Tuesday, December 22, 2009
It Comes Down To Your Mind
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Pull the Trigger
This is analogous to the Nike slogan of "Just Do It." However, I like "pull the trigger" because it commands the most attention and includes a sense of urgency.
When it comes right down to it, you are faced with one major decision in life- Am I going to go all out OR am I going to hold back? (thank you Dr. Rob Gilbert) Are you going to make it happen or are you going to sit back and hope it happens? I'm sure anyone reading this does not need to be convinced that the difference between champions in sports and life are the ones who make things happen. Champions pull the trigger.
There are many things that could inhibit someone from pulling the trigger- fear, past experience, over analysis, etc etc. Many people have a misconception that champions do not go through similar mental discomforts- they are just different kinds of people than we are, they say. Well guess what? Champions are human just like anyone else- never subhuman or superhuman, but simply human. They have emotions, doubts, fears, nervousness, and past failures just like anyone else, but they act ANYWAY.
A warrior isn't about perfection or victory or invulnerability, but absolute vulnerability- that's the only true courage. (Peaceful Warrior)
Champions do not let doubts, fears, and past failures cripple them from taking action. Typically, a champion uses "failure" to motivate themselves to take more action. Champions will pull the trigger.
Many do not realize this, but Champions lose more than normal people lose. Why? Because they make more attempts than ordinary people. The difference is that they continue to take action no matter what their outcomes. Surely they use their failures as feedback and thus look honestly at themselves and make modifications when necessary, but they continue to act, they continue to pull the trigger.
Take a look at a few examples of Champions losing more than normal people:
~Few people would think that the hitter who struck out most times in baseball history would be thought of as a good player, much less a baseball hall of famer, Mr. October REGGIE JACKSON.
~Or that the batter who made the most outs ever would also have the most hits- does PETE ROSE ring a bell?
~ Surely the pitcher with the most all time losses would be sent back to the minors. He wouldn't be the pitcher with the most all time wins would he? Would they name the Most Valuable Pitcher the CY YOUNG award?
~You would think the basketball player who missed over 9,000 shots, lost almost 300 games, missed the game winning shot 26 times, and cut from freshman high school team would be MICHAEL JORDAN.
~Just google the "successes and failures of ABRAHAM LINCOLN" if you want to see real adversity and bouncing back from losses!
NJ wrestling great Andrew Flanagan once said that in high school he wrestled in higher divisions in the off-season and thus had a lot of losses. But that made him tougher and was a big contributor to his success. He said, "if you're not losing, your not wrestling good enough competition." You can apply this to any area in life. The Champion seeks the best competition. He goes for the challenge, to test himself. We often tend to compete at the level of our competition. So to raise your level, raise your competition. How many people could have been so much better if they would have chosen to join the pack of lions instead of assuming the lead among wolves. Yeah it may feel good, but which will make you better? Ask yourself that honestly. Is your goal to look good in front of people and feel good? Or is it to get as good as you can (which of course will eventually lead to recognition and good self feelings)?
I love to hear the reasoning when I hear great performers call BS on Sport/Performance Psychology. They say "that stuff" is garbage. I don't think about psychology or anything for that matter. I just do it.
When I hear this I always laugh to myself because theirin lies the master of Performance Psychology. If I had to make a brief list of what Performance Psychology in a nutshell it would be (1)Help person find what they want (2)Get person to take action (3)Get person to step out of their own way (get their mind and body to work together). That's it!
The Champions who call a bluff on Performance Psychology do naturally exactly as they are supposed to (they just do not realize it) - they know what they want, they act, they don't get in their own way by over thinking or negative thinking.
True, some people have it naturally. So it's tempting to say, "you either have it or you don't." Well I say, you have it or you can LEARN IT. Remember the strong rule the weak, but the smart rule the strong (for example humans tame lions, not the reverse). As some people are naturally stronger than others, this is not the end of the story. On the contrary, a person who is naturally strong who never lifts weights can and will lose to the unnatural who makes lifting weights a high priority. There are scientific ways to improve your strength, just as there are scientific ways to improve your mindset.
That's right, this is not chat room discussion. This is a SCIENTIFIC FIELD. A lot of people aren't aware of that. Sport Psychology is a SCIENCE. Many coaches tell athletes to be more confident or to relax. But they never tell them quite how to do it. Probably because they themselves are not aware of how to do so. I'm here to tell you there are techniques and systematic ways to help you get more confident and to relax when you get too nervous. Whether you take advantage of them or not is up to you...
Gene Zannetti
Performance Enhancement Specialist
(908) 337-6143
genezannetti@gmail.com
Friday, June 19, 2009
Life is Choice
- Charles R. Swindoll
These numbers seem pretty strong. And I am sure these figures severely underestimate sociology and the power of context. I do not know if you can assign accurate numbers, but I am sure life is part what happens to you and part how you react to it.
In other words- Life is Choice.
Life is filled with choices, made up of trade offs which include their own respective consequences, some of which we cannot see, only predict. The consequences in turn shape your life to some extent.
So at the most basic level, your choices affect your life.
My parents always stressed two big concepts to my brothers and I- (1) Always be a good person (2) Always use good common sense.
Both are important!
I've heard it said, "good things happen to good people" and "what goes around comes around." Neither of these are true in a literal sense, all the time. These saying hold up sometimes, but not always.
I have seen many "good" people make bad decisions that have literally ruined their life. Good people who made 1 bad decision, 1 time.
This is not to say that everything you do has life affecting consequences. But the truth is, some choices you make do have THAT big of an impact.
But remember! You do not only have a choice in big matters. You have a choice all the time. The first step to controlling your life is recognizing that you are in control of your life (at least to some degree). Remember life is part what happens to you, but also part how you react to it. How you react to life are your choices. And good decision making is crucial to a happy and successful life.
You have control of your choices. You can choose to be a victim or anything else. (-peaceful warrior).
Realize you can choose to let someone anger, annoy, or upset you or not.
You can choose to eat healthy or not, go all out or hold back, exercise or not, take drugs or not, have unprotected sex or not etc.
All life is a choice. Even reading this right now is a choice. You can choose to do what you want.
This is a very empowering and liberating idea. Imagine living under Communism with no choice at all. You would be dying to come to a Democracy, like you live in, with the options and choices before you right now.
Start appreciating your choice.
Another thing to remember is to only concern yourself with things you have control of. Do not waste time worrying about things you cannot control. This will lead to unnecessary fear, anxiety, and stress.
Your Choice (which includes how you will act) is the only thing you can control. Do not overly concern yourself with other people's decisions and actions, even if they work against you. Just decide what you want to do from this point forward.
The second step to controlling your life is realizing NOW is the moment of power. Now is the time we harvest the crops of the past and plant the seeds for the future. There is power that lies in the past or future. The past does shape where we are now. The future does shape the course of action we will take now. But, the PRESENT is the only time that you can act.
So our first two steps to controlling our life are (1) Recognizing you have a choice and (2) Realizing that Now is the only moment you are capable of acting on your choice.
You can choose to act in the future, but you are only capable of acting in the present. Concern yourself with (1) Your Power of Choice and (2) The Present Moment
Monday, April 20, 2009
FLOW
-Zach Bretz
And now your buddy Gene will serve it to you!
Last night I was having a great conversation with my good friend Zach, who is taking a Positive Psychology class at the University of Pennsylvania, about the coveted Flow state.
Flow is an experience (not exclusive to sports) where a person is immersed in an activity and has their mind focused on the present moment while losing consciousness of ego, self-evaluations, and the audience and audience evaluations. Things seem to fall into place as the unconscious takes over and a self-transcendence is reached.
Many athletes call this experience being "In the Zone." They use the words in the Zone and Flow interchangeably. I do not believe that the Zone and Flow are one and the same. I can differentiate between the two.
I know I have been in the Zone every wrestling match in which I ever competed. But, it was only in rare occasions where I felt Flow. I believe the Zone may be a prerequisite for Flow. But, being in the Zone will not inevitably lead to Flow. This principle became more clear to me today when my friend Nate Wierzbicki, a Physical Education major at Springfield College, hypothesized that there may be several steps necessary to achieving Flow.
I will differentiate between the two now. While in the Zone, one feels as though they are In the Moment. There is a Buddhist word for being in the Here and Now- Satori. I loved to compete because when I was on the mat, I was not thinking about my school work, girl problems, etc. I became focused on the present moment.
To me, being in the Present Moment, here and now, represents the Zone. I'm sure athletes share this common experience with me. This tunnel vision results from a moderate amount of arousal or anxiety. It can be harmful the tunnel vision becomes extreme. This will close your mind to creativity and fluidity, both necessary components of Flow. But in the Zone you can still be self-conscious and aware of other people's evaluations and expectations.
Flow is the Zone, plus the relative absence of self & others consciousness. You and the experience become one and the same. In a sense, you lose yourself. This principle is by no means new. Many cultures all over the world have known about this concept for thousands of years, not the least of which being the Eastern cultures and the principle of Zen.
As stated above, a major prerequisite of Flow is the loss of one's ego. Listen to how Dr. David Lieberman describes this IDEAL STATE as he calls it:
"Your ideal state of mind is to have no ego and this is achieved by focusing solely on your objective. This will allow you to be unconcerned with how you are coming across and help you avoid second-guessing yourself. If you are absorbed with your objective, the "I" or the ego disappears and you can pursue your goal relentlessly. Focus only on the outcome, not on yourself."
Surely when Dr. Lieberman speaks of focusing on your objective, he means focusing on executing your mission, not on how to do it, and certainly not on winning. When you watch McElwain and Jordan below, they are achieving Flow by thinking about making baskets, not on winning the game. The winning is a byproduct of making baskets.
Letting Go and Trusting your instincts is another important part of attaining Flow. A common complaint among athletes is that they perform better in practice than in a match or a game. I believe that this phenomena of a "practice room wrestler" is due to the fact that in practice it is easier to LET GO. In practice, these athletes attain, if not, come closer to attaining Flow. They may experience tunnel vision to an optimal extent, not to the extreme. Fluidity and creativity is maintained as one is loose and relaxed with their muscles. Being too in the Zone would create extreme tunnel vision, and overall narrowing of the vision. This is likely what happens when a "practice room wrestler" competes, due to over arousal.
I do not know if there are different levels of Flow and if exists along a continuum, but I would have to believe this is at least somewhat the case. Either way, it seems the more into Flow one becomes, the better.
So if in practice an athlete can come closer to Flow, they will probably perform better (better not in terms of wins or losses, but rather in terms of competing to their potential). If its easier to Let Go in practice, then it logically follows that the athlete will be more into Flow and thus perform better.
A more technical name for Flow is what Sport Psychologists call Ideal Peak Performance State (IPPS). They say there are 7 characteristics of IPPS.
(1) Total Concentration (focused on the Here and Now. Living in the present moment).
(2) Clear Goals (the clear objective we spoke of earlier)
(3) Lack of Self-Awareness (loss of the ego and audience and audience evaluations).
(4) Unambiguous Feedback (Clearly seeing things as they are. Also includes no value judgements of good or bad associated with actions. Not thinking, yet not dreaming, ready for whatever may come).
(5) Sense of Control (In a sense that the person is competent enough to perform the task, the task must be a challenge, neither over challenging or under utilizing the person's present skills) It is a little bit of a stretch of the persons current skill level, hence it is within their control, and the person is aware of this .
(6) Autotelic (Self-Goals) Experience (Intrinsic Motivation, the process becomes its own reward)
(7) Transformation of Time (Which some report, make time seem to slow down during the task, but paradoxically seems fast once the task is over).
How Does it feel to be in Flow? (basically corresponds with the 7 characteristics of Flow):
1. Completely involved in the experience. Focus and concentration.
2. Sense of ecstasy. Greater than normal.
3. Inner clarity. Knowing what needs to be done and how to do it.
4. Sense of Control (we spoke of just above).
5. Sense of Serenity (loss of ego and evaluations)
6. Timelessness (Happens in a flash, things fly by).
7. Intrinsic Motivation (we spoke of before).
My girlfriend Danielle, an Exercise Science and Sport Management major at Rutgers University, made me look at it from a different perspective. Think of an lion tacking a gazelle. Watch any animal attack on youtube and you see a sort of effortlessness that occurs. Animals are instinctive. They are in the present moment, as they have no concept of past or future. There is no higher order thinking going on. No consideration to how they look or how others perceive them. They are single minded in their pursuit of their objective. I wonder what implications this has on people with mental disabilities. Consider Jason's story below. I have heard many stories of people with mental disabilities and how powerful they can be when they get mad. They concentrate all their energy into the present moment and are single minded in their pursuit of an objective without ego or worry of evaluation. I wonder if Jason's story has anything to do with that, I don't know.
So if this is a natural/innate process, why is it so rare for humans to achieve? It's probably a trade-off of the higher order brain we have (which includes self-conscious) combined with our learned social awareness (norms, praise and critique, and modern concepts of success-based on winning and achievements). Indeed it is necessary to have a mind that's counterproductive to Flow at times. We must think about the future, so we know how to act in the present. We must learn from the past, to continue doing the things that led us to success and to not repeat our errors. This adaptive mental process leads our mind to sometimes stray from the Here and Now, as in performance settings, where such a mindset is desirable. We are exposed to value judgements since were born. We're told what is good and what is bad. We are praised and rewarded for doing good, while being ridiculed and punished when we do bad. We learn about value judgements and social desirability early and the rewards and punishments that go along with it. It's no wonder we think in terms of good and bad, right and wrong. It is hammered into our head since birth. This is counterproductive in a performance setting. Thinking of others opinions and judgements of us while performing diverts our minds out of a clear and alert state necessary for staying in the present moment and achieving Flow.
Another thing Flow made me think of is a specific part of the Da Vinci Code. As Professor Langdon asked Sophie is she remembered anything ritualistic in nature that her grandfather partook in. And then the screen shows a flashback of two people having sex in front of a group of people in a ritualistic manner. In the movie, they said women were seen by many as a route to God. Could this be because sex is another act where self-transcendence and the Flow state is possible. What's more is that it's something almost every adult can relate to.
Check out these articles on the coveted state of Flow (click the links)
Also, keep in mind that there is no distinction made between the Zone and Flow. Remember what we talked about as you read.
Shambhala Sun- In the Zone: The Zen of Sports
Scholarly Articles on Flow (Click Links)
If We Are So Rich, Why Aren't We Happy, Relating Cramming and Flow, The Flow Experience, Flow Among Jounalists, Flow at Work, Relationships Among Goal Orientations, Motivational Climate, and Flow, Flow In A Team Setting, Flow and Music Students, Flow & Creativity in Music, Psychological Skils, Performance, & Flow, Team Innovation & Flow, Flow & Recreation, Effects of Hypnosis on Flow, Flow- A Theory, Maximizing Flow in Sports, Flow & Motorcycling, Motivation, Flow, & Personality, Encouraging Creativity: Flow & Motivation, Flow- A General Context, Flow in P.E., Propensity & Flow, Motivation & Flow in P.E., Constructing Challenges to Find Flow, Development of Scales on Flow, Religious Orientation & Flow, Pre-shot Routine & Flow, Psychophysiology of Flow, Playing In the Zone, Flow in Schools, Flow & Computer Games, Measuring Flow of Web Users, Online Behavior: Assessing Flow, Going with the Flow, Flow & Organizational Psychology, Measuring Flow in Online Games, Pre-Competitve Anxiety & Flow, Flow & Consumer Behavior, Flow & Hiking, Locus of Control & Flow, Hypnosis, Flow, & Basketball, Flow & Kata, Flow & Art Making in Cancer Patients, Video Game Flow, Flow & Online Environment, Attentional Strategies, Perceived Exertion, & Flow, Flow Theory & Coaching Psychology, Flow, Family, & Soccer, Potential & Job Complexity and effects on Flow, Frame, Flow, & Reflection as Public Liminality, Flow Theory & Video Games, Flow & Engagement, Creating Flow in Game-Based Learning, Flow of Software Development, Presence & Flow in Virtual Reality, Participation, Engagement, & Flow, Flow & Internet Shopping, Maintaining Concentration to Achieve Task Completion, Triggers of Extraordinary Experiences, Television Addiction, Assessing Mindfulness,
Flow caught on tape! (click the links)
FLOW 1
1992 NBA Finals Game 1. Michael Jordan scored a finals record of 35 points in the 1st half. This included six 3-pointers, another record. Watch Jordan's face throughout the video. He does not get excited, he simply keeps doing his thing. Only after his 6th 3-pointer do we see him finally show emotion and reflection of the situation- he shrugs his shoulders, as if to say I don't know how this is happening. This is Flow:
FLOW 2
Autistic student, Jason McElwain was the team manager for his high school basketball team. The last game of the season, his coached allowed his to dress. With two minutes left in the game, the coach gave Jason the signal to go in. After 2 missed shots, Jason McElwain does something extraordinary. He attained Flow. He made the next 6 shots in a row. Watch this clip and see what I'm talking about. He makes 3 in a row and its very exciting. And then it starts to get freaky, as he makes 3 more. It's a little bit scary to watch someone in this Flow state because for a little while, potential is reached and self-transcendence is achieved.
Jason illustrates how Flow is not exclusive to anyone, or any group of people.
This video makes me think of a quote I heard a long time ago by Marianne Williamson:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
While it may not be possible to will a Flow state, it is my firm belief that you can facilitate it, and thus make it more likely to happen.
Steps to facilitate Flow-
* Practice Trusting your abilities.
[Know there is a difference between Training and Trusting. Training is analysis of behavior and technical awareness. Trusting is the act of Letting Go and allowing your instincts to take over. Both are necessary to become successful. Remember the timeless wisdom, you need to practice the way you want to play. This means if in a game you want to be in a Trusting mode, you must spend time in practice actually practicing Trusting. Dr. Bob Rotell recommends if you are a golfer you practice 70% of your shots in a Trusting Mindset. You can apply that theory to any sport or trade.]
* Practice Letting Go of Your ego and Value Judgements (good vs. bad, right vs wrong) in Sports...and in Life. Just see things as they are. [Note- This does NOT apply to your morals.]
* Practice staying in the Present Moment and having an alert yet clear mind. [Watch the movie Peaceful Warrior to get a better sense of this.]
Are some people more predisposed to the Flow state based on their personality type?
Based on Myers and Briggs Type Indicator of Personality, there are 4 different personality types, with 4 subgroups of each type, making 16 total personality types.
One of the personality types- The Artisan (SP) seems to have a predisposition for the Flow state since these people by personality definition are Sensing (S) meaning Down to Earth and grounded; and Perceiving (P) meaning more likely to go with the flow. By Dr. David Keirsey's interpretation, these Artisans are, more than other personality types, in the Here and Now, an important component of Flow. The do not need to be taught this. Interestingly enough, these tend to be people who have little use for subjects like psychology that require reflection on their actions. Artisans tend to prefer action to contemplation. Sounds like that would help facilitate Flow doesn't it? Keirsey adds that more than any other type, Artisans are most (1) comfortable in their bodies (less self awareness), (2) most optimistic, (3) live and act in the present (as we already said), (4) masters of timing and graceful movement, (5) best able to respond quickly and flexibly to a changing environment, (6) unlike others, their public performance improve the more excited they get, (7) can spot things that give them an edge, where others can't, at least not with the same accuracy. These Flow facilitators, along with the other natural abilities their personality grants them, make them seem to be predisposed for Flow and in a way built for performances. You be the judge by this brief list of Artisan Athletes: Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Bruce Lee, Lance Armstrong, Hulk Hogan, Mickey Mantle, Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali, Joe Namath, Stephen Abas, Usain Bolt, Ben Askren, Shaquille O'Neil, Allen Iverson, Jimmy Connors, Greg Louganis, Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, Mary Lou Retton, Yogi Berra, Matt Valenti, Joe Dubuque, Darrion Caldwell, Dennis Rodman, Michael Phelps, Carly Patterson, John Smith, Terry and Tom Brands, Terrell Ownes, Deion Sanders, Gene Mills, etc.
A Diet to help you get into Flow? I don't know how I feel about this. Either way it's worth posting. Both articles are about Dr. Barry Sears' controversial Zone Diet theory.
Friday, April 17, 2009
The Importance of Identifying Talent in Sports...and Life (click links)
Study: For Athletes, It's Speed or Endurance-Not Both
Olympic Gold Begins With Good Genes, Experts Say
With a lot of hard work, just about ANYONE can become VERY GOOD at just about ANYTHING.
However, to get to greatness, or to be the BEST in a particular field, a good amount of NATURAL ABILITY is required.
Read the first chapter of the book The Tiger Traits to see this concept well articulated.
This is not sad news by any means, IF you agree with the premise that EVERYONE HAS TALENT.
Theories of MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES (idea that there are many different areas of intelligence, not just IQ) support the idea that EVERYONE HAS TALENT.
I am willing to take this Multiple Intelligence theory one step further, in what I call my Supernatural theory.
Supernatural theory- everyone has something or some natural talent that they possess that is greater naturally than 90% or more of the population.
This means you need to identify your talent, enjoy using your talent, practice it often, and go into a sport/career etc. that allows you to make the most use of your talent.
Again, this is just an idea that I've been throwing around in my head. When you think about it, everyone has something they can just naturally do better than 9 out of 10 people you know. Think about it.
IDENTIFY YOUR TALENT
USE YOUR TALENT
Typically we love to do something that we are exceptional at, so your passion and your talent should probably be very similar, if not the same thing.
Keep an eye out for things you seem to do easily.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
My Favorite Inspirational Stories and Poems
My Favorite Inspirational Poems
My Favorite Inspirational Stories
If there is anything you have that you would like me to add, please let me know and I will have it up as soon as possible. Thank you.
Monday, April 6, 2009
The Best Thing A Coach Could Do Before the Season Starts - Individual Meetings
This will take some time, but I assure you that this meeting will save you A LOT of time in the long run. It is crucial that the coach and athlete are on the same page. This meeting is a great place to set the tempo for the upcoming season. If coaches communicate this message, the athlete will surely feel more involved in the decision making process. This sense of empowerment will increase obedience in athletes and encourage openness when an issue comes up. In short, the coach-athlete relationship will grow.
Remember- A person always tries harder for someone he likes, admires, and knows is out for his best interest.
The Meeting:
The first thing you need to stress is the importance of COMMUNICATION. This will require a partnership between coaches and each individual wrestler. Any problems, issues, or concerns need to be voiced. There's a time and a place to do this (preferably after practice, in private). Coaches need to be aware of what each athletes situation is in order to have a better understanding of the athlete. This will allow the coach to deal more effectively with the athlete.
Assure them that you've been in their shoes before as a high school student-athlete and you are there for them if they need guidance or direction or advice. You realize the challenges they will face and are their to help them along the way. This will gain you more respect in their eyes.
Remind them that SCHOOL is the top priority, not the sport. If the athlete has poor grades, he will be ineligible to compete. We do not only want you to compete, but graduate and go on to college.
Next- Let the athlete's know expectations you have for them as an athlete and as a team.
After that, their are 4 major issues the coach must cover.
(1) Weight Class
Know the athletes current weight and remind them that they are growing boys so the top priority is always health. Also that we expect each athlete to come into the practice room with high and positive energy. You need to be at a weight class that permits you to compete at 100% and enter practices with goals of improving technique and fitness, NOT goals of weight loss. Keep in mind, this weight needs to be maintained for 4 months by a growing boys (a 2lb weight allowance will not always suffice). If these conditions aren't met, the weight loss should not be permitted.
Make sure to take a multi-vitamin everyday.
The weight class of each athlete is determined by the athlete and the coach. Once a commitment is made, the athlete is responsible for this weight class, as this is the team part of the sport. This weight class is the athlete's commitment to his team.
All weight issues should be discussed with the coach, as far in advance as possible, DO Not wait until the last minute.
(2) Handling Critique
Ask each athlete how they like to be addressed after they make a mistake ie. blunt, no sugarcoating; positive but firm; very delicately; etc. etc.
This is important because in order to improve, you will need feedback. We want to provide this feedback in the most constructive way possible for each INDIVIDUAL.
Not everyone deals with criticism the same.
Know the individual.
(3)Pre-Match Mindset
Ask how each athlete likes to be addressed before a match. Do you perform best when fired up, yelled at, slapped in the face etc. OR in a relaxed-have fun, do your thing etc. OR somewhere in between OR something else.
We need to find your optimal point pre-match demeanor and as coaches help you get there.
Again every individual is different. You must get to know each athlete for his preference.
(4) Goal Setting
See my blog on goals.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
The Key to Your Success- Your Self-Image
One of the most, if not thee most important element of success is having a positive and empowering Self-Image. Successful people see themselves as winners, go-getters, high achievers, worthy of glory, etc etc. And their mental images of themselves usually manifest themselves in the individuals behaviors.
This is the Heart of Sport Psychology. Everything else is more of a band-aid fix (it helps, but it will not solve the problem). 1st order change.
1st Order Change vs. 2nd Order Change- 2nd order change is systems oriented. Attacking your Self-Image is a 2nd order change (which is always most desirable).
No other factor is as crucial to your success as your Self-Image. -Coach Mike Tulley
Self-Efficacy is an individuals belief that he/she can successfully complete a specific task.
To a high degree, the greater Self-Efficacy (or Confidence) a person has, the more likely a person is to achieve that which they set out for.
A prerequisite for this confidence or self-efficacy is a belief that one is capable of doing big things. This is tied into a person's Self-Image.
In Sport-Performance Psychology, I believe the first step to success is to see exactly how you view yourself.
Successful people know that life is a self-fulfilling prophecy- If you believe something is true, you tend to act in a way to make it exactly so.
This is THE SECRET.
The steps to Sport-Performance Psychology
Step 1: Determine your Self-Image (As detailed and honestly as possible)
Step 2: Determine your Goal(s)
Step 3: Determine the Self-Image you will need to have in order to achieve your Goal(s).
(Ask someone who has achieved those goals already, if your stuck)
Step 4: Determine the all the blocks (both internal & external, but mainly, internal) to getting to the empowering Self-Image.
Step 5: Work daily on instilling the empowering Self-Image, and removing the negative parts of your original Self-Image.
How to improve your Self-Image-
*Make a List of your Empowering Self-Image (Not necessarily how you see yourself, but rather how you WANT to see yourself).
*Make another List next to this list and title it "Evidence." Every time you act in accordance to this new Self-Image, you need to document it on this paper(s). You refer to this list often, to remind yourself that YOU ARE the way you want to be. YOU EMBODY this empowering Self-Image.
I was asked before how do you improve your Self-Image of you really don't feel good about yourself.
The answer may come as a shocker, but you need to begin with BLIND FAITH.
This may be a very difficult thing to have right away, but it is the first step on the ladder of success.
You have to begin believing simply because you choose to.
[This in a sense, mirrors Albert Ellis, father of Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy in psychology, and his idea of Unconditionally Accepting yourself, simply because you choose to.
If this is hard, I would recommend turning to a Higher Power. Your religion can be just the catalyst you are looking for because it so well rooted in us since birth and usually just accepted as fact, without question.
It's no surprise that most of the highly successful people have a strong belief in God, and they'll openly thank Him after accomplishing their goals.
These people have TRUE CONFIDENCE that their faith will overcome all. Whether their success is due to the Self-Fulfilling Prophecy or Divine Intervention goes beyond the scope of this blog.
What IS certain is FAITH can help a person compete fearlessly, confidently, and with a sense of serenity unlike any other.
For more information on Spiritual Motivation from Christianity and Judaism (Hebrew Scripture or Old Testament), see my Spiritual Blog: GZ-God and Church, under Motivational words from God.
http://www.gzchristian.blogspot.com/
Question of the day: If your Self-Image is based on your very beliefs about the world at large, how easy will it be to shake it?
Answer: Not easy at all!
Monday, February 2, 2009
More good information...
Success Hotline - Dr. Rob Gilbert's Daily Message - (973) 743-4690
and his website - http://gilbertsuccesshotline.blogspot.com/
Power Thoughts - Ed Agresta's Daily Message - (609) 660-8156
Quote of the Day - Gene Zannetti (Voicemail) - (908) 337-6143
Don Greene
Coach Tully
7 Principles of Huna - Urban Shamanism
Motivational Sayings
Coach John Wooden's Website - Greatest Coach of All-time
Peaceful Warrior Website
I ALSO STRONGLY RECOMMEND WACHING THE MOVIE "PEACEFUL WARRIOR"
[This is a mandatory Life Perspective and Sport Psychology Movie!]
Friday, January 9, 2009
STATE CHAMPS-BIRTHDAY RESEARCH RESULTS
MY Study
100 State Champs
I compared everyone as if they were in the same grade-
Graduation Year:Year Born
1997:1979, 1998:1980, 1999:1981, 2000:1982, 2001:1983, 2002:1984, 2003:1985, 2004:1986, 2005:1987, 2006:1988, 2007:1989, 2008:1990, 2009:1991, 2010:1992, 2011:1993
Results:
Month Born - Number of State Champs born in that time period
October or before of previous year - 30
November of previous year - 10
December of previous year - 9
January - 8
February - 8
March - 7
April - 5
May - 5
June - 8
July - 2
August - 4
September - 4
October or After - 0
INTERPRETATION
Do you see the pattern? Most state champs are born in the previous year or in the earlier months of their year. In other words, they tend to be older for their grade. These results are a researchers dream. They are clear cut, with no statistical analysis needed, you can just look at it and see the pattern.
30% of the state champs were born in October or before of the previous year.
57% of the state champs were born before February.
77% of state champs were born before May.
92% were born before August.
The results speak for themselves! An important thing to realize here is that many of the state champions won the title a few times. Though they may have been young (not a senior) that year, they still have been socialized in the above mentioned success cycle of older children, thereby reaping the benefits that are associated with it.
Before entering a state champions pool this year for the NJSIAA Tournament, perhaps you should find the contenders birthdays...
*NOTE- No one is born to become a state champion on ability alone. I have seen and trained with many of the state champs I polled and know personally that they are some of the most dedicated wrestlers out there. Most train all year long, almost exclusively on wrestling. I also know many people who are old for their grade that have not amounted to anything in their wrestling career. This shows that birthdays and age are not everything. But, they may have more to do with success than we may realize.
The 4 Optimal Mindsets (Mandatory to be a Champion)
1. I don't care who I go against, I want everyone. I go after the tougher opponent. I live for the challenge.
The best defense is a good offense right? Same thing with your mindset. If you seek the challenge and look for tougher opponents, you're not worried about competing against someone good. You want them!
2. I'm good enough to beat this person, or anyone else for that matter.
Confidence Plus is a Must.
3. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world right now. I live for this. I love it!
Present, In the moment. Devoted 100% to the experience you're having.
Post-Competition
4. This is the best thing that could have ever happened to me.
Learn from everything- wins and losses. Learn lesson regardless and move on.
Note- If you are missing ANY of these mindsets, it is important to rethink your mental game and take the steps necessary to change them to the ones above.
Energy Management Workshop
Competitions differ from practice primarily because athletes get more nervous.
You want you energy level not to be too high or too low.
Anything you want to accomplish in life will take energy. –Tony Robbins
Inverted U Theory of Anxiety
Arousal will steadily improve your performance until a certain point. Your performance will then just as steadily decline with more anxiety. Draw an upside down U for a visual.
Deep Breathing-
The Antidote for stress and anxiety
- Essential for both physical and mental health
- #1 way to increase your energy
- decreases depression, irritability, muscle tension, and fatigue
When an insufficient amount of fresh air reaches your lungs, your blood isn’t properly purified or oxygenated. Waste products that should have been removed are kept in circulation, slowly poisoning your system. Lack of oxygen and waste products cause poorer complexion, undernourished and deteriorating organs and tissue, anxiety states, depression, fatigue.
Breathing: Separate yourself from everyone else around you
Start in a comfortable position (off your feet)
In Nose, Out Mouth
Abdominal breathing (not chest)
Long, slow, deep breaths
Focus entirely on your breath (nothing else in the world exists)
Practice- 10 minutes 2x a day
OR
10 deep breaths 3x a day
(practice especially when you feel tense or anxious)
Remember- If you don’t practice it on your own, you will not be able to do it as effectively when under stress. In times of peace, prepare for war.
Exercise 1:
List 3 things drain you (physically, emotionally, or mentally) in practice.
List 3 things that charge you in practice.
List 3 things that drain you in competition.
List 3 things that charge you in competition.
Can you control any of these things? Add as many charges, eliminate as many drains.
Exercise 2:
Remember a performance you were too energized. Describe in detail how you felt.
-Under energized.
-Just right. (That’s the place we want you to get back to)
To increase energy- Use energizing music.
-Have a high energy cue or trigger
To lower your energy or anxiety (much more common for competitions)
Centering (Taken from Aikido)
To go from left brain (thinking) to right brain (feeling)
Proven successful with high stress groups like the SWAT team, Green Berets, Athletes
Learn proper deep breathing first
1st realize that it is effortless to relax. It takes no energy or effort.
Step 1: State your intent.
I’m going to_____
Never use don’t. always frame positively.
Step 2: Pick a focal point
Below eye level, some distance away
Where you will release
Step3: Deep Breathing
Done until that’s your only focus.
Step 4: Release tension
While deep breathing, scan your body for tension top to bottom. Check one area per inhale. On exhale shake it loose and relax that area. Neck, shoulders, arms, midsection, legs.
Step 5: Find your Center of Gravity.
About 2 inches below your navel and 2 inches below the surface
Your Center helps you feel rooted, grounded, stabilized, and in control of your energy.
Take 5 breaths once there.
Step 6: Process Cue of Confidence
Step 7: Release tension at your focal point.
Pull all tension and anxiety from your body to your center.
Bring it straight up your body to your eyes
Shoot it out of your eyes onto your focal point
At this point you release and let it all go and trust your instincts.
Focus Workshop
What we focus on affects the way we feel, how we feel determines how we act.
* What did you think during your best performance? Most people say something like, "I dunno, I just." This means when we focus on the process, we can lose ourselves, and attain the coveted flow state.
You need to get out of your own way. You need to shift from left brain (thinking) to right brain (feeling). Clear your mind of thoughts.
May sound opposite of self-talk. But we use our self-talk mainly outside of competition to program our subconscious for competition. It cannot wait until game day to be learned. Same with technique. Technique is mastered in practice.
Humans by nature are poor multi-taskers.
Concentrate Intensely on ONE THING AT A TIME
You will get more out of studying 30 minutes with full concentration than 3 hours with half attention.
McGuffey’s Primer
Work while you work,
Play while you play;
One thing each time,
That is the way.
All that you do,
Do with your might;
Things done by halves
Are not done right!
Present Moment- Satori (Buddhist philosophy)
-Take out the Trash- The Trash is anything that is keeping you from the only thing that matters- this moment. This is Not saying future or past doesn’t matter. But, we learn from the past to do things right in the present and we do things in the present to improve our future. Either way the only time we have control over is the present. Only time that’s a gift is the present.
NOW IS THE MOMENT OF POWER
There is no power that exists at any other period of time
Use Deep Breathing to clear mind and refocus.
-Where are you? Here
-What time is it? Now
-What are you? This moment
Focus only on what you can control, not what you can’t. Others reactions and outcomes are not directly within your control. You affect the outcome by focusing on the present.
Remember also that the crowd, fans, friends, coaches, and parents are unarmed and they will remain in the stands throughout the entire duration of the competition. They’ll have no impact on the match whatsoever. They are irrelevant and they will mess with your mind if you let them. They aren’t part of the equation. They aren’t to be trusted at all. Let them mess up your opponents. Not you.
After a mistake, refocus. Great athletes forgive themselves and let go of their mistakes much faster than amateurs. And they have much less reason to. Accept your mistakes and move on. Don’t make one mistake cause another. Drop it.
Have an interrupt cue to let it go and move on. ie. You gotta love it etc.
In competition- there’s a time and place for evaluation and it’s NEVER during a competition.
Know at what points you need to focus.
When could you focus better.
Use process cues to narrow your attention focus (make it simple, avoid overwhelming)
Training vs. Trusting
Training- practicing techniques and learning
Trusting- practicing letting go and relying on instincts
Some experts recommend 70% Practice should be Trusting- To practice staying in the moment and trusting your instincts.
Decisiveness
When you do a technique or movement you go all the way with it. Don’t second guess yourself or move halfheartedly.
People with worse technique but greater decisiveness often beat the athlete who has better technique but are less decisive. Technique is only half the equation, decisiveness is the other half.
Directive Focus-
Our subconscious, brain, nervous system, and muscles respond best to the smallest possible target. Don’t aim for the hole, aim for a specific part of the hole. Don't say-I wanna be rich. Instead say- I wanna have 1 million in 5 yrs
Perspective and Focusing-
Close eyes, brown vs green
Controlling our emotions-
Probably the quickest way we can control and direct our mental and emotional state is to control and direct the focus of you mind.
2 things that affect your state (1) how your feeling (2) what you focus on
Headache story, distracted mind altered your focus. Worked like a Tylenol.
There are so many things going on at once so we become forced to choose what we focus on. Focus is a choice. Either you consciously decide what you will focus on or your subconscious will make that decision for you. Since we cant focus on everything we become deletion creatures. Card example. We magnify what we want to see and delete the things we don’t. There are so many things we could choose to focus on, so what we focus on is what we choose to focus on. This is why negative thinking is like a disease. Its contagious to others (especially bad when we spread this to the people closest to us, then they reinforce it back to us, until were surrounded by negative stinking thinking). So, we need to consciously focus on the things that we want.
Life is a self-fulfilling prophesy- we get what we expect. We get back the image that we project to the world.
Focus is a choice!
Ex: Write down things that distract you when you compete.
Write down things that distract you when you train.
Tools- attentional boundaries
Visualize a barrier that separates you from the rest of the world.
Peaks and Valleys graph.
You cant peak if you don’t drop to valleys.
Take advantage of times where there’s a break in the action to unwind and recharge.
Your focus is your future.
Success is no hocus pocus, its focus focus.
Self-Talk Workshop
All great athletes talk to themselves. –Wali Muhhammad
You are what you say to yourself most of the time. – William James
The Power of the Subconscious Mind
Conscious Mind- Judge (conscious level of thinking. takes in information and makes rational? Decisions)
Subconscious Mind- Robot (unconscious level of thinking. Storage of information and automatic reactions like emotions)
Robot autopilot, aircraft, homing torpedo programmed in advance to seek a target making on board corrections along the way (like the brain) .
The human system is goal seeking by design. It uses environmental information to make decisions. You get this environmental information is processed by your mind, usually unconsciously. In fact 95% of what we do or think is automated. So we need to control how we process information
Relationship of judge and robot (taken from Dr. Denis Waitley)
Judge cant make a decision without the robot
Robot checks the memory bank including words, mental images, and self-image and plays available data to judge for action
Judge controls the robot? No, incredibly often the reverse is true. Often the robot controls the judge in a master slave relationship (addictions, cravings, etc) Action often takes place without any consultation of the judge, but no decision is made without reference to the robot.
So your Robot is programmed with or without you. This happens all the time. It’s how your mind makes sense of the environment.
You may have some outdated and negative neuroassociations inside your robot.
These uselessly negative neuroassociations will predictably and continually mess you up when it matters most.
Under stress and anxiety, the body reacts with that which it knows best ie. highlight reels or doomsday videos, positive language or negative language, confidently or timidly. If you do not reprogram yourself you will suffer.
You cannot wait until your under stress to change your neuroassociations and reprogram your robot.
This needs to be done in advance.
You need to reprogram them now.
How?
Change Self-talk, Imagery, and Confidence building. Here we focus on self-talk.
Everything you say to yourself should be framed with positive language. Don’t use don’ts.
Golf example-
Don’t hit the ball into the water---subconscious hears---hit the ball into the water
Instead say- Hit the ball straight
Substitute- Can’t à Can
Try à Will
Need to/ Should/Have to/Must à I want OR I choose to
Change all helpless Why questions to positive empowering How questions
Write 5 examples
Eliminate extreme language which puts unnecessary pressure on yourself, others, and the world- Need, Must (musterbating –Dr. Albert Ellis), Should (don’t should on me –Teacher Ken Himber). You don’t need to do anything but die, you don’t even have to pay taxes, you can go to jail instead. Such strong language puts you in a slave mindset.
A freedom mindset says I want to, I choose to, it will be good for me to.., I will improve if I..
Awfulizing-à We tell ourselves things are awful, terrible, completely bad. Nothing is 100% bad. Don’t deny reality. Just tell it like it is. Instead of telling ourselves things are awful and terrible, tell yourself it’s unpleasant and inconvenient, but that’s tough, that’s life, that’s the way the world works, nothing to get particularly upset or bent out of shape about.
Directly after a mistake just say- you gotta love it or that’s what its all about
(shake it off and move on, stay positive with yourself)
Quickly get over your mistakes by saying à I should have known
Then simply chalk it up to experience and forget about it.
Forget the feeling and experience, simply learn the lesson.
Your subconscious mind (robot) has no sense of humor.
Self-effacing jokes and sarcasm can be deadly, as they too register in the subconscious.
The questions we ask ourselves often determine what we focus on and how.
Our brain will answer ANY question you ask it. “Ask and you shall receive.”
It will make up things if it has to.
If you ask yourself Why am I a Schmuck? Your brain will tell you why you’re a schmuck. If you ask yourself why am I so lucky? Your brain will tell you why you’re lucky.
Turn your Why Questions into How Questions.
Why implies helplessness
How implies power and control
Why asks about the past, while How asks what to do in the present to have a better future.
Ex- Why am I so fat? -à How can I reach my target of losing 20lbs.
Remember that self-talk is a primary cause of low self-esteem, quitting, and reluctance to pursue goals.
If you continue telling yourself something you’ll believe it (hypnosis and subliminal messages)
Negative self-talk will create a life of its own making more negative self-talk.
Be a good coach to yourself.
Would you pay a coach or caddie to talk to you negatively? Of course not!
Would you speak to a kid who really looked up to you negatively? NO!
you would be supportive, encouraging, and positive. Be that way to yourself.
Send yourself emails.
Post positive notes.
Confidence Workshop
Confidence is perhaps thee key ingredient to success.
Confidence is more than believing you are capable of succeeding. Real Confidence is knowing that you WILL succeed. Even knowing you will succeed.
At first don’t worry at all about being over confident, well take care of that when the time comes. Right now it’s not part of the equation.
Psychology studies show (1) Confidence and Anxiety have an inverse relationship. (2) Confidence and success have a direct positive relationship.
Confident athletes-perform more successfully
-spend more time on priorities
-take more calculated risks increasing success chances
-use better game strategy
-are more resilient
Act As If
(Fake it till you make it. Better yet- Fake it till you feel it.)
- you may think you’re not confident, and that’s ok for now. You just need to act confident.
Can you be happy right now? Maybe, maybe not.
Can you think happy thoughts? Maybe, maybe not.
Can you smile? Yes, of course.
Our thoughts may be difficult to control, but we can almost always control our actions.
Behavior leads to changes in thought. Studies show we smile because we’re happy and we’re happy because we smile. Behavior and thought reinforce each other.
So ACT confident to FEEL confident
What do you look like when you’re most confident?
IF you haven’t been confident, how would you look?
What did you look the last time you were extremely confident?
How did that make you feel?
Don’t you want to feel that again?
Anchoring for success
Behavioral Psychology- Pavlov’s Dog
A neuroassociation is formed. These neuroassociations happen all the time. It’s the mind’s way of putting things together to make sense of the world. Through associations we remember pleasure and pain (our two greatest driving forces). We move toward that which was pleasurable and away from that which was painful. Pleasure breeds desire, pain breeds fear. FEAR is usually False, Evidence, Appears, Real. You're Born with only 2 Fears- heights and loud noises, that’s it! The rest is learned. And if something can be learned-it can be unlearned. Just something to keep in mind.
Come up with an anchor, process cue, or trigger- a word, a symbol, or a song. Example- Brands mat slap. Well use this from now on. Incorporate something from your picture of confidence as a reminder, ie. Ali shuffle.
Note-who cares what it looks like, this is for you
Take your most confidence self and multiply it by 10. That’s your new confident self. (Anchor)
Get a vivid picture of you extremely confident x10 and remember it. Hammer that image into your mind. Revisit it daily, and especially when feeling anxious or doubtful and use your anchor.
BE THE ALPHA MALE
For small guys: think of Cruise, Pacino, and Stallone who command respect and are just as Alpha as anyone.
Know the look!
Alpha Male Qualities-
-Open Body Language (uncrossed, hands out of your pockets)
-Take up space
-Smile when you enter a room
-Speak loud, clear, and deliberate.
-move briskly and with a purpose
-head up looking slightly above the horizon
-When standing still have your hands on your hips
It’s better to be overconfident than under-confident.
Don’t worry about appearing pompous or arrogant at first.
Almost all successful people have big egos.
Can you think of any example?
An ego is a good thing when used to promote self-confidence, resist peer pressure, bouncing back from setbacks, and overcoming the odds.
Exercises to Improve Confidence
*List your 10 greatest accomplishments in the specific area.
If there aren’t 10 in that area, then include life to show yourself you are good at things you put your mind to. You have succeeded before and it will come again.
*Make a highlight reel if you can, and play it twice a week.
*Make a list of your greatest attributes both physical and mental in your area. If none in your area then use everything else.
*Watch video on successful people in your area preferably on your specialization ie. Smith low single, Ted Williams Swing. Use Youtube if you need to. This will remind you that your technique has proven effective, and you will succeed when you execute correctly.
BREAKING A SLUMP
Theory- Stockpile small successes
Application-
(1) Avoid long shots for now. Take on smaller challenges to experience success more.
(2) Take Right Actions. Focus on Fundamentals AND do all the little things you know that you should do but may have gotten lazy about ie. stretch before practice, proper diet and sleep
Reframing-the only way to feel failure is to believe you failed. Change your rules on what success and failure means to you. Make success and failure process oriented rather than outcome oriented. Make it hard to fail and easy to succeed through these new definitions.
Write 3 new ways to measure failure and success.
Another Exercise- Help one person each week become more confident. If you help someone become confident, you will learn how to teach yourself to be confident.
Goal Setting Workshop
Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. –John Wooden
A person with great dreams can achieve great dreams.
Small dreams confine people to mediocrity and frustration. –Dr. Bob Rotella
If people aren’t laughing at your goals, you aren’t setting them high enough. –Coach Mike Tully
God gave you eyes in the front of your head not in the back so you can see where you’re going, not where you’ve been. –Lou Holtz
The Past does not equal the future. –Tony Robbins
If you turn the steering wheel of your car sharp right, then your car will go in that direction, despite where or how you drove it in the past.
Lesson- What you think and do this very moment determines the direction of your life.
You’re either moving toward or away from your goals, you’re never staying still. If you’re not moving in the right direction, simply stop what you’re doing and turn around.
You’re either growing or you’re dying (business, tree, person, flower, or a team)
To find which you’re doing ask yourself one question- am I trying to get better. – Lou Holtz
"My Wage"
I bargained with Life for a penny,
And Life would pay no more,
However I begged at evening
When I counted my scanty store;
For Life is a just employer,
He gives you what you ask,
But once you have set the wages,
Why, you must bear the task.
I worked for a menial's hire,
Only to learn, dismayed,
That any wage I had asked of Life,
Life would have gladly paid.
~ Jessie B Rittenhouse
Long term Goals- list one long term goal in sport or each area of life that is important to you.
Goal Setting
- write it down (it’s just a dream until its on paper, then it becomes a goal).
- make it public (you lie most to yourself, not as much to others)
- post your goals in the places you are at most, as a constant reminder (at least 3 places)
- set practice goals
Your Action Plan becomes a priority
Do you know what a priority is?
A priority is when you jump out of a plane and you make sure you pull the chute.
Pulling the chute is a priority.
When you decide to do something, you make sure it gets done.
Outcome Goals and Action Plan
We put our focus on our Action Plan because that is within our control. Outcomes are not usually directly controllable. We control outcome goals by controlling our Action Plan. When times get tough and we feel like giving up we then focus on our Outcome Goals.
Short-term goals should be- CARS
Challenging, Attainable, Realistic, Specific
USOC Guidelines
1. Focus on yourself (not others, outcomes, or rewards)
2. Make goals specific and measurable (get better and win are not goals)
3. Get Feedback (from coach and learn to self-monitor)
4. Keep them positive and framed positively.
5. Have Short-term and Long-term goals
6. Be flexible and adjust when and if necessary.
ACTIVITY
Ultimate Goal: ________________________________________________
ALL UPPER CASE LETTERS
(Take a proud stance)
Goal for 1st Period of time:__________________________________
If I could give you one goal setting piece of advice it would be to BEHAVE. Believe it or not the reason why most people do not achieve great success is because they cannot spell this word correctly. I have a simple spelling test for you. If you can correctly assemble these two words and never forget them, I can assure you that success is yours. The two words: HAVE & BE
Your Answer: ________________
All too often people think the HAVE comes before the BE. This is a major error. People focus on what they want to HAVE. “I want to have a national title,” I want to have a million dollars” etc. What you need to focus on is the person you will have to BE to achieve your goals. What does a person who wants these goals have to DO? Do they go through the motions, go to sleep late, eat garbage foods, slack off, etc.? Or do they live a life of TOTAL COMMITMENT? What kind of person would you have to BE to HAVE your goals? When you put the BE before the HAVE, you realize that more than having a dream, you must BE the type of person who TAKES ACTION CONSTANTLY, INTELLIGENTLY, AND INTENSIVELY.
Physical Goals
Top 3 Strengths (Focus on them the most) –If its already something you’re naturally good at, why not make it freaky -Darren Schulman
1.
2.
3.
It is through Mastery of these Strengths that you will achieve Success.
Top 3 Improvement Areas (Note: we never call them weaknesses)
1.
2.
3.
It is through improving these lesser strengths that you will find balance.
Decide how often you will revisit your goals. I recommend at least once a season. Separate the year into 4 quarters or anyway you like.
Creation of HABITS:
First we form habits, then they form us.
Sow a thought reap an action
Sow an action reap a habit
Sow a habit reap a character
Sow a character reap a destiny
For added success- involve your coach in the process for his modifications and adjustments for your particular area. (remember that you always have the final say)
Life Goals- Make a life list of as many things you want to accomplish in your life. Don’t hold back. List EVERYTHING you would like to do. (Bucket List- Things to do before you kick the bucket)
-If you have no view of the future, you have no sense of risk.
-You gain happiness by producing and doing things(especially things for others or for a higher cause, greater than yourself)
Finally - The difference between a dream and a goal is that you work toward a goal. You take action. Don’t just take action, take immediate action. Get going! Start! Now!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Could it be that the BEST have the Mental Edge?
“The Secret is to make your mind work for you, not against you.”
(Arnold’s approach to bodybuilding was more mental than physical)
http://www.askmen.com/sports/bodybuilding_60/69_fitness_tip.html
Michael Jordan
Michael's biggest strength was his mental game. Jordan held a decisive mental edge over his opponents throughout his entire career. It was his mental toughness... Jeff Janssen, M.S.
http://www.teamarete.com/ificouldbe.html
Wayne Gretzky
…he (Gretzky) was not very strong physically, but he made up for that in the mental edge he held over opponents.
http://www.lycos.com/info/wayne-gretzky-hockey.html
Tiger Woods
Tiger's biggest club is his mental strength –USA Today
His mental game is every bit as good as his physical game. –Bob May
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/golf/2004-02-10-tiger-toughest_x.htm
there’s another quality even more important than skill. It’s his mind, and that very well could be his greatest weapon.
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jun/09/sports/sp-mindgame9
Michael Phelps
His strongest asset is relaxing & focusing in competition. He can take himself mentally to a place. That’s what separates him from his competitors. –Coach Bowman
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/bowman-on-phelps-mental-strength/3003143297
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali was a master of psychology…his mental toughness played a great factor in many of his fights. There was no one stronger mentally then Muhammad Ali.
http://greatestofalltime.homestead.com/muhammadali.html
Dan Gable
“Mental Toughness is the key of all keys…Mental Toughness is the foundation.”
http://www.briancain.com/articlesbybriancain/Dan%20Gable%20-%20Brian%20Cain%20CBN.pdf
John Wooden
“I am constantly trying to make players realize the mental side.”
Vince Lombardi
“Mental Toughness is essential for success.”
He was always working on both the minds and bodies of his players. The guy was a beautiful psychologist. – Jerry Kramer (former player)
Bobby Knight
“Mental toughness to physical (toughness) is as 4 is to 1.”
Top 10 Biggest Mental Mistakes An Althlete Can Make And Corrections
2. Associating with negative people and small-time thinkers. These people will only slow you down. Keep your distance from them, especially during the season.
3. Making any particular match or tournament “special.” Every match and practice is important, but nothing is ever special. Special adds pressure. Treat everything the same. Consistency!
4. Believing ANY opponent you face is unbeatable. David and Goliath, Giants and Patriots, Gable and Owings, The Movie Miracle, etc. etc.
5. Focusing on the past or future instead of the present moment. Only worry about the present and how you can do your best at this moment.
6. Under any circumstances using the word CAN’T. Don’t ever say that word!
7. Dwelling on a setback or loss. Learn the lesson, then move on, period. Just let it go and do it better next time.
8. Focusing exclusively on winning or titles. Compete with yourself.
9. Competing not to lose. A coward dies 1,000 deaths before he dies. Always play to win. If you’re already winning: play to dominate.
10. Using extreme self-talk. That puts extra pressure on you: MUST, SHOULD, or NEED TO. Use “I want” and “I choose to” instead.
11! Not taking advantage of a Sport Psychology Expert and being totally mentally prepared to achieve your goals. See Gene Zannetti
