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Mental Game

September 17, 2015 In Mental Game

A BETTER WAY…

Next time you are practicing a certain skill, I want to recommend taking a different approach.

Once you believe you understand something, I mean truly understand what you are being asked, instead of “thinking” your way through the move- “feel” your way through it.

For example, when working on creating separation in your swing or in a throw, you are simply separating your lower body from your upper body by turning in opposite directions to create torque(power). Many players will try to think of how to do this as opposed to just going for it. It is your body anyways, correct? You have been occupying your body for a good amount of time to know what separating as described above would mean.

Put simply,  a person who thinks is simply judging themselves within the move they are making which will result in less than successful results more often than not. A person who feels their way through gets where they want to be faster and is more consistent over time.

Onward.

June 8, 2015 In Mental Game

WELL SAID…

J.K. Rowling, world renowned author of the Harry Potter series, said it best when speaking of giving the effort needed without worrying about the outcome…

“It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all–in which case, you fail by default.”

Think about that today as you go out to do what you do as a player, parent, coach…etc. Fear of failure is a self imposing prison. Trust that the time you are investing will pay off and believe you are going to make something good happen. Or else, like Rowling says – you will have lived so cautiously that you fail anyways by default.

May 19, 2015 In Coaching, External Circumstances, Mental Game

IF WE ONLY REALIZED…

If there is one thing a player needs to know, it’s that they “belong.”

Let’s face it – we go through our lives hoping we can belong to “this” group or belong to “that” group. That is the problem though – we only hope. Understanding that you are good enough in the first place is easier said than done, but that is only because of the terms the world has placed on us as human beings. When we were extremely young, say 2 years old, those things didn’t matter as our innocence prevailed. However, as we grew older, we became more literal and people began assigning a value to everything we did. As a result, we began questioning our very existence sometimes in the present moment.

“I belong.” Go on and say it.

“I belong on this team. I belong in this class. I belong at this job.”

Be present where you are at and not anywhere else. You have a right to take up the space you occupy at this very moment.”

You belong.

April 21, 2015 In Coaching, Mental Game

COMPETITION AS A CRUTCH

It is often said that competition brings out the best in people. People will say that you will work harder if there’s someone breathing down your neck or there is a game to be won or a spot on the roster to be had.

However, is there a problem with competition? Is it that competition takes away the requirement to set your own path, to invent your own method as Seth Godin would say and to find a new way. He adds that when you have competition, “it’s the pack that decides what’s going to happen next, you’re merely trying to get (or stay) in front.”

Is that what we strive for? To be part of the pack? To be something that any other player can be? Or do you focus on improving within yourself each day on your journey, whether athletic related or not.

Competing with yourself is certainly more difficult. It requires more bravery, but leads to more insight.

April 9, 2015 In Mental Game

PSYCHOLOGICAL MATH

Here is a simple math problem (baseball style) for you to take a swing at…

Any situation + a negative mindset = ?

How many of you said that the answer to this problem posed above is such things as FAILURE, a BAD RESULT or a PROBLEM?

If so, consider the truth that the answer really is that it equals an “ILLUSION OF A PROBLEM” because there really isn’t an issue.

The fact is that we as human beings tend to see things as “we are”, not as “they really are” so when we have a negative mindset or one that is insecure, we tend not to look at any situation as a new chance to succeed, but rather a downward spiral of situations that they believe will cause them to fail again.

Let’s take another minute to look at this math “Opportunity” again, with one minor change shall we?

Any situation + a positive(secure) mindset = ?

You guessed it..

SOLUTIONS