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One key to achieving success in sports is learning how to focus on the task and not let negative thoughts intrude.
you must focus on what you do want to happen
What we’ve learned in psychology is that actions follow our thoughts and images.
All I want you to do before the game is to focus on those three things.”
THE HEAD EDGE
Visualize having fun. Playing at my best. Then the task at hand.
enthusiasm and the mental edge are the keys to winning.
“something you feel only when you don’t know what you’re doing.”
Pressure.
“Every time I come into a game I think of my home in the Rockies, and that relaxes me. And I tell myself the worst thing that could happen is that I’d be home fishing there tomorrow.”
When the spotlight came on and the music began, he let fate carry him through. The hard work was over. Now, he told himself, go out and enjoy.
they felt no fear of failure. They weren’t thinking about their performance. They were immersed in the activity. They were in “the zone.” The probability of achieving the outcome you want increases when you let go of the need to have it.
“Competitors take bad breaks and use them to drive themselves just that much harder.
They almost never fall victim to self-defeating thoughts.
In the locker room the young player began listening to slower music.
Too often, people play the blame game. Successful people take responsibility for themselves and their game. They understand that it’s not the event but how they respond to it that’s most important.
You have the choice how you will respond to any situation.
GETTING OVER YOURSELF
My current gremlins: Fear, Anxiety, Perfectionism, Self-Consciousness. 02/03/23
If you don’t see yourself as successful, then your chances of succeeding are diminished.
In reality, most dangers are not a threat to life or limb. They are a psychological threat to self-esteem and ego.
“Show me a guy who is afraid of looking bad and I can beat him every time.” You can’t perform well if you’re afraid of embarrassing yourself.
Japanese players focus on the process of knowing themselves and improving their weaknesses. Americans seem more focused on outcome.
What can I learn today? How can I become better tomorrow? Instead of worrying about statistics and outcomes, I want them thinking about the process of learning, growing, and getting better. Learning how to learn takes work.
“What’s tough is to go out and work hard on the things that you don’t do very well.”
Believe in the power of your dream, then A.C.T. backward. Accept your present state. Create your desired state. Take action through goal setting.
It’s all about the journey, not the outcome.
Goal setting is a way of bringing the future into the present so you can take action now.
Goals should be challenging but realistic.
He worried about the future, which he had no control over.
Seek progress, not perfection,
but it took him ten years of hard work to become an overnight success.
But even if it hadn’t, even if I wasn’t able to become a champion, I would still know that I gave it my best shot. I tried. I got on the train and I tried.”
FATAL DISTRACTIONS
Alcohol, drugs, excessive poor eating, !, doom scrolling.
athlete is to avoid those distractions that can lead you away from your goals.
Follow your goals and not the crowd.
The bottom line is you can’t be afraid to fail.
One of the paradoxes of sports is that fear of failure actually makes failure more likely.
“Failure is the best teacher in the world… . You get to learn from what happens to you—both good and bad—in a real-live game situation.
Reframe failure.
Be willing to take a risk. Remember, there is no security in life. There is only adventure.
If you are succeeding past what you think you are capable of, then you will try and revert back to your comfort zone. Being actions that disprove that success.
THE FIRE INSIDE
Mission: To become a veteran NFL player.
Fire: To be the best at my position.
Motivation: Mira, Family, Past Experiences. Be the best.
The desire to succeed needs to be stronger than the fear of failure.
“Want” power is as important as will power when it comes to accomplishing your goals.
Discipline. It means doing what you have to do when you need to do it, whether you want to or not.
Pessimists take a passive attitude. They play the blame game or focus on what they can’t do. As a result, pessimists often become victims of self-fulfilling prophecy.
Hitting is all about attitude.”
One day I was on a golf course practice green. I spotted Robin Yount, a member of baseball’s Hall of Fame. Robin said he couldn’t wait for his tee time. He was eager to get onto the course. “Are you playing well?” I asked, expecting him to say yes. “No, I’ve really been struggling,” Yount replied. Then he shot me a smile. “But I know I’m due for a break-through.” When I saw him in the parking lot several hours later, Robin said he had enjoyed a great round.
Since you don’t know what’s going to happen, why not act as if you’re going to have a good day?
optimists are able to put their problems in a “box” and not let them distract them.
Don’t let what you can’t do interfere with what you can do.
Good things come to those who stay optimistic and are willing to persevere.
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Some have a belief system that says failure is a shameful thing. In truth, life is based upon failures. If you don’t fail, you’re probably not challenging yourself enough.
