Mindset Matters

Remember that you matter. Remember that the great one’s have been where you are. And remember that sometimes the definition of courage is telling yourself that maybe, tomorrow, you can try again.

Superstition • n. A widely held but irrational belief in supernatural influences, especially as bringing good or bad luck. – Oxford English Dictionary Pre-Performance routine • A sequence of task-relevant thoughts and actions which an athlete engages in systematically prior to or during his or her performance of a specific sport skill. – Moran, 1996

Anything worthwhile is going to take a little longer and be a little harder than you had anticipated. That’s ok you’re up to and worthy of the challenge. I can’t wait to see you pull it off!

The great ones have a plan for adversity. In fact, just like the warriors of days gone by, today’s leaders, today’s performers, are ready for adversity just like the old time warriors prepared for war.

It's not how good your good shots are, it's how good your bad shots are.

There are days in your life that spur humility and gratitude. Today is one of them.

Sometimes it's important that you are the calm in the storm. Sometimes you need to be calm. Sometimes you need to be measured in your responses, and sometimes you need to gather your thoughts.

The Great One’s don’t just thank the Coaches and Bosses. The great one’s recognize that everyone has a role.

Please remember THIS as you are practicing being courageous this week. “Anything you want to say to someone is for the most part perfectly acceptable, just say it kindly, and say it without emotion.” Give someone a call this week you haven’t called in a long time. Give a compliment to someone you don’t feel like complimenting. Start a hobby you’ve been meaning to start for years. Go back to the basics. It’s never too late to be the person you ought to have been. All it takes is one minute a day of pure unadulterated guts and courage!

Be authentic. The best advice I ever received when I was in school was from Dr Keith Henschen and Dr Nicole Detling. The emphasized over and over that you have to be the best you possible. Don’t try to be someone you aren’t. Start now and start small. You will find your voice and you will find your best you.

Here’s a truth. You give people permission to talk about you in the way you talk about yourself.

At the end of the day, I’m betting on you. I bet you can do it. The changes you need to make to be more successful in your life are smaller than you think. Be a little better, be a little more gritty, be a little more resilient because you’ve got this.

Sometimes we need to focus on the things that are most important. In fact, often times our focus, or lack thereof can be as a result of us focusing on the wrong things.

--Science shows that visualization and imagery not only helps athletes to perform well during competition, but the research continues to find that it may be possible to speed up the healing process by using specific mental skills and techniques and by maintaining a positive mindset.

The best way to let your life get out of control is to do nothing. Find your calling, work at it, master your craft, and most importantly, be just a little better than you were yesterday.

What do you typically think when an event happens? What do you feel in response to those feelings? What do you do in reaction to those thoughts? After thinking about those thoughts, I want you to ask yourself this question. What’s important now? What can you do right here and right now to make things better? And then go out and execute it.

You need not react to every opinion, every comment, or every situation. Kick the drama and keep moving ahead. Choose your battles wisely. Not everything deserves your time and attention.

Sports will test your grit, your mettle, and sports will test your heart.

Bottom line is, you shouldn’t just praise effort. You should praise effort that is leading to a pathway of success, stressing that simply trying isn’t enough. Your kids should try hard because putting in all that effort makes them more skilled, smarter, and better at whatever they choose to pursue.

Grit can be developed through mindfulness and through other tools like counter arguments. The father of “positive psychology”, Martin Seligman, has created another program that promotes conscious awareness of thoughts and an ability to challenge those thoughts by considering alternatives. For example, “My bost just ignored me in the hallway because she didn’t see me, not because she hates my guts.”