The TB12 Method: How to Achieve a Lifetime of Sustained Peak Performance

by Tom Brady

Whatever I was told to do—jump rope, practice my quarterback techniques, etc.—I always did more.

“peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best you are capable of becoming.”

preparation, and persistence can present themselves over time and make you better.

Heavier loads lead to even more imbalance and more muscle compensation, which lead to more injuries.

When you get injured, who is ultimately responsible for your return to full strength? The doctor? The trainer? The sport? The answer is none of the above. No—in the end, it’s your body, and your life. How you take care of yourself and maintain your health and avoid injury is up to you.

More important than formal meditation is developing a positive mind-set that allows you to achieve everything you want to achieve.

Pliable muscles are long, soft, and capable of full muscle pump function. They improve strength and promote circulation of blood and lymph to facilitate healing.

Imagine that you fell off your bike when you were a kid, or you injured a muscle playing a sport in high school. Your brain stores that traumatic event in its neural pathways, and the memory of that event, conscious or unconscious, determines how your body responds to any future movement related to that muscle or bone or tendon.

Whatever impact I experience is absorbed and dispersed evenly throughout many muscle groups, and not just the specific area where I got hit.

When I’m asked about what motivates me, it always comes down to the coulda/shoulda question. If I don’t play my best, why am I disappointed? Because I coulda, shoulda played better, done better, worked harder, prepared more. It could be my effort, my execution, or my mind-set—it doesn’t matter. In the end, for me it’s less about the outcome than it is about whether I put in the best effort relative to our team’s potential.

I love what John Wooden said—that “Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best you are capable of becoming.”

Things happen sometimes that I don’t welcome or want, but I make the choice to remain positive. That is something within my control. I don’t like to focus on negatives or to make excuses. I am never a victim. I gain nothing if I get angry or frustrated. You can make life a lot harder for yourself by focusing on negative things in your path or making excuses for why things didn’t go your way. Or, you can refuse to take things personally, let them go, learn from them, and become the best version of yourself. It’s a choice. It’s actually your choice.