Rob Bell's Blog, page 17

How Did The Miracle on Snow Happen?

How Did The Miracle on Snow Happen?

Simen Hegstad Krueger, a Norweign, was in his first ever Olympic race. In the opening 150 meters of the 30k cross-country event, he crashed, other racers piled on top of him, and he even broke his pole. His immediate first thought after the crash was “It was over.” He was in last place out of 68 of the other top athletes in the world. Then, the miracle on snow happened!

https://www.nbcolympics.com/video/miracle-snow-relive-kruegers-epic-gold-performance

He fought back and ended up winning the Gold Medal by over 20 seconds! How does this miracle even happen? 

Could it be that the crash actually helped him?

Before and during performances, our arousal levels naturally rise.  We want to do well so there is a ton more energy and anticipation before important competitions. There is a tendency to have expectations before competitions as well.

Expectations are not always a good thing. Confidence is good of course, but expectations have to do with the outcome and the results are out of our control. 

Confidence is good of course, but expectations have to do with the outcome and the results are out…
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So, when a situation like a crash occurs, it forces a major shift in attention and the expectations are literally removed. His first thought after the crash was “It was over.” So, all he could do, is simply race. No thoughts on tactics or strategy, just execute his technique and go. 

The Miracle on Snow has been experienced by many other athletes that have expectations removed. 

In 2002 at the Tampa Bay Classic, K. J. Choi had been suffering from terrible stomach pains. Many saw him grabbing his abdomen during the final round. He later stated that the pain made him say to himself, “I’ll just take it hole by hole.” He won the tournament by an amazing seven shots and had his appendix removed the next day.

In 1995, Ben Crenshaw won the Masters. What’s remarkable about this achievement is that he arrived at the tournament with his game in shambles, barely making cuts, and the Sunday prior, he had lost his teacher and friend, Harvey Penick. He flew back to Austin for the funeral on Wednesday evening, the night before the tournament. “I don’t know how I got through it,” Crenshaw replied. “I still don’t.”

Padraig Harrington hurt his wrist so badly prior to playing the 2008 Open Championship, that he only gave himself a 50 percent chance of actually finishing the tournament. In fact, he remarked that if he had not been defending his title, he probably would not have played. “It was a great distraction for me,” Harrington said. “It took a lot of pressure off me. It took a lot of stress off me. The fact that I didn’t play three practice rounds like normal for a major was a big bonus. I was very fresh going into the weekend, and [these] thirty-six holes was a real battle.”

All of these competitors basically had their own miracle on snow moment and were able to accomplish greatness in spite of their circumstances because they had no expectations on the outcome.

Having no expectations in turn forced them to focus only on what was in front of them. They got out of their own way!

It’s the same for us as well, when we get out of our own way, by focusing just on the next play, this moment, we all perform better. No expectations! 

It’s not known “what-if” he didn’t crash, would he have still won the Gold medal? Well, we don’t know because “what-if” never happened, he did crash, and he won. 

Dr. Rob Bell is a Sport Psychology Coach. His company DRB & associates is  based in Indianapolis.  Some clients have included: Indy Eleven, University of Notre Dame, Marriott, and Walgreens. Check out all the books on Mental Toughness 

7 Helpful Ways To “Act As If” Toward Mental Toughness

[Infographic] 7 Helpful Ways to “Act As if” Toward Mental Toughness

I absolutely can’t stand the saying ” fake it until you make it.” Why do you want to fake anything in life on purpose, especially to yourself?

We already fake enough. We have social media profiles of our happy faces. We posture and become in the business not of being real, but of image management. So, don’t fake it. 

Instead, simply ACT AS IF.

Instead, simply ACT AS IF.
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The difference is that we can act our way into right thinking easier than trying to think our way into right acting. Here is a fun infographic for you to follow to build your mental toughness by “acting as if.” 

Dr. Rob Bell is a Sport Psychology Coach. His company DRB & associates is based in Indianapolis.  Some clients have included: Indy Eleven, University of Notre Dame, Marriott, and Walgreens. Check out all the books on Mental Toughness 

 

5 Ways To CRUSH Someone’s Confidence (Do This INSTEAD)

5 Ways To CRUSH Someone’s Confidence (Do This INSTEAD)

This infographic was designed specifically for parents, because I hate it when I accidentally crush my own kids confidence.  But below is good advice if you’re a coach as well. Unfortunately, if you are a Lex Luther type of person who just wants to crush someone’s confidence, then do some work on yourself. 

I totally remember my senior year of baseball when I made an error at short-stop. It was a hard hit ground ball that simply jumped and hit me in the chest and I didn’t make the play. I wasn’t that upset about it because it was a bad hop. But, when I got back to the dugout and coach called everyone together, he verbally challenged me if I could even play that position.

“Um, yes sir.” 

Now, I was never a great hitter, but I worked tons on fielding and felt I was a great short-stop. But that feedback from coach, in front of everyone, made me question everything and wonder if I really could play that position. yeah, call out someone in front of their peers, that’ll crush someone’s confidence.

That experience and feedback stayed with me and frankly, I played like crap the entire year at shortstop. 

I don’t blame coach, I just didn’t have the tools. I didn’t have mental toughness. I didn’t know how to let go of mistakes.

It sucked and I wish I could go back and give that high-school kid some advice. 

It is easier to crush someone’s confidence than it is to build it up. Confidence is contagious…

It’s easier to crush confidence than it is to build it. 
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Perhaps this infographic can help. 

Dr. Rob Bell is a Sport Psychology Coach. His company DRB & associates is based in Indianapolis.  Some clients have included: Indy Eleven, University of Notre Dame, Marriott, and Walgreens. Check out all the books on Mental Toughness 

In 2018, Do This Growth Technique Instead Of Goals…

In 2018, Do This Technique Instead Of Goals…

If you’ve followed me for an extended period of time, (and chances are you’ve haven’t), then you’ll have come across my disdain for goals. I’m not against setting goals of course, they are effective! It’s just that goals get perverted into only outcome based objectives, so instead of goals, we need to do this growth technique. 

In fact, here are some of my previous posts on goals. 

Three reasons why SMART goals are stupid

Use this Top Gun Technique for Goals

Make Goals NOT Deals

The one way to FAIL at your goals

Three ways professional athletes crush their goals.

One of the major benefits that we need in life isn’t by looking forward as much as it is looking at our past or even current state.

When we examine how we are doing right now, our mood dictates our answer. If we are basking in the glory of a win or great performance, then we are happy and pleased. 

However, if we have recently not done as well as we liked, then we are sad and angry or depressed. 

It fluctuates because we are conditioned by a mindset of scarcity. (Even if we are good, it’s not for very long)

We focus on the negative and where we lack in life. You don’t have as much money as you want, not as much success, not as many friends or toys, or not as happy as you want. We all look at life and are not content, even though we have all we need, we are left wanting more…

I’m all about improvement and being the BEST at Getting BETTER. It’s just about approaching improvement and progress from a mindset of abundance rather than scarcity. 

It’s just approaching improvement and progress from a mindset of abundance rather than scarcity. 
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Instead of goals this year, focus on gratitude instead. 

The benefits of thanks and gratitude are numerous and in fact, it’s where we need to start the process of getting better and improvement.  I’m not a believer in an attitude of gratitude. It’s a myth. I believe in an action of gratitude. 

We need to take certain steps toward having an abundance mindset. 

That’s why instead of goals, try keeping a thanks journal. 

Write out and reflect on what is positive right now in your life, even if awful stuff is happening. You can begin by focusing on people in your life and what you admire or are thankful about them. This is a choice, you can bask in the negativity of a loved one or an annoying quirk they have, or you can be thankful for their good qualities or how they positively impact you. Remember, everyone is a coach. 

Your gratitude muscle and abundence mindset will improve if you just keep a thanks journal a few times a week. 

Pray and if that doesn’t work, pray again. Take a few minutes just to be thankful. We don’t need to be in wonder of the splendor, but to focus on the obvious and the mundane and to be grateful. 

We don’t need to be in wonder of the splendor, but to focus on the obvious and the mundane and to…
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I can wake up in the morning and be in a state of anxiousness right away by what someone else has or hasn’t done. Or I can take a few moments and address the blessings that are in my life that I take for granted. I take for granted my ability to walk, or work out, or access to fresh water, or my health or my kids loving smiles, or that I’m even alive! 

It’s a choice to be hateful or grateful. But we have to exercise this choice, it doesn’t come naturally for me. Or maybe it does for you! Let me know how you do it. 

We can’t be hateful or grateful at the same time however. Instead of goals this year, focus on keeping a thanks journal, making gratitude close to your heart, and enjoying the little things that we take for granted. 

Remember, Make it a GREAT year, unless of course you have other plans.

 

Dr. Rob Bell is a Sport Psychology Coach. His company DRB & associates is based in Indianapolis.  Some clients have included: Indy Eleven, University of Notre Dame, Marriott, and Walgreens. Check out all the books on Mental Toughness 

Can We Avoid Burnout? Here Are Four Strategies (INFOGRAPHIC)

Can We Avoid Burnout? Here Are Four Strategies

After NO ONE Gets There ALONE was published, I was fried.

This book was so difficult to write and took so long that I was simply cashed.

Someone asked me at the book release, “what now?” I said, “A month of depression.”

It was probably just a few days of sadness, but I was burned out…

How did I know?

I told myself I was.

That and I became annoyed at every little mundane task. My tolerance level for frustration just was not there. My emotional tank was empty.

Can we avoid burnout?

Bill Walsh was one of greatest NFL coaches of all-time.  Immediately after winning his 3rd Super Bowl with the team of the 80’s, the 49ers, he knew he was finished coaching.

Here is Coach Walsh in the locker room during the Super Bowl celebration with Brent Musburger asking the question if that was his last game? He started crying because he knew it was over. Bill Walsh said later ” I felt like an outsider.” An  Amazing reaction to winning the Super Bowl!

The 49ers would win another Super Bowl the next season with George Seifert as the head coach. Bill Walsh couldn’t avoid burnout, so…

What better mentor to teach us all about how to avoid burnout?

Dr. Rob Bell is a Sport Psychology Coach. His company DRB & associates is based in Indianapolis.  Some clients have included: Indy Eleven, University of Notre Dame, Marriott, and Walgreens. Check out all the books on Mental Toughness 

12-Month Mental Toughness Reading Plan for Executives

 
12-Month Mental Toughness Reading Plan for Executives

There exists a business model that provides book summaries for executives. Basically, the cliff notes, so you don’t have to waste your time reading the entire book. Yikes! What is this, 9th grade?

Getting the summary of a book is not even close as actually reading it. It’s like trying to take an exercise pill to supplant working out. Get your Mental Toughness reading plan together!

Getting the summary of a book is not even close as actually reading it. It’s like trying to take an…
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Reading is a process, not a destination. The process of the mind goes when actually reading is amazing. Different parts of the brain are activated when reading different topics like facts or stories. We slow down when reading, create pictures in our head, imagine scenarios, have flashbacks, reflect, etc. One moment of reading a book can lead to that one idea or inspiration. You can’t create this process through a summary or notes.

Besides, we actually only remember one or two keys from any book anyways. It’s the process of reading that creates the change.

Don’t cheat yourself with a summary! Read the freakin’ entire book or at least digest an audio book.

Besides, if you’re a leader or coach, then you are paid to read!

Here is your 12-month mental toughness reading plan for executives. This is the list of books that I buy for all of my executives that I’m coaching… Do you have a must-read book? Email me your suggestions, I’d be happy to check them out and make another list.

MONTH/BOOK  |  MENTAL TOUGHNESS READING PLAN |   PURPOSE

January/ Man’s Search For Meaning –  Viktor Frankl                      INSPIRATION

February/ On Fire   –   John O’Leary                                                    PERSPECTIVE

March/  The Winner Within  –  Pat Riley                                            LEADERSHIP

April/ How The Mighty Fall –  Jim Collins                                          LEGACY

May/ Legacy   –   James Kerr                                                                  CULTURE

June/ The Forgotten Highlander:  –  Alistar Urquhart                     PERSPECTIVE

July/ Living With A Seal  –  Jesse Itzler                                              EFFORT

August/Crucial Conversations –  Patterson, et al.                        COMMUNICATION

September/ Extreme Ownership:  –  Jocko Willink                          LEADERSHIP

October/ The Power of Habit –  Charles Duhigg                                            HABITS

November/ Siddhartha –  Herman Hesse                                          SPIRITUALITY

December/ The Greatest Salesman in the World –  Og Mandino     PHILOSOPHY

Dr. Rob Bell is a Sport Psychology Coach. His company DRB & associates is based in Indianapolis.  Some clients have included: Indy Eleven, University of Notre Dame, Marriott, and Walgreens. Check out all the books on Mental Toughness 

How I Prepare to Present

How I Prepare to Present

The very first talk I ever gave was in front of a rival high school with hundreds of students. It was a packed gym; the entire school. I spoke at their event where students promised not to drink and drive.

I was a just freshman in college.

My arm was in a sling and it was just a few weeks removed from being involved in a drunk driving accident. It was a horrible experience.

Thank God I didn’t hurt anyone else.

I was only able to recover by allowing my MESS to become my MESSAGE. My experience had to be used to benefit others.

I hope it did, not sure.

But all I did was speak from the heart. It’s how I still prepare to present. That day I delivered.  It was a pleasure to share my story. Even though I didn’t speak for probably years later, a seed was planted.

Even though I didn’t speak for probably years later, a seed was planted. 
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Now, my goal when I deliver a keynote is simple.

It’s to be the best speaker that they’ve ever seen.

Sometimes it is. Most of the time it isn’t. It’s a tough goal.

I’m excited and relaxed before going up on stage to speak, but it’s only because I’m anxious and scared the days leading up to it and during the preparation.

I go through the irrational what-ifs. What if I forget what I’m doing or speaking about?

But, I’d rather it be that way than being anxious during the event.

I’m fanatical about my preparation. I probably prep for six total hours making it specific to my audience. I go through the entire talk several times. It’s the way I still prepare to present.

Preparation is key. Repetition is the mother to all learning…

Repetition is the mother to all learning…
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Goal Keeper Jon Busch has played in over 500 professional soccer matches. His training is simple, but not easy. He treats every practice like it’s the World Cup Final.  Prepare to present!

Before the Super Bowl, 49ers QB Steve Young memorized all 300 plays with his quarterback coach Mike Shanahan. The night before the game after going through every play, Coach Shanahan told Steve Young, “Let’s do it just one more time.” After he completed it again, the coach told him “Okay, now you’re ready.”

The good ones practice until they get it right, the great ones practice until they can’t get it wrong.

Dr. Rob Bell is a Sport Psychology Coach. His company DRB & associates is based in Indianapolis.  Some clients have included: Indy Eleven, University of Notre Dame, Marriott, and Walgreens. Check out all the books on Mental Toughness 

The Mental Toughness Way to Just Keep Going

The Mental Toughness Way to Just Keep Going

Do you know how to finish a marathon?

JUST one step at a time. JUST a half-mile at a time. Then JUST one mile at a time.

Life is not a sprint, It’s a marathon as well. 

Life is tough. But, so are you.

The key to never giving up and to keep moving forward in life is to do just that. Keep moving forward! 

Just keep going becomes the end game. It’s the defining line between reaching your goals. It boils down to this simple, but not easy task. JUST KEEP GOING…There are just many things that get in the way of that goal —expectations of ourselves and others, failure, and more repeated failures.

The game of life and success is actually one of attrition. IF you NEVER give up, you will be successful. If you stay in the game long enough, you will make it; sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. Remember, even slow walkers arrive.

Pain, sadness, regret, poor self-concept, lack of focus and failure can all be overcome if we JUST KEEP MOVING.

So, here’s three strategies to simply keep going.

 1. Write Out The Training Plan.

There was once a lunch reception for a golf event, with a buffet line. Normally in buffet lines, there are two lines, one of each side of the table moving in the same direction. Well, this line was interesting because of the flow of the guests getting their food.

Yes, there were two lines, but the organizer of the set-up, put one set of plates at one end and another set of plates at the far end. Picture it for a second because people were meeting each other in the middle. The layout may have made sense looking at it, but it just did not work.

Our training and preparation is the same way. Writing down your training plan means putting your plan into action. Write out the training plan for the next two weeks and everything you need.

What doesn’t get scheduled doesn’t get done. We need to see our plan, how we will prepare, and what adjustments to make.

DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP. There are too many variables that are inherent with life, but having a written plan is not one of them. Life does get in the way, but if you have a plan, then you can adjust the plan.

Writing out the plan for the week allows you to see what the time and work look like, and anticipate any issues that you may have during that week.

I didn’t even own a bike for my ½ Ironman training or race and no clue on how to best prepare, so I had to write it all out.  For example, I had to do two a day workouts because there was such little time to prepare. I had to fit in two workouts a day around my schedule with teams and athletes. This required detailed planning on overcoming the potential obstacles.

2. Develop Your Daily Routine.

The first hour of the day sets the rudder for the rest.

A good routine saves time which leads to focus, which leads to being in the moment. Besides, you already have a routine. First, we create habits then our habits create us. Is your routine effective and productive or do you mistake action for achievement?

William Penn once said, “Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.”

All successful people get up early. Maybe it’s 3:30, 4:30, 5:30, or 6:30. If time is your excuse, make it your reason and just start rising 30 minutes earlier. You can do that, for the next two weeks, get up 30 minutes earlier.

However you organize your routine in the morning, make it a routine. Do you meditate, write out the daily goals, pray, exercise?

Start your routine on your schedule; you are the one in charge to develop your routine.

One of the parts of our routine is making a commitment to help others. It can be as simple as writing out the five people who we will reach out to today. The more people we help to just keep going, the tougher it gets for us to quit on ourselves. 

3. Start With The Hardest.

One of my PGA Tour players that I worked with taught me tons about mental toughness.

Before Scott Stallings won his first PGA Tour victory, we were at an event and we made a little wager that he had to complete a putting drill. This wager took place on the putting green and there was one very difficult putt. I figured he would save the toughest putt for last.

He pointed at the Rasputin of all holes and said, “I’m starting with that one!”

He won the bet. 

Tracy Thorsell attended the Naval Academy. She graduated with a degree in electrical engineering and speaks five languages. She took Chinese in high school because it was the toughest language to master.

Too often, we start with and only want the easy tasks. The idea for starting with the easy tasks is to create momentum in our day. However, we are actually just spending energy.

Get uncomfortable and build our mental toughness by starting with the hardest task. We will get confidence and momentum from accomplishing the most difficult first.           

Dr. Rob Bell is a Sport Psychology Coach. His company DRB & associates is  based in Indianapolis.  Some clients have included: Indy Eleven, University of Notre Dame, Marriott, and Walgreens. Check out all the books on Mental Toughness 

(Infographic) 4 Important Strategies for Any Conference

No one wants professional conferences to be like a middle school dance. You know hanging out only with your friends, afraid to ask someone to dance, hiding in the bathroom, OR worse, stuck in a nowhere conversation.  Here’s 4 important networking strategies for any conference.

4 Important Strategies for Any Conference

Here’s an example: The Follow-Through A restaurant taking a reservation is nice, but KEEPING the reservation is more important. If you don’t follow through with an email or hard-written note, then you’ve missed an opportunity.

Dr. Rob Bell is a Sport Psychology Coach. His company DRB & associates is  based in Indianapolis.  Some clients have included: Indy Eleven, University of Notre Dame, Marriott, and Walgreens. Check out all the books on Mental Toughness 

I HATE The Secret to Mental Toughness

The Secret to Mental Toughness

(Excerpt from NO ONE Gets There ALONE)

We are as only as sick as our secrets.

So, here is the secret to mental toughness (And why I HATE it).

If we want to KEEP our mental toughness, we HAVE to give it away.

We can not help other people WITHOUT also helping ourselves! If I tell my daughter that she can NEVER give up, that same exact voice echoes in my head if I want to quit or stop.

That’s the secret to mental toughness! You have to give it away to keep it. 

If we help others to just keep moving, then we will keep moving. If we encourage others to not give up, then we persevere as well. If we share with someone else the importance of confidence, then we can’t help but help ourselves with being more confident.

When we communicate with someone else not to let a situation bother him or her, then we help ourselves by not allowing our own junk to bother us. Even if we are going through a tough period in life, if we do not isolate, but connect with others, then a better us starts to make a better you.

If we help enough people reach their goals; then we will reach ours.

I HATE the secret because I KNOW THE ANSWER, but knowing and doing are two different things. And I can’t stand being reminded of the answer!

Mental Toughness is not mental toughness when things are going great! [Tweet “Mental Toughness is not mental toughness when things are going great! Mental Toughness is not mental toughness when things are going great!]

I HATE the secret to Mental Toughness because when I am NOT confident, I isolate. I don’t share with others how they can be confident. I feel like a hypocrite. I feel I am of NO use to anyone else and that my experience is questionable.

Why would I want to bring other people down with my junk anyway?  But, if I stay in that space, the more I need others! We can’t coach ourselves…

Mental Toughness is not a secondary goal or aspiration or a deal with ourselves, meaning if things are going well, then I will be tough. It has to be the sole focus. Before any endeavor, we need to be intentional about becoming other-person focused and giving away what we possess.

I’m in life for the miracles and there are around us everyday. The miracle for us is that we can be transformed. Allowing God to help us focus on others and to use our strengths. To give away what we want to possess in ourselves. That is the secret to mental toughness.

 

Dr. Rob Bell is a Sport Psychology Coach. His company DRB & associates is  based in Indianapolis.  Some clients have included: Indy Eleven, University of Notre Dame, Marriott, and Walgreens. Check out all the books on Mental Toughness