulate that there will be many days where John isn’t going to feel like doing what needs to be done to progress toward his goals. However, favoring principles over feelings minimizes the waves and allows for more consistent effort on a daily basis. Ultimately, Akira asks John to outline four principles that he would like to live by.
Although there are many, one of my favorite lessons from the book is that “comparison is the thief of all joy.” One day as John was struggling, he was jealous of how easy things seemingly came to his peers while he had to work so hard and still not do as well as his peers. Akira pulled John aside and told him that he must focus on his journey and his alone. Otherwise, he would run the risk of not only losing his joy, but also losing any chance of true success in the long run.
Joshua Medcalf in the Book ChopWood, Carry Water teaches us how to Fall In Love With The Process of becoming great. This week we will learn from Sensei Akira as he teaches John the skill of becoming a Samurai Archer.
Your brain will believe what you tell it. What is the story that you are telling yourself?
You are your very best coach. Talk to yourself as if you are your vest best, motivating coach.
Level 1: Negative acceptance.
Level 2: Admitting the need for change.
Level 3: Deciding to change.
Level 4: Being a better me.
Level 5: Universal affirmation.
What are the power statements that you can add to your self-talk that will get you back on track, get you back in your lane, and keep you from losing control when things are starting to slip? What are your rumble strips?
What are the statements that you are going to say to yourself that are going to change the way you believe in yourself?
If you were to set a reminder on your phone that contained a message that you needed to hear on a daily basis, what would that message say?
Build a championship statement, by determining what you think you can't or won't be able to, using the reframe, and the reciting this statement over and over until you believe it.
What are you going to write on your sticky notes on your mirror to remind yourself of who you are and who you want to be each and every day?
Overpower your negative thoughts by Listening To Yourself Less And Talking To Yourself More.
Instead of saying "I can't".......
say to yourself, "I can ........, when I ..........."
A bumblebee doesn't know that it is not supposed to fly, therefore, it just goes about its day flying.
Why do you want to Train Like A Racehorse? Racehorses can't think for themselves. Therefore, they don't overthink.
What is your self-talk that gets you into the present moment. what is your go-to phrase that lock you into the present moment?
Whenever you notice yourself using negative self-talk, replace it with a positive version of the same phrase.
Resilience - The process of embracing adversity and choosing to show up at your best, all the time.
Mental agility, or cognitive flexibility, is the ability to adapt to changing situations and think creatively. It can help athletes improve their mood, reduce stress, and increase their overall well-being.
Give Yourself A Chance to be in the zone by making sure you are ready to perform, by making good decisions, and by staying focused during competition.
Mindfulness is a state of awareness where you are completely focused in the present moment.
Being in the zone is being fully focused on what you are doing, so focused that everything else disappears and your mind goes quiet.
In sports, "the zone" is a state of peak performance where an athlete is fully focused on the present moment and their actions flow seamlessly.
A message to coaches and parents - just a simple reminder about how difficult competing can be. Our athletes can be doing everything within their control to be ready to go and things still might not go their way. Respect the game. Respect their effort.
There are many ways to experience flow, although they may not all happen all of the time. So, what might you experience?
- You have complete focus on the activity, nothing else is distracting you
You do dot need to have laser focus in most sports for every minute of the event. You need to lock in and then take a break. This process will allow you to have the best focus when it is needed.
If a baseball player strikes out with the bases loaded, does that mean that player will strike out every time he steps to the plate with three runners on base?
If a golfer leaves a five-foot putt inches short of the cup, will that golfer forever miss every short-range putt?
These over generalizations in your thinking will keep you stuck in a rut.
What are the three thing that if you did them on every pitch, or every, would give you the best chance at success?
You focus on thoughts during the competition, such as:* “Here we go again.” * “Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse.” * “Another loss heading my way.”
When you become aware of how your habitual thoughts and expectations are hurting your performance, you can start consciously replacing those thoughts with positive, enhancing thoughts.
Build your trust by doing the things you say you are going to do which will allow you to have a free mind when the umpire says play ball.
“Practice as if its competition, but compete as if it's practice.” Meaning - every day matters.
Finish the sentence:
“I felt the competition - and it felt ___________.”
Our goal is for it to feel really good. You sink to the level of your training. Slow everything down so it feels under control.
When you evaluate your game or even your day, do you look at it with a flashlight or a hammer? Let's start using a flashlight.
An individual with a growth mindset has a willingness to learn. This individual has a vision of continual growth and consistent development.
Individuals with mental toughness tend to master or show signs of being able to deal with anxiety and maintain a positive outlook on their abilities, performance, and future in their skill.
Perseverance or the ability to deal with adversity surfaced in each and every study as a key component of mental toughness.
Without this passion for the game, an athlete will struggle with the consistency to prepare for competition each and every day.
Is it you against the opponent?
Is it you against yourself?
or...
Is it you against the game?
Listen to me tell a story about my career that explains what we should care about and what we need to let go of.
For me, I need to get back to competing. I need to be relentless in everything I do. My sleep, my nutrition, my training. Compete.
You want, results, focus on your habits. Focus on your AM routine. Focus on your PM routine. It becomes all about discipline.
Who Is ready to push the rock?
Who Is ready to carry the team?
Who is ready to carry the rock?
"It ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!”
— Rocky Balboa sharing his life's wisdom in Rocky Balboa
Goals are good for planning your progress and systems are good for actually making progress.
Goals can provide direction and even push you forward in the short-term, but eventually a well-designed system will always win. Having a system is what matters. Committing to the process is what makes the difference.
What are your 2 wins for the day? Your two best shots? Your 2 best pitches or swings? Collect these on video or write them in your journal.
I am my best when I am believing in what I am working on. Maybe you don't have to feel your best to be your best. Maybe you just need to believe in the work you are doing.
Add an accountability to help you take ownership on the things that you know you need to do to create success in your life.
Break your day up into small segments and win each segment. Create small vicries in your day and begin to build momentum.
Why do you do what you do?
Why do you want what you want?
What are your core values?
Protect Your Why With Your Core Values.
Help me unfold some strategies to get out of a slump and become better today than I was yesterday.
Gain awareness
Build Trust
Turn your excuse into your reason why
Get a daily dose of mental performance from Dr Rob Gilbert and his podcast titled, "Success Hotline."
In each and every moment, ask yourself, "what can I learn from that?" There is something to learn in each and every event that you encounter.
What are you doing in your down time to help build your focus and push the process of getting better every day?
https://briancain.com/cgrid
What do you want to START doing?
What do you want to STOP doing?
What do you want to CONTINUE doing?
What are your strengths?
What are your limitations?
What is your process to maintain your strengths and develop your limitations?
The person with the advantage is the one that is honest about what he or she is good at and needs to work on. You need to know yourself - everything about yourself.
What is your 14:24 and are you willing to invest 1% of your day into doing something that you need to get better at?
Stay focused on your process. Stay focused on your core values. Do whatever it takes to get a little better every day.
If you want to make sure that you do what you say you are going to do, tell somebody about it. If you want to do it even better, have someone hold you accountable.
You are a work in progress and your goal is to work in progress. You Don't Have To Be At The Goal Progress Is Our Focus.
Is it worth it for you to invest 1% of your day into doing something that is going to make you better?
Measure it, track it, better it, do it. Measure Everything Because Measurement Is Motivation.
How does one of the best ever in the game of baseball describe the process of getting better every day? Live in the gap and gather information.
Always looking for an advantage. It is worth my time if you have a little bit of information that will give me and advantage.
Can you control if you are the best?
Can you control if you are good enough?
Focus on getting a little better each and every day.
As we look forward to opening day, or any day for that matter, we need to realize that our goal isn’t just to have a good opening day, but instead, our goal is for every day to be like opening day.
The REFRAME -
REPLACE “I AM NOT GOOD AT _______, WITH:
“I AM GOOD AT _______, WHEN I _______.”
Self-Awareness -
The ability to understand our own feelings, motives, desires, thinking, emotions, and actions.
RECOGNIZING GREEN LIGHTS - “I AM IN CONTROL”
Body Language: Big, chest out head high, a little swagger with shoulders
Focus: One pitch at a time, not thinking about the last at bat, able to separate catching from hitting
Self-Talk: “I’m That DUDE” - ;let’s do it, you have done this a million times
- 3 KEYS TO KEEP IT SIMPLE
- Breathe
- See It
- Get A Fastball
In Game Situations:
Physical Feelings:
RECOGNIZING YELLOW & LIGHTS - “I AM LOSING CONTROL”
Body Language:
Focus:
Self-Talk:
In Work Situations:
Physical Feelings:
RECOGNIZING RED LIGHTS - “I HAVE LOST CONTROL”
Body Language:
Focus:
Self-Talk:
In Work Situations:
Physical Feelings:
Are you a first reactor or a first responder?
Instead of reacting, look to be a responder.
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Assess the situation
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Establish a plan
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Take action
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Execute the plan
Neutral Thinking
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Go tho the Truth. Ask yourself what happened? Why did it happen?
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Get to work. Ask yourself - what is my next best move?
Adversity is the best thing that can happen to you. Adversity is the only thing that makes us better. We need a positive relationship with failure. How? Start training failure.
Little by little, a little becomes a lot. What are you going to start to a little today that will become a lot in the future?
Event + Response = Outcome. You can't control what is happening to you or around you. You can only control the way you respond to it.
When you are at your best, are you more in control or are you more intense? Use the controlled intensity scale to make in-game adjustments and give you something to go to.
What is your ideal performance state? this is much like a speedometer on a car that lines up with the speed limit of the road you are traveling. If 75 is the speed limit, the range between 70-80 is your sweet spot.
When you find yourself in Red Light and you feel defeated, go to your release routine to get you back into the fight.
Steps of a release routine...
Step #1: Do something physical.
Step #2: Take a deep breath on a focal point.
Step #3: Have a verbal trigger.
There is a gap between the event and your emotional response. Live in this gap, gather information, and ask yourself:
What happened?
Why?
What is my next best move?
When you find yourself in yellow light, go to your refocus routine to get yourself back to where you want to be.
2 steps to the refocus routine:
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Take a deep breath on a focal point.
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Final TIF (thought, image, feel).
Breathing allows you to relax and focus. It is the gateway to the present moment. With a good exhale, you blow out all the tension in your body. Make sure you are breathing.
YOU ARE OFF TRACK
YOU ARE OUT OF YOUR LANE YOU NEED TO
WAKE UP
YOU ARE IN TROUBLE
What are the rumble strips that you will use to get you back on track?
3 Ps for Green:
When you’re in green lights and you’re performing your best, it’s present, process, and Progressive (Purpose).
3 Ps for Yellow and Red:
When you’re in green lights and you’re not performing your best, you get into what we call prayer, primal, and perfect.
The easiest way for you to think about your signal lights is:
Green Light = You are Dialed In. You are in control. You are giving yourself the best chance for success.
Yellow Light = You are Distracted. You are losing control. You are starting to lose the focus and mentality conducive to optimal performance.
Red Light = You are Defeated. You are out of control and are beating yourself in performance.
Check-in, recognize where you are in your daily journey, and make a plan to attack the things you want to improve upon.
The elite individuals don't get caught up in the moment. They are asking, "what is my next best move?"
What are you going to do to keep yourself in the present moment and locked in when going from offense to defense?
The elite performers live in The Gap Between Execution And Emotion. It is here that they ask what happened, why, and what is my next best move.
You can't control what is happening to you. You can't control what is happening around you. You can only control how you respond to it.
Create personal victory in your day. Schedule wins. Don't forget to recognize that you look good in uniform.
What is your post-game routine? Make sure you are doing things on purpose, with purpose.
The goal is to always be in the present moment. How do you get over a tough situation and get back into the present moment? You gotta flush it!
Take one hour after each game to allow yourself to deal with the emotions of the game. After that, take the uniform off and transition back into the person you want to be.
Listen to Kobe discuss a mindshift theat we all need to make any why losing can actually make us stronger, and better.
It's good to be in control. It's good to be intense. What is your perfect level of controlled intensity?
The optimal performance state is comparable to a speed limit. Going too slow or too fast can be dangerous. You need to stay in the optimal performance zone. What is your speed limit?
It is imperative the we are in control of ourselves in order to be in control of our performance. What is your perfect level of control?
Compete. Passion. Discipline. There are my core values that help me Stay In The Competition As Long As Possible.
Don't forget to spend time recognizing the thing that you are currently doing that are working for you. What Do You Want To Continue Doing?
Sometimes the answers lie within what you need to stop doing instead of what you have to start doing.
Every weeks I take a quick inventory of my habits. I start out by asking myself: "What do I want to start doing?"
After you recognize your strengths and limitations, you need to make a plan to be consistent with your strengths and develop your limitations. What are you going to do about it?
Instead of "I'm not good at...." use the reframe.
"i am good at...., when I...."
or switch
"I can't...." to
"I can...., when I...."
What are the things that are keeping you from being an elite performer? Be honest with yourself. This information contains the answers to what is going to get you from where you are to where you want to be.
When creating a scouting report, make sure you spend time listing your strengths. It is crucially important to recognize your personal strengths and capabilities.
Every athlete should have their very own scouting report. What are you good at? What are your limitations? What is the plan to make your weaknesses your new strengths? The answers to many of your questions are within your scouting report.
If you could choose one word for you to focus on for the month, quarter, or the year, what would be your one word focus?
Instead of getting caught up in the emotions of the situation, ask yourself what is the next best thing that needs to get done.
The more powerful your WHY, the more reason you have to keep going when thing get tough.
What advantage are you taking into the competition? Are you taking time to sharper your axe?
I am seeking understanding. Allow people to ask the question "Why?" in order to gain and estblish buy-in in what we want them to do.
Having a routine is a must. However, you need to be able to adjust and adapt when your routine gets thrown off.
What are you going to go to when things get difficult on the playing field? Prepare now so that you have Something To Go To When You Need Something To Go To!
Why do you have routines in your life? What are the benefit that you are getting that you don't even know about?
Grounding + Guided Meditation.
This is your introduction to barefoot meditation. Enjoy the process of getting preset considering your wins, gratitudes and HAGL statements.
You Become The Average Of The Five People You Spend The Most Time With. Who are you spending your time with?
Are your players playing tug of war with each other? In order to be the best, you need alignment unity throughout.
One of the best ways to start your day off is by taking time to consider what you are grateful for.
Energy is of the utmost importance when sustaining team chemistry. It is no coincidence that the touchiest teams are the most consistent teams.
You are either giving or taking energy from the people around you. Are You A Fountain Or A Drain?
The goal with training the mental game is to shift your perspective and see the bigger picture. Make sure you are controlling the things you can control and focus on mastering your perception.
Often times we make the mistake in thinking that we have to be at our goal or we are struggling. Chase progress instead.
Take some time to determine what your definition is of success. The first step to achieving success is to define it so that you know what you are aiming for.
One of the best ways to catch your yourself being negative is to always have a compared to what mindset.
Perspective is everything. Once you find the hidden message in these logos, you will never look at them the same.
Take Leadership. Listen how the Chicago Cubs outfielder shifted the momentum of the World Series with his Players Only Rain Delay Speech.
You become the average of the people you spend the most time with. Make sure you surround yourself with good leaders.
You have to see yourself in the situation you dream of. Take yourself their in your mind.
You need to have vision. Learn how I implemented the concept of having vision to see myself playing at the elite level.
Great advice from a great coach - You focus is to be at the Right Place at the Right Time Trying To Do The Right Thing.
What are the three things all players need from us:
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Does He Care About Me
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Can I Trust Him
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Will He Make Me Better
When you are looking to increase your focus and awareness, choose a focal point that will always bring you back to neutral.
This episode teaches you how you can flip the switch when it comes to focus. Step in to focus and then step out. When you can turn of the focus it allows you to focus better when you turn on the focus.
If there is one thing that if you focused on this year would take you to a new level, what would it be? What is your one word focus?
Your headlights only allow you to see the next two hundred feet in front of you. If you focus on the next 200 ft and then the next 200 feet, you will always get to where you need to go.
In your life, are you focused on the 26 miles or are you focused on one mile, 26 times? Narrow your focus.
You may not be the best, but can you beat the best on this pitch? On this shot? On this play? The focus on that. Just this play.
What is Michael Jordan's Secret To Success? What is your secret to success? Hint. Stay in the present moment.
What is the role you play on your team or in your family? Recognize your value, understand your role, and do more of it.
Where do you need to go to get your motivation? Are you looking for motivation? How do you sustain your drive? What is your reason why for today?
Micheal Jordan is one of the fiercest competitors in all of sport. Listen ti his strategy of creating a game within the game to motivate himself to daily greatness.
I can't think of anything that has more positive consequence for you than for you to get up and move. That the steps. It's the start that stops most people.
Have you ever felt like you don't have what it takes to be successful? You do. You Are Not Lacking It You Are Blocking It!
Fill up your cookie jar with index card with reminders of self-confidence building moment from your past. When you need a little pick-up, now you have something to go to.
Have you ever written a letter to yourself? Wouldn't it be nice to have a letter written to yourself that helps pick you up when you are down?
When looking for strategies for doing confidence, you need to be creative. Use your passwords to remind you of who have been in the past and who you want to to be in the future.
The smallest thing can change your outlook and confidence. The key: do confidence instead of wait for it.
What does your body language look like? Get big. Act like you are ten feet tall and bulletproof.
One thing you can control is your body language. Master your body language and you will see a better performance as an outcome.
Fake it until you make it.
Fake it until you find it.
Fake it until you become it.
Acting changes everything.
One way to hold yourself accountable and build your confidence is to make and keep promises with yourself.
When you create habits, you are creating victory each day. Successfully executing these habits leads to confidence. When you share your habits, you are holding yourself accountable to what you say you want to do.
We all need confidence. What are you doing to build your confidence each and every day?
The best way to be more confident is to "DO" confidence instead of wait for it. The best way to "DO" confidence is to Create Personal Victory in your life every singe day.
What is the story that you are telling yourself? Is that story serving you and helping you increase your belief system?
What is the story that you are telling yourself? Remember, the Brain Simply Believes What You Tell It Most.
Do you use "I" our "You" when you are talking to yourself? Try talking in the 3rd person or using the word "you" when you are talking to yourself.
What stage of self-talk do you live in?
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Negative
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I "should not" stage
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Declaration stage based on negative statement - I will never ....... again.
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Positive declaration of who you aspire to be.
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Being one with a higher power.
Rumble strips alert you when you are out of your lane, wake you up, and get you back on track. What are your built in rumble strips?
What is a great way to begin the habit of positive self-talk? Set a trigger to begin the habit loop.
Listen to how a wrestling champ uses positive self-talk to overpower a limited belief system.
You will become what you put your emphasis on. Use your mirror to remind yourself of who you want to become.
Success leaves clues. Let's learn from the training strategies of some of the most successful athletes on the planet.
What is self-talk. Also, apply this new strategy to help you overpower your negative self-talk.
How often do you celebrate when you do something good? From now on, when you get it done, follow it up with, "that's me!"
How do you talk to yourself? Do you say things to yourself that build you up or are you always tearing yourself down?
Listen how you can reward yourself for putting in the work and not getting a chance to show it.
Listen to how my college strength coach introduced me to visualization while playing baseball at Wichita State University.
Listen to how one of the best free throw shooters ever uses visualization to lock in at the free throw line.
How do you get strong in the weight room? You push yourself to failure. It is exactly the same in life. Growth comes after you repair yourself from failure.
In life, we don't "step up," but instead, we sink to our training and preparation. Where is your preparation?
How do you get yourself back on track when things aren't going your way? Try what Cam Bailey did.
Imagine if you acknowledged every time you did something well by saying "that's me." I think you would believe it over time.
Listen to see how Manny Ramirez used visualization to become one of the best hitters of all time.
Do you want to shoot better from the free throw line? Add visualization to your daily routine.
You can turn your head further than you think. Start by closing your eyes and visualizing it.
As you are chasing excellence, don't forget to maintain positivity to reach your goals.
We hear the word Grit used often What is grit? Do you have it when it comes to excellence?
We all nod our head when we say failure is feedback, but how do we do it? How do we get feedback from failure?
Why do you succeed? Many successful people attribute success to their past failure. Without having a positive relationship with failure, you often miss out on success.
When entering an event, are you even giving yourself a chance or are you defeated before you even start?
Strength doesn’t come from what you can do, it comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t.
The very best fail time and time again. Why do they continue to succeed amidst all the failure?
What benefits you more, keeping everything protected or opening it up, using it, and seeing what is inside?
Don't just forget bout the event and hope it never happens again. Make sure to gather as much information as possible and use it to your benefit.
Is it possible that this challenge that you are faced with might help you instead of bury you?
Often times, living in a space of being uncomfortable is the sole cause for you to become comfortable doing hard things.
Let a progressive perspective keep you pushing along when failure or struggle shows its face.
What value do you bring to your team or family? Recognize Your Value And Do More Of It.
Turn your car into Automobile University. What are the best books you like to listen to in the car?
Optimize (now HEROIC) with Brian Johnson. Optimize your time by letting Brian break down the most impactful books out there.
Let Dr Rob Gilbert start your day off right. Listen to a 3-5 minute message that will positively impact you daily.
What are you listening to when you ride in the car? Turn your car into Automobile University and gain the advantage over the competition.
There is always a lesson to be learned. Have the attitude of asking - "what can i learn from that?"
What are you doing on a daily basis to challenge your mind to stay sharp? Thy a few of these.
What are you going to Start doing?
What are you going to Stop doing?
What are you going to Continue doing?
How are you going to implement the concept of having a never-ending eagerness to get better? Start by creating a scouting report.
Listen to how Lynn uses the 1424 to climb over 100 spots in his ranking as a Crossfit athlete
Is is worth it for you to invest 1% of your day into something that will make you better?
All the answers you need are in your wins and losses. You just have to look at them. Gather information and measure everything.
How do you respond when an individual is trying to teach you? Are you a player that is willing to learn?
How Eric Gagne use "the Gap" to gather information and continue to learn from his performances.
We can't control if we are the BEST.
We can't control if we are GOOD enough.
We need to focus on getting BETTER every day.
Is it going to end up good?
We'll See.
Is it going to end up bad?
We'll See.
Stay judgement free, stay neutral, and We'll See what happens.
2 questions:
What am I doing every day to help me live in alignment with my values?
What am I doing every day to keep me from living in alignment with my values?
Go to the truth and then ask what is the next best move. Our goal is to provide our players with strategies to live in the present moment, allowing them to make quality decisions, and be able to compete one pitch at a time.
Trever Moawad teaches us what he means by "Neutral Thinking" in his book It Takes What It Takes.
To be our best, we need to be relaxed and focused. Figure Out What Makes You Relax And Go There.
What did Jake Arrieta do to get himself back on track when he was pitching in the World Series?
In this episode I teach you what I used to use a a physical action for my release routine. What are you going to to help you get back on track?
We spend so much of our time focused on the problem. The Problem Isn't The Problem How You Handle The Problem Is The Problem. Stay within what you can control.
Don't ask yourself how you feel, ask yourself how committed you are. If Your Commitment Is Greater Than Your Feelings You Get Results.
Listen how Laurie Hernandez gets herself into the zone before competing in the olympics.
What do you need to do to get back on track? What are the steps of the refocus routine?
When you start to struggle, do you go harder, do you begin to pray and hope, or do you feel like you have to be perfect?
You can either feel sorry for yourself because of the situation or you can learn from the situation.
When you are faced with adversity, do you react or do you respond. We need to be first responders.
Green - Dialed In
Yellow - Distracted
Red - Defeated
How do you get from red, to yellow, to green?
Find a way to release a phase of your game and refocus on the next phase. If I were still playing, I Would Be A Wristband Guy.
You have to be able to turn it on when it matters most. What do you do to flip the switch?
In between the event that takes place and your emotions that come as a result of the outcome, there is a gap that provides a lot of important information. Live in the gap!
What is a guaranteed win that you can have every day? Even when you can do nothing right, you can Always Look Good In Uniform!
Keep your jersey on until you have gathered information about your day. Take the jersey off when it is time to be done with your day. Wash the jersey to give it a clean start for tomorrow.
What do you do to get over a bad performance or a tough day? This episode will give you some advice on how to manage a day that is less than perfect.
In the progress phase on mental performance training you need to set aside time to gather information and plan how to attack the limitations that were exposed.
Listen to Kobe answer the question "What Does Losing Feel Like?" Why is he able to answer the question this way?
It is good to be in control. It is good to be intense. When you are your best, where are you at on the controlled intensity scale?
What is your sweet spot? How fast are you going when you can say that you are pushing the limit but also being safe? Learn your speed limit and find a way to live there.
We all agree that being intense in competition is good. What is your perfect level of intensity?
What does it mean to be in control? Unphased, even-keel, consistent, relaxed, calm demeanor. All good qualities.
My goal is to be forever strong. My goal for you is that you will remain forever strong on and off the field.
For you to become the best version of yourself, what are the things that you need to stop doing?
Bring awareness to the things that you want to start doing. What do you want to start doing in your life?
What is your process to make your limitation a strength. Instead of just saying "I can't," put a plan in place that will help you be able to.
Reframe all your closed off, negative statements into open-ended, achievable, and true phrases.
Can you handle knowIng the things that you are not very good at? In knowing these things lies all the answers on what it takes to get to the next level.
We spend too little time recognizing the things that we are good at. What are your strengths? Can you bring them each and every day?
Everybody should have a personal scouting report. What are your strengths? What are your limitations? What is your development plan to build your limitations?
Corbin Burnes shares with us what makes up his success checklist and how he uses it to be considered one of the best pitchers in baseball.
What do you put your emphasis on? What you choose to focus on will ultimately lead to what you become.
Stay neutral with your thinking and ask yourself, What Is The Next Best Thing That Needs To Get Done?
If you can understand why you do something, you will gain conviction in getting it done. Always look for the why.
It is important to have a routine, but make sure you stay in the game when your routine gets thrown off.
We want to empower you with strategies so that you have Something To Go To When You Need Something To Go To
Don't forget to set your trigger to help you execute on your habit which will lead to the reward.
You can control what you put into your mind and body. Just like you wouldn't put low grade gas in your car, don't allow negative things into your mind and body.
Who are you spending your time with? You become the average of those five people. Make sure they are bringing you up.
We spend most of our time trying to control the results or the outcome. Can you control results?
Energy can be transferred from one player to another. Good Players Aren't Afraid To Touch one another.
How was your energy level on the first day that you started your season? Make Every Day Opening Day.
When it comes to energy, Are You A Fountain Or A Drain? are you sucking the energy out of the room or are you bringing it?
You don't have to be at the goal to consider yourself successful. Happiness comes when you live in progress.
What is your definition of success? Defining success will help you gain a better perspective on your performance.
A "compared to what" mentality will help you maintain a positive perspective on a tough situation.
An awesome example of a player "taking leadership." You don't have to be at the top of your game to impact others.
You don't always just look inward to become a better leader. Surrounding yourself with good leaders will make you a good leader.
It's as much where you are at as where you see yourself in the future. Vision is real. See yourself doing the things you want to do.
What do good leaders expect from their players or employees? They want them to be in the Right Place, at the Right Time, Trying To Do The Right Thing.
What are the three questions that all individuals will ask about their leaders?
Can I Trust Him?
Does He Care About Me?
Will He Make Me Better?
Have you considered if you are the Best Player On The Team or the Best Player For The Team? What should our goal be?
What would you describe as the components of leadership? Here we describe the 6 C's of Leadership.
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We are always looking for RESULTS
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When we don't get the results we want, we change our MECHANICS or TECHNIQUE
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When that doesn't work, we start saying that we need more FOCUS
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When you still aren't seeing the results you want, we realize that we need to manage our EMOTIONS
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If you don't have a positive BELIEF SYSTEM, you will not get the results you want. DO CONFIDENCE, don't wait for it.
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We are always looking for RESULTS
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When we don't get the results we want, we change our MECHANICS or TECHNIQUE
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When that doesn't work, we start saying that we need more FOCUS
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When you still aren't seeing the results you want, we realize that we need to manage our EMOTIONS
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We are always looking for RESULTS
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When we don't get the results we want, we change our MECHANICS or TECHNIQUE
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When that doesn't work, we start saying that we need more FOCUS
1 - We focus on Results
2 - When we don't get the results we want, we Change Mechanics and Technique
The number one thing we focus on is results. Stay tuned for what we should be focused on the get the best results.
Which is better -
Prove yourself right, Or Prove Others Wrong?
Both are valuable. Use them both.
What is one thing that all the best of the best have in common? An accountability partner and a coach.
When you measure what you're doing, you will see the progress you're making. Progress creates momentum and furthers your momentum.
Instead of focusing on whether things are good or bad, focus on progress. Stay committed to getting a little better every day.
If you recognize your reason why and it is big enough, your commitment to the why will overpower the way you feel.
Lessons learned....
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It all starts with developing your process.
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It takes small actions every day
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It takes persistence, patience, and commitment.
If your commitment is greater than your feelings, you will get results.
Schwarber tracked 1,300 pitches from a pitching machine, a process that helped him recognize breaking balls. He faced live pitching from a Cubs prospect. And then he played in two games. He walked twice, and his only hit was a double, but Epstein said in his second game, on Monday, “he smoked three balls.”
And the next night, he played in a World Series game.
What is your definition of success?
What is your mantra or motivating saying or quote that you can put on a sign to remind you of who you want to be?
What does Above The Line behavior look like?
What does Below The Line behavior look like?
What Is Your Vision? What do you want to accomplish this season? What do you want to accomplish this quarter?
David Goggins teaches us his definition of mental toughness... Doing things that you don't want to do.
There is nothing more important that for you to be present in each and every moment. Focus on being where your feet are.
You can't control what is happening to you. You can only control how you respond to it. Good!
It all comes down to stacking wins by focusing on winning one play at a time by executing your task at hand.
Instead of focusing on the other team, what they have done in the past, or what they will do to you in the future, stay present. Focus on this play. Win this play.
In order to be consistent, you must be consistent. Stay disciplined when you see the results from mastering your process.
Your goal is to bombard your opponents with wave after wave of missile strikes to disorient, disrupt, disable, and demoralize them.
Over time, this combination of a purposeful, powerful, planned, precise, and persistent approach to competition is usually enough to eventually destroy most teams and force them to retreat or surrender.
Jeff Janssen, Janssen Sports Leadership Center
Your athletes will need to know exactly when, where, and how to strike your opponents to best weaken and disable them. How precisely your athletes are able to execute and adapt their game plan will have a big bearing on the final outcome.
Instead of relying solely on power to take down an opponent, especially one who has just as much or more firepower, they must develop a calculated and coordinated plan of attack designed to take out your opponent's strengths and target their weaknesses.
Competitiveness is, in essence, the harnessing of the explosive power of passion, desire, rage, and fury into a single streamlined, powerful, and destructive force, like a missile.
Determining a compelling purpose for the war is what generates the passion necessary for fighting fiercely. The more compelling the purpose is, the stronger the passion for fighting.
Michael Cuddyer would make friends with a young fan every day to hold himself accountable to being the type of payer and person that he wanted to be.
Kobe Bryant used a strategy to make the switch mentally to get him focused on the task at hand. What are you doing to flip the switch?
Instead of focusing on how you feel, spend time focusing on your commitment to executing what you are setting out to do.
Guided meditation for grounding:
3 Wins...
3 Gratitudes...
I Have...
I Am...
I Give...
I Love...
What is earthing or grounding?
A combination of grounding and meditation can help you relax, focus, and get you locked in to the present moment.
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Breathing - Relaxation
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Affirmations - Confidence Conditioning
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Look Back - Mental Recall
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Look Forward - Mental Rehearsal
The 4 Step Mental Imagery And Meditation Exercise
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BREATHING, BODY SCAN & RELAXATION
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AFFIRMATION & CONFIDENCE CONDITIONING
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LOOK BACK & MENTAL RECALL (PREVIOUS SUCCESS)
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LOOK FORWARD & MENTAL REHEARSAL (FUTURE SUCCESS)
- Stress Reduction
- Improved Sleep Patterns and Speeding Recovery Time
- Enhanced Endurance
- Improved Sense of Identity, Self, and the Body
What you’ll realize is that the more relaxed you become, the better you might feel; and the better you might feel, the more relaxed you might want to become.
Inhale for 5 seconds...
Hold for 5 seconds...
Exhale for 5 seconds...
Hold for 5 seconds.
5 x 5 Box breathing allows you to relax and focus with a mental visual to keep you in the present moment.
Inhale for six....
Hold for two....
Exhale for eight....
This allows you to relax, to focus, and get yourself into the present moment.
Do you want to decrease anxiety and help yourself be in the present moment?
Focus on the breath.
Three Breathing Techniques That Could Turn You Into A Sporting Hero:
Diaphragmatic Breathing (AKA deep belly breathing) Long exhale breathing Bhramari (humming bee) breathing
When you are at your best, you are relaxed and focused. How do you get relaxed and focused? Use the breath.
Brian Cain teaches us about focus and awareness and the importance of Giving One Hundred Percent Of What You've Got To Win The Next Pitch.
How do you allow yourself to relax, regain your focus and get back to the present moment? Take a deep breath on a focal point. What is your focal point?
Create an imaginary circle of focus that you can step into prior to you movement that will help you lock in on being in the present moment.
How do you become the best version of yourself? Bring awareness to what you need to be focusing on and then put a plan and process in place to execute on your one word focus.
Headlights do not show you the whole path. Instead, they shine for the next two hundred feet. They remind you to focus on the next two hundred feet, and the next two hundred feet. The same is true for reaching a bigger goal. Focus on the next two hundred feet and before you know it, you will be at the goal.
The goal is not to run twenty-six miles. That is too big, too overwhelming, too daunting. The goal is to run one mile, twenty-six times.
What Separates High School College And Professional Baseball Players?
Consistency.
How do you get consistency?
Focus. One. Play. At. A. Time.
What do you think is Michael Jordan's Secret To Success? Many near him would say that it is his ability to live in the present moment.
Championship teams are made of many individual players that understand their role and willing to execute their role for the better of the team.
Michael Jordan show a quality of a champion by holding himself accountable each and every day. Listen to the way he uses accountability to drive to him further greatness.
We all have motivation and we all need motivation. Where are you getting your motivation? When you are lacking motivation, where do you go to get yourself going?
The mental performance lessons we learned from watching The Last Dance.
Lesson #1 - The game within the game.
All the talent and ability is already inside you. You Are Not Lacking It, You Are Blocking It.
Take a strategy from David Goggins and fill up a cookie jar with notes that remind of victories that you have had in your life that remind you that you can get it done.
Have You ever written a letter to yourself? Trying sending yourself a letter that you can utilize and read when you are in need of a pick-me-up.
Set your password to reflect a power statement that will remind you of the type of person that you want to be.
When I asked a college pitcher what was The OneThing That Changed His Performance, he quickly replied, "being intentional with my body language."
How we convinced the Shockers to use body language to set the stage for their level of confidence.
How important is your body language? Does it negatively affect your performance? Can it positively affect your performance?
A.C.E. Acting changes everything. Don't let a bad performance shape your body language. Instead, control your body language to let it positively affect your performance.
Don't forget to occasionally lift your eyes up to see the progress and the good things you are doing each day.
Set up a bullet proof plan for confidence and success and then keep the promises you make with yourself.
One of the best ways to create personal victory is to share your habits with an accountability partner and let them encourage you to win each day.
What is more important than having perfect mechanics when it comes to your skill? If you don't believe you can, you never will.
Most people say confidence comes from success. What happens if you don't immediately get that success? Can you still be confident? Where else can you get confidence?
Your destiny can be reverse engineered to your beliefs. What do you believe about yourself as a person?
Instead of waiting for something to happen that will give you confidence, go out and "DO" confidence.
The Brain Simply Believes What You Tell It Most, make sure the story you are telling yourself is serving you.
What statements do need to be telling yourself every day to help you to be the best version of yourself?
One of my favorite childhood stories teaches us about The Optimist And The Pessimist. You have the choice to be whichever one you want.
Who wins the fight? The good wolf or the bad wolf? The winner is the one that you feed.
Another strategy to help you master your self-talk. Set a note on your phone and have it alert you throughout the day to remind you of a phrase to say out loud to yourself.
Take control of the person you see in the mirror. Put sticky notes on the mirror reminding you of the things you want to do get done.
How do you overpower your negative self-talk? Listen To Yourself Less And Talk To Yourself More.
You are capable. It is Possible. You can make anything happen. Use the reframe to start to believe it.
What would you be able to do if you thought failing was not an option? Are you doing the things that you are capable of doing?
If we think like a racehorse, we will be more kind to ourselves. Are you training like a racehorse?
What phrase are you going to use to overpower your negative thoughts? Try saying "I got this!"
Another great strategy for you to overpower your bad habit of negative self-talk. When you find yourself beating yourself up with negative self-talk - Stop And Replace!
What do you want to be known for? What is your mission? Establish a mantra fro yourself and say it out loud when you need a little pick me up.
You Wouldn't Say That To Anyone Else, so why would you say it to yourself? We need to be better about how we talk to ourselves. We are in control of the story we are telling ourselves - make sure the story is serving you.
The mantra of the Highland Rugby team has always been Kia Kaha. This translates to "be strong," or as coach Larry Gelwix challenges his players, "be forever strong."
I Want You To Be Forever Strong On The Field, So That You Can Be Forever Strong Off The Field
Another great lesson from the movie Forever Strong. When you perform poorly or have a bad day, gather information about what happened, flush the emotions, and get yourself back on track.
One of the lessons taught to us in the movie Forever Strong, is the concept of listen right. Let me explain what this means from the movie and how you can use this concept to help you become the best version of yourself.
Mental imagery sessions can put you in a good space mentally. Give yourself a good imagery session to get yourself back on track.
How a hitter can use mental imagery in the compete phase which takes place during the game.
Mental Imagery practice that I used in college to see myself performing my best given to me by my strength coach, Kerry Rosenboom.
The visualization routine that Steve Nash used to become one of the best free throw shooters to ever play in the NBA
How Michael Phelps sank to his level of training when tragedy struck at the Olympic Games.
We don't rise up to the occasion. We sink to the level of our training. You will never fall below the level of your preparation.
How we used mental imagery to get a college basketball player back on track after missing a few shots.
The self talk that Manny Ramirez uses when he sees himself execute on a specific movement.
Hear the results of an experiment a basketball coach did to determine how effective visualization is and if it helped increase a players free throw shooting percentage.
Another test you can use to show that visualization is effective and that the brain does not know the difference between what you see and what you do.
The brain does not know the difference between what you see and what you do. See yourself doing the standing long jump.
How can you use visualization to get yourself ready for competition in your sport? This is how a pitcher in baseball might utilize the strategy of visualization.
The brain does not know the difference between what you see and what you do. This episode teaches you how to stay ready when you are not getting everyday reps.
Don't go in to an event thinking that you are going to lose. If you do, you will be beat before it starts.
How do you finish the sentence?
Strength Doesn't Come From What You Can Do, Strength comes from ......
So many times, we let the way we feel dictate how we will perform. In the moments when you don't feel your best, you need to act different than you feel.
In order to succeed, we need to embrace failure. Here are 8 reasons why we should embrace failure.
You have a choice to act as if it is impossible to succeed or to act as if it is impossible to fail.
They might get dented, dirty, or lost. But, if you don't open them up, you will never know what is inside.
What is the your recipe for success? Believe it or not, one of the key ingredients is always FAILURE.
When you meet adversity, instead of bailing out, gather as much information as possible, tell yourself, "I've almost git it," and ask yourself, "what is my next best move?"
After each and every event, game, or scenario, make sure you gather Data Of Previous Engagement!
An example of how I used to concept of being uncomfortable with being uncomfortable to get me through a a tough stretch in my life.
So many of us hover in our comfort zone. In order to truly push yourself to becoming the best version of yourself, you need to get comfortable being uncomfortable.
Having a solid perspective will help you overpower adversity and have a better relationship with failure.
When adversity hits you can either get bitter or better. Learn how to turn adversity to advantage.
In this episode, I give you three good books to listen to on Audible as you enroll in Automobile University.
Use the Optimize App to help you tackle gathering information from some of the best books out there. Brian Johnson will give you a 20 min summary of his favorite books, outlining several of the key points.
Justin Su'a is the mental skills coach for the Tampa Rays. His daily 3 minute messages have greatly impacted my life and they will yours as well.
Dr Robert Gilbert has left you a daily mental performance message every day for over 35 straight years. This has been a game changer for me.
When you don't have time to read books or listen to podcasts that will help you to better, turn your car into Automobile University.
An individual with a growth mindset is always asking the question - What can I learn from that?
What do you want to start doing?
What do you want to stop doing?
What do you want to continue doing?
The best way to begin the process of getting better every day is to develop your very own scouting report.
What mantra can you implement in your life to help you to get a little better every day?
Lynn used the concept of the 14:24 to master a crossfit movement that kept him from advancing in the games. Is it worth it ti invest 1% of your day into doing something that will make you better?
Am I good enough?
Will I ever be the best?
Change you question to, "what can I do to get better today?
Everybody needs an accountability partner to check in with and to help you stay on your path to success
Is it worth it to invest 1% of your day into doing something that is going to make you better? That is 14 minutes and 24 seconds. What is your 1424?
In between the mission and you emotions is a gap where you gather information and ask what is my next best move.
Why do you constantly ask questions about your situation? Because you will do whatever it takes to gain an advantage.
You can't control if you are the best.
You can't control if you are good enough.
Focus on getting better every single day.
Confidence is about your competitive drive, your focus, positivity, perseverance, and grit, and whether you can maintain those characteristics when it matters most.
Successful people use adversity to grow and thrive.
Adversity is the best thing that can happen to you.
We all have stories we tell ourselves, and whether we realize it or not, they dictate what we are capable of.
When things get hard, you push harder; when you fail, you get back up stronger; when you don’t see results, you don’t get discouraged, but you just continue to pound away day, after day, after day, with relentlessness, consistency, heart, and passion—that’s grit.
Book breakdown of my current Favorite book by Ben Bergeron titled "Chasing Excellence" where he stresses the importance of focusing on character first. The first quality a successful athlete needs is commitment.
Another strategy on how you can get out of a red light moment by using the release and refocus routine.
Listen to hear the routine MLB pitcher Jake Arrieta uses to release what just happened on the field and refocus on the next pitch.
What does Aaron Judge do when he needs to get back to neutral after an unfavorable event. Listen to how he describes his release routine.
The routine I used at Wichita State when I needed to get back on track after making an error defensively.
Quit focusing on the problem. Focus on how you handle the problem. The Problem Isn't The Problem How You Handle The Problem Is The Problem.
Focus more on committing to your reason why than how you are feeling and you will end up getting results.
Listen how Laurie Hernandez of the USA gymnastics teams uses the refocus routine to get herself back to neutral before her event.
When you are in "Yellow Light," you need to perform the two steps to the refocus routine.
When things don't go your way, do you become prayerful, primal, or do you try to be perfect?
How do you recognize where you are at emotionally? In this episode, we will teach you 5 ways to recognize your signal lights.
in every tough situation you have two choices on how you are going to respond. Are you going to get bitter or are you going to get better?
You have 1440 minutes in a day. If someone ruins 10 minutes of your day, don't let that moment ruin the rest of your day.
When you start to get emotionally compromised, you need to first Recognize Your Signal Lights. Are you in Green, Yellow, or Red?
Before you get emotional, pause for a moment and ask yourself, What Is My Next Best Move?
If I were playing right now, I Would Be A Wristband Guy. Changing wristbands help you to flip the switch.
What does it mean to Flip The Switch? What are you going to physically do when you need to Flip The Switch?
In the book, "Above The Line," we learn the formula E+R=O. You can't control the event that is happening to you, but you can control how you respond to it. Together, that makes up the outcome.
How do you guarantee that you doing something well each day on the playing field? Always look good in uniform.
What does your postgame routine look like? What are you doing to get yourself over the previous game and ready for the next?
Give yourself 1 hour after each game to manage your emotions, gather information, and deal with the ups and downs - and then it is time to move on.
Where do you live on the controlled intensity scale? Are you better when you are a little more in control or when you play more intense?
What speed do you need to be going for optimal performance? What is your ideal performance state?
We all believe that being intense can be helpful in competition. We also agree that being too intense can he harmful. What is Your Perfect Level Of Intensity?
How important is it to be in control? What strategies can you use to regain control when the game is speeding up on you?
What is one thing that coaches, parents, teachers, and teammates want from you? They want you to compete.
The story about How Penguins Learn To Fly. What are you going to do with your mental performance training?
In the Start, Stop, Continue, what are the things that you want to continue doing?
What are you doing now that you want to keep on doing to be successful on a daily basis?
What Do You Want To Stop Doing in your life to help you become the best version of yourself?
The three phases of mental performance training:
Prepare Phase - before the competition
Compete Phase - during the competition
Progress Phase - after the competition
What are you doing in the Prepare Phase Of Your Mental Performance Training to help you be the best version of yourself?
After you recognize your limitations and use the reframe, it is time to plan your process to attack your limitations. What are you going to do to develop the skills that are considered your limitations? Plan your process for progression.
You can use the reframe whenever you are having negative self-talk and saying that you "can't." Start a new statement with "I can" and the add "when I." This makes a true statement that changes your perspective on the situation.
It is important to recognize your limitations. If you can start to master your limitations, you will quickly close the gap from where you are to where you want to be.
In the battle of self belief, it is important for you to know what your strengths are, recognize your value, and do more of it. It isn't just about developing your limitations, you must excel at your strengths.
Everybody should have their very own scouting report. You should know what your strengths and weaknesses are. In that report lives the answers to your daily plan and answer to what it takes to get to where you want to be.
What are you focusing on? You Will Become What You Put Your Emphasis On. Make sure you focus on what you want to become, not on what you don't.
Use the success checklist to program and schedule victory and success in your daily life.
What are the above the line behaviors that you need to start or continue doing? What are the below the line behaviors that you need to stop doing?
If you could pick one word to focus on for the next 90 days to help you get closer to being the person that you want to be, what would that word be? What is your one word focus?
What is your MISSION?
What is your VISION?
What are your PRINCIPLES?
Get clarity on your process by creating an MVP Process.
Before you get or go emotional because of the outcome or results of the even ask yourself..... What Is The Next Best Thing That Needs To Get Done?
I can't think of a better gift for you to give someone than for you to be present. Be where you're feet are. On purpose, with purpose.
If you are going to be your best, it is important that you always have a reason why. What is your reason why?
Sometimes the answer isn't to just go harder. Sometimes you need to take a step back and sharpen your axe.
If you understand the WHY, you can have conviction in your execution. Always understand your WHY, and it will be easier to do things on purpose, with purpose.
It is important to have routines, but how do you respond when your routine falls through? You need to Have A Routine - But Don't Be Married To It.
Dr Ken Ravizza teaches us:
A habit is:
Something To Go To When You Need Something To Go To
The Habit Cycle
Step 1 - Set A Trigger
Step 2 - Establish a routine or habit
Step 3 - Recognize the reward
In a letter to his younger self, Ray Allen discusses what will eventually lead him to success in the NBA - Boring old habits!!
You can control what you put into your body as well as your mind. You wouldn’t put low grade gas in a lambo, so be cautious what you put in your body and mind.
The best team doesn't always win. It's the team that plays the best that wins. Don't focus on being the best, focus on playing the best.
Who are you hanging around? You become the average of the five people you spend the most time with.
So often, our focus is only on the results. Can You Control Results? Focus on the process and the results will take care of themselves.
Our focus is to control what you can control. We can control the effort we give. Focus on your effort. Bring your effort every single day.
You can control the energy you bring. Energy is contagious. You can change your energy level. How fast? That fast.
Vision is necessary in order to schedule success. After identifying your vision, you can reverse engineer your plan to execute success.
What is your plan for success? You need attention to detail with your plan as well as attention to detail in executing your plan.
One of my key principles for the upcoming year is resilience. My focus is to allow the struggles that come my way teach me the lessons I need to be better and stronger than I was before.
What are the key principles or core values that you need in your life this upcoming year?
For me, principle #1:
Balance
When you need a pick me up - Get Up And Move! Sweat before screens. Positive energy will result!
When you are going through a tough time - go to the cookie jar. A jar full of reminders of the victories that you have had in your life.
Self-confidence letter. Congrats on getting drafted by the braves. Brag sheet. Things you are proud of. Bring out the letter when you are going through a tough time
What password do you use to open up a device or an account? Reprogram your password to remind yourself of your one word focus. Energy!
Brian Cain teaches us about The Confusion About Confidence and how we can "DO confidence."
"It was my body language. When I focused on mastering my body language, I became a much more confident player."
Take notice of your body language. Are you exhibiting body language that will bring success? Or more failure?
This is entirely in your control.
By, Brian Hamm
on April 26, 2016
When you are attacking each day, take a moment to recognize your achievements and see the progress you are making each and every day.
Create personal victories by making promises with yourself and then keeping promises with yourself each and every day. When you trust yourself, you develop more confidence in your relationship with yourself.
Use this App to schedule the building of your confidence. Share your habits with a friend to have them hold you accountable. A great way to create personal victory and ultimately confidence in your life.
I need to prepare my mind for challenges that are going to come my way that are out of my control. I need the momentum, I need the confidence, I need the personal victories.
Do you want to be a much more confident person? Create Personal Victory. Schedule wins in your day. Execute on your routine and benefit from the rewards of Creating Personal Victory.
Confidence. It’s a choice and a decision more than it is a feeling.
Stop searching for confidence and start acting with confidence. You act with confidence by acting big, breathing big, and committing big.
Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your self-talk, your self-talk becomes your actions , your actions become your habits, your habits become your performance, your performance becomes what you are remembered for.
Instead of being in a Tug Of War with the ones that care about you, stand back to back, with arms locked. Nothing will come in between you.
Take 5 minutes every morning to consider the things you are grateful for. It will give you more energy, a better outlook on life, and influence on those around you.
Evidence suggests that teammates who touch each other liberally on the court -- high-fives, fist-bumps, hugs, pats and the like -- tend to do that better than players who don't.
“It is real simple. If you want to be a good teammate and if you want people to like you, you MUST be a fountain. Your team does not need drains. Drains only clog thing up.”
Perspective is reality.
The attitude you take is a decision you make.
What attitude will you bring to the team today?
Most people think that the only way to consider yourself successful, is when you are at the finish line. Gain new perspective on the definition of success so that you can feel successful even before you are at the goal.
When you see the hidden images in these logos, you will never see them the same again. You will have a new perspective. I hope the same is true for your mental performance training.
You become the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. Who do you surround yourself with?
Jimmy Valvano had a vision of winning a National Championship aat NC State and it all began with cutting down the nets.
Leaders are always looking to be at the:
Right place, at the Right time, trying to do the Right thing.
3 things player need in a leader:
Can I Trust Him,
Does He Care About Me,
Will He Make Me Better
Instead of focusing on being the best player on the team, focus on being the best player for the team.
Character Counts.
Courage Counts.
Communication Counts.
Consistency Counts.
Connection Counts.
Competence Counts.
You will believe the story you tell yourself every day. What is your story?
“The Brain Simply Believes What You Tell It Most.” Shad Helmstetter Ph.D.
Start using "you" or your name instead of "I" in your self talk. With this, it appears as you are coaching yourself instead of telling yourself what to do.
What are your three keys that you need to say to yourself to get you back on track when yo appear to be struggling? These are your rumble strips.
What are the confidence conditioning or positive affirmation statements that you need to be saying to yourself on a daily basis?
How do you get mental reps? Set a reminder on your phone - every hour - with a power statement that describes the individual that you want to be.
How a state champion wrestler uses a champion statement to overpower negative self-talk and change his personal belief system
Use sticky notes on your accountability mirror to shape your self-talk and remind you of who you want to be and what you need to accomplish to win the day.
Can you control what you think? I'm not sure. Can you control what you say out loud? Absolutely.
Listen To Yourself Less And Talk To Yourself More
How do you build a wall? Focus on laying one brick at a time. Being overwhelmed can lead to negative self-talk. Change your focus to change your thoughts.
“AERODYNAMICALLY, THE BUMBLE BEE SHOULDN’T BE ABLE TO FLY, BUT THE BUMBLE BEE DOESN’T KNOW IT, SO IT GOES ON FLYING, ANYWAY.” – MARY KAY ASH WHAT WOULD BE POSSIBLE IF WE ONLY BELIEVED THAT WE COULD FLY, INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON HOW SMALL OUR WINGS ARE?
Train like a Racehorse, train like a bumblebee. Racehorses are incapable of thinking for themselves. Good. They don't compare themselves to others, they just focus on themselves.