Rob Bell's Blog, page 23
August 12, 2016
Tune in, Turn on, & Drop out of Mental Toughness
I love music….In fact, I’m listening to music as I write.
I couldn’t imagine NOT listening to music in a class with my trainer Sean Bartram at Core Pilates & Fitness.
In fact, I love music so much, one of my future posts will be on the top 5 albums of all-time.
Again, I LOVE MUSIC!!
The point of writing this is to clear up a big misconception about music, mental toughness, and performance. I understand if you don’t want to look behind the curtain and not read any further…I’m bearing bad, but truthful news…
By all means, let’s face it, unless you’re trying to be the best you can be, then keep the ear buds in and keep listening to music. My wife doesn’t even listen to me when it comes to this. But, she forgets that when she ran a PR in a 1/2 marathon, she dropped the dependence on music.
Music DOES NOT Build Your Mental Toughness (Sorry)
Recent news stories want to tell you otherwise- Like this one in NPR.
1. Music ONLY helps with motivation- The reason why we dig the sounds during any type of spin class, practice, or workout session is that it makes us feel good and we use the music! Blasting some good tunes with high RPM’s gets us moving faster (for a short period). It helps us gets the workout in! It’s distracts us…That’s motivation! Put on the arm band and get going… Motivation…
2. Music does NOT help with focus- When fatigue sets in, or we are under pressure, our focus must come naturally. What comes naturally must first be done with due diligence. Hence, we perform like we train.
We will not have the correct type of focus or even know what thoughts will enter our mind unless we have trained for it.
Only training without music will force us to focus when the pain hits or when we are under pressure.
3. Music distracts you- We are distracted all day anyways, and you want another distraction? Stay focused on focusing! Stay with your pain until your pain reveals its gift. How can you possibly try to get better physically and mentally while living up that podcast episode? Listen to music while you drive or mow the grass, not while training.
4. You’re Now an Addict- The thought of training without music scares you? Addicts can’t go without, and you can’t either. You’ve become dependent on another electrical device. If that’s the case, you don’t own the device, it owns you!
5. Turn on, Tune in, & Drop out- We are either checking in or checking out. If we’ve got music going and we are trying to do our best, we can’t check-in appropriately because we have been checking out the whole time. That’s the lie, we think we are focusing, but not really. Don’t believe me? Riddle me this, why do you turn the music down in your car when you need to focus?
6. When Michael Phelps does it- Phelps and many other greats listen to music “before” they compete. Check out my post on 7 ways to crush your pre-performance routine. However, you don’t see him donning the underwater i-pods, nor do you see those at the front of races rocking the tunes either. There’s a reason.
When reading and re-writing this article, I turned the music off. If you find an error, I probably turned my station back on.
Dr. Rob Bell is a Sport Psychology Coach. His company DRB & associates is based in Indianapolis. Some clients have included: University of Notre Dame, Marriott, and Walgreens. Check out the most recent book on Mental Toughness- Don’t Should on Your Kids: Build Their Mental Toughness
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July 29, 2016
6 Ways to Build Pre-Season Mental Toughness
Set the Mental Tone.Everyone is optimistic during pre-season. Determine how you and your teammates will approach the entire season with unshakeable belief. Adversity will hit so start preparing.
Dr. Rob Bell is a Sport Psychology Coach. His company DRB & associates is based in Indianapolis. Some clients have included: University of Notre Dame, Marriott, and Walgreens. Check out the most recent book on Mental Toughness- Don’t Should on Your Kids: Build Their Mental Toughness
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July 22, 2016
17 Famous Examples of Mental Toughness
photo credit: Jon Viscott
Here are 17 examples of Mental Toughness
Mental Toughness depends on our ability to re-focus, let go of mistakes, and use setbacks as comebacks! Here are 17 examples of mental toughness.
• In game 5 of the 1956 World Series, Don Larson pitched the only perfect game in history. However, in game 2 of the same series, he pitched only 1.2 innings and lost the game 13-8.
• Hall of Famer Raymond Berry, who retired as the NFL’s all-time reception leader, only caught 13 passes his rookie year in the league for the Colts.
• Roger Federer, greatest tennis player in history, has won seven Wimbledon titles. Yet, he lost in the first round of Wimbledon his first three years of playing.
• Taylor Swift was passed over by RCA for a record contract at age 15.
• Andre Agassi lost his first three Grand Slam Finals.
• Jeff Immelt was hired on Thursday, September 7, 2001 as CEO of General Electric (GE), the multi-national conglomerate, following Jack Welsh, the famous icon. The following Tuesday, Septemer 11, 2001, the rookie CEO watched on NBC, which GE owned, as two GE-financed planes crashed into the Twin Towers that GE insured.
• Jim Marshall of the Minnesota Vikings recovered a fumble and ran it the wrong way to the end zone, and threw it out-of-bounds for a safety. The next drive, he sacked the Quarterback and forced a fumble which his teammate picked up and ran for a game-winning TD.
• Matt Biondi was a favorite to win 7 Gold medals at the 1988 Olympic games. He lost his first two finals, going 0-2. He ended up winning 5 Gold medals at the Games.
• Mike Krzyzewski, during his first three seasons at Duke University, had an equivocal record of 38-37, with an ACC in-conference record of just 13-29.
• William Jennings Bryan was nominated by his party to run for U.S. President three times and lost every time. In 1925, at age 65, his brilliant defense decided the Scopes Monkey Trial.
• Country singer Trace Adkins was shot by his ex-wife and survived. The bullet even went through his heart and both lungs.
• Danielle Ballengee slipped and fell down a 60-foot cliff while on a training run and spent two days stranded outdoors in Utah suffering with a shattered pelvis and internal bleeding. Just 150 days after her accident, 90 of which were in a wheelchair, she finished fifth in a 60-mile adventure race that included mountain biking, running, orienteering, kayaking, and a ropes course.
• Jim Abbott, who had only one hand and pitched for 10 years in the Majors, culminated with throwing a no-hitter in 1993. He threw his no-hitter against the Indians, whom he faced the outing before lasting only 4 innings and giving up 7 runs.
• Lady GaGa was originally signed to Def Jam Recordings at age 19, but the company let her go after just three months.
• George Washington lost his first battle.
• Johnny Unitas’ first pass was intercepted for a touchdown.
• Napoleon Hill, author of a best seller, could not think of a name for his book. Unless he came up with one, the publisher would use the title, Use Your Noodle to Get the Boodle. Hill awoke at 2 a.m. on the deadline date, when the title came to him, Think and Grow Rich.
• Roger Bannister finished fourth in the 1952 Olympics. It was this disappointing finish that drove him to break the four-minute mile.
Dr. Rob Bell is a Sport Psychology Coach. His company DRB & associates is based in Indianapolis. Some clients have included: University of Notre Dame, Marriott, and Walgreens. Check out the most recent book on Mental Toughness- Don’t Should on Your Kids: Build Their Mental Toughness
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July 15, 2016
(Infographic) 10 Strategies for Coaches To Be Mentally Tough
1) Be calm- When you’re calm, cool, and collected, your team will respond that way. Be selective and calculated about when and where you increase the intensity.
Dr. Rob Bell is a Sport Psychology Coach. His company DRB & associates is based in Indianapolis. Some clients have included: University of Notre Dame, Marriott, and Walgreens. Check out the most recent book on Mental Toughness- Don’t Should on Your Kids: Build Their Mental Toughness
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July 8, 2016
How a Mental Toughness change won two Super Bowls
Tom Coughlin of the New York Giants had a mantra to his mental toughness which was “Firm, Fair, Honest, & Demanding.” He was all business! Or as Hall of Famer Michael Strahan said “He was a tyrant.”
Tom Coughlin had a rule for all of his professional athletes. If you show up to a meeting five minutes early, you’re late.
Michael Strahan was fined $500 for showing up to an 8:30 meeting at 8:27. He didn’t even show up to the 2007 training camp because he hated his coach.
Tom Coughlin knew that 2007 was going to be his last year, and he said ” I’m going to enjoy it.”
So, he changed….
He added “caring” to his mantra and mental toughness. He allowed his players to see the real him. The first day of pre-season, he even took his team bowling…
Michael Strahan said in his wildest dreams he never thought he’d last one season with Tom Coughlin as coach, never-mind win a SuperBowl. The New York Giants won it all in 2007.
Dick Vermeil became head coach of the St. Louis Rams in 1997 after a fifteen year absence from all of coaching.
He was infamous for 3 to 4 hour practices in full pads every day of the week.
He worked his players so hard that before one game in 1998 against the Bears, the entire team had a meeting about whether they should even play!
They had 9 wins in 2 years.
So, he changed…
He cut down practices to 1.5 hours no matter the situation and made sure his players were fresh heading into Sunday.
They won the Super Bowl in 1999.
A mental toughness change won two Super Bowls.
Change isn’t easy, but it is necessary. It’s too easy to get complacent and become stuck with the mindset that “this is how we do things.” Change is scary because it means getting out of our comfort zone. These Hall of Fame coaches realized that what had got them there wasn’t going to keep them there, so they made the commitment to change.
Dr. Rob Bell is a Sport Psychology Coach. His company DRB & associates is based in Indianapolis. Some clients have included: University of Notre Dame, Marriott, and Walgreens. Check out the most recent book on Mental Toughness- Don’t Should on Your Kids: Build Their Mental Toughness
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July 1, 2016
(INFOGRAPHIC) 8 Simple ways to have a super positive attitude
Having a positive attitude toward others and with yourself will reap massive returns in life.
Here are 8 simple ways to have a super positive attitude.
Be nice- Say Please and Thank you and apologize when making a mistake. The best thing we can do is the next right thing.
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Dr. Rob Bell is a Sport Psychology Coach. His company DRB & associates is based in Indianapolis. Some clients have included: University of Notre Dame, Marriott, and Walgreens. Check out the most recent book on Mental Toughness- Don’t Should on Your Kids: Build Their Mental Toughness
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June 18, 2016
Why I apologized to the guy who ran over my foot!
Al Bundy stuffhappens.us
I was in Tennessee with a golfer at the PGA tour event. On wednesday afternoon, We were all standing around the chipping green while I was talking with my players’ caddy.
From literally nowhere, this guy, drove a gator tractor over my foot with the front tire and then just stopped with the back tires now on my foot!!
I yelled at the guy to “KEEP GOING” because he just had a blank stare on his face. He looked like he couldn’t believe he just did that. I couldn’t believe it was happening.
Time does stand still for the precious seconds that a gator tractor is on top of your foot while you try to lift it up.
The entire process took less than 10 seconds, although it felt like minutes.
He pulled forward and I didn’t have shooting pain down my foot, so I knew it wasn’t broken.
Even though I didn’t do anything wrong, I was still a bit embarrassed.
I said “Man, I hope you don’t drive like this is real life.”
After the commotion was over and people asking if I was okay and such, The guy walked back over to me and apologized.
I apologized as well!
I know he didn’t do it on purpose!
I said “I hope I didn’t say anything derogatory to you, I was just upset.” I also said, “If this is the worst thing we ever have, we will be okay.” He laughed.
He made a mistake and was embarrassed as well. I could have blown him off or yelled at him some more, but what would that have accomplished? It would have made the issue way worse!
I wanted to use this situation as a quick lesson on how I want to conduct myself and stay calm. If I lost my cool, maybe I would have been viewed as an idiot.
How can we make our mess, our message? Mental Toughness is doing the next right thing and apologizing is a big part.
Dr. Rob Bell is a Sport Psychology Coach. His company DRB & associates is based in Indianapolis. Some clients have included: University of Notre Dame, Marriott, and Walgreens. Check out the most recent book on Mental Toughness- Don’t Should on Your Kids: Build Their Mental Toughness
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May 26, 2016
The crazy bold Mental Toughness to stop in a race.
The crazy bold Mental Toughness to stop in a race.
At mile 32 of 56 on the bike portion of my 1/2 Ironman, I was beginning a climb on a very small hill.
The reason I only signed up two weeks ago to complete his race is because of biking (and a lack of training). I haven’t biked in about 10 years. I even had to borrow a friends Trek for the race.
The bike I was borrowing had GatorSkin tires, which are the ultimate in protection. I need not worry about a flat tire. Good thing because my bicycle maintenance was certainly not up to snuff either.
At the top of the hill, BAM! My back tire went flat.
Boy Scouts were turning over in their graves for my lack of preparation. I had none of the necessary materials needed to change the tire. No bike tube, cartridges, levers, or fix a flat, nothing! I was utterly helpless.
I assessed the damage, cursed, and tried to figure out a plan. A house was nearby which I ran to borrow their phone and call the race team, director, somebody. I was not in a good spot.
All the while, bikers are cresting the hill and passing me. Helpless….
Then a biker actually stopped!!! He handed me his tube, levers, and cartridge to fix the flat. He then asked if I knew how to change it and in my most honest voice, said “no sir!”
The saint who stopped to help change the tire was named Glenn Maenhout. It took crazy bold mental toughness to stop his entire race to help out a stranger. WOW! I thanked him so many times and watched as he fixed the tire. When he finished, I told him I would find him again. It felt like a Disney movie scene where he’s riding off and I’m yelling, “I’ll never forget you.”
We often can’t know when our Hinge moment will be. The person who is going to make such a difference in our lives. If not for Glenn, I would not have finished in time. The entire ordeal took about 20 minutes, and the clock doesn’t stop.
As I proceeded to tell other coaches and friends about Glenn a strange thing occurred. Because they were all shocked that someone would do that, it made more of an impact what a generous, kind, and selfless act that he performed.
I then asked myself “Rob, would you have stopped?” When it comes to race mode, I cheer, thumbs up, and support other competitors along the way, but I’m still focused on running my race….
It is these moments that I am in awe of the servant leadership that people can perform when place in situations to do so. I hope I can answer “yes” and have the mental toughness to stop to help!
I did stop here at the finish…
Dr. Rob Bell is a Sport Psychology Coach. His company DRB & associates is based in Indianapolis. Some clients have included: University of Notre Dame, Marriott, and Walgreens. Check out the most recent book on Mental Toughness- Don’t Should on Your Kids: Build Their Mental Toughness
May 17, 2016
{Infographic} 11 tested ways to get out of your comfort zone
Dr. Rob Bell is a Sport Psychology Coach. His company DRB & associates is based in Indianapolis. Some clients have included: University of Notre Dame, Marriott, and Walgreens. Check out the most recent book on Mental Toughness- Don’t Should on Your Kids: Build Their Mental Toughness
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April 16, 2016
My Top 5 Mental Toughness Books from 2016
The Power of Broke: How Empty Pockets, a Tight Budget, and a Hunger for Success Can Become Your Greatest Competitive Advantage
I never watched Shark Tank, but I do know FUBU-For Us By Us. I’ve also been broke. This book by Daymond John is a fast read, but more importantly is chocked full of stories and insight from the best entrepreneurs on how: Empty pockets, A tight budget, and a hunger for success is actually a competitive advantage.
The Forgotten Highlander: An Incredible WWII Story of Survival in the Pacific
The Bridge over the River Kwai was a movie I watched with my dad. This book is exactly like that, except it’s not hollywood; it’s the “real” thing. All I can say is that after reading this book, I realized that I can’t basically complain about anything. I simply take too many things for granted. #perspective.
Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Dont
This is the 2nd Simon Sinek book I’ve read and this book is better than Start with Why. I always thought that the main chemicals in our brains for success were just endorphin & dopamine, right?! The feeling from a job well done and the feeling from exercise. These are selfish chemicals though, Serotonin & Oxytocin are the leadership chemicals in our brains. The specific actions that we take release or don’t release the essential chemical we are really seeking. This is just one of the fascinating nuggets from the book.
Spy the Lie: Former CIA Officers Teach You How to Detect Deception
My kids are still young, but I’m now prepared for when they become teenagers. Coaches & Parents- You need to read this book! I actually preferred the audio book on this one and I think you’ll hear why.
Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win
Jocko Willink has a podcast that is just straight up nasty. There are so many HUGE learning lessons from the podcast as well as the book. Since not many can actual relate to Navy Seal’s, this book breaks it down so that no matter your profession, cause, or passion, you’ll benefit from reading it. It boils down to one thing- there are no bad teams, only bad leaders. Discipline = Freedom.
Dr. Rob Bell is a Sport Psychology Coach. His company DRB & associates is based in Indianapolis. Some clients have included: University of Notre Dame, Marriott, and Walgreens. Check out the most recent book on Mental Toughness- Don’t Should on Your Kids: Build Their Mental Toughness
