The Power of Positive and Possible

A few months ago, I shared an article about “possibility thinking.”

I’ve also blogged about The Power of Positive Attitude and The Power of Positive Self-Talk.

There is a strong and undeniable link between POSITIVE and POSSIBLE.

Needless to say, I really believe in the power of positive thinking and a “can-do” approach to anything and everything — school, sports, work, and life.  In my business, I witness it every day.  Athletes with a strong belief in themselves have an uncanny knack for success.  They expect success.

These individuals demonstrate a willingness to work through adversity, “stay the course,” and follow their dreams.  It’s not that they don’t encounter obstacles along the way, they are simply too focused on and passionate about their goals to be sidetracked.  They believe in themselves and what they are doing.  They refuse to quit.

Positive people are much more likely to look for/see the success potential, in every situation.  They realize that there is good in every day, even if every day is not perfect.

Positive thinkers see the opportunity in every difficulty, and not the difficulty in every opportunity (to paraphrase Winston Churchill).

Positive thinking is a possibility creator and a door opener. It enables you to do virtually everything better than negative thinking will.

Your thoughts?

WE BUILD STRONGER ATHLETES!

We provide motivated athletes with a simple, customized training plan to help them improve performance and reduce injury risk.

5 Ways to be More Confident

I saw this recently on social media, and thought it was worth sharing.

Believe in you.

Be your best. Do your best. Give your best.

Work hard, stay positive, and good things will happen.

Your thoughts?

WE BUILD STRONGER ATHLETES!

We provide motivated athletes with a simple, customized training plan to help them improve performance and reduce injury risk.

Tough Coach? No Problem!

It’s important to be a coachable athlete.  As a player you want to flourish under your coach, not flounder.

At some point, you may find yourself playing for a “tough” coach.  Adjectives like demanding, hard-to-please, challenging, and exacting may come to mind.  Hopefully, fair is also a word that describes the coach.

Perhaps you haven’t had much experience playing for this type of coach.  How will you make it work?

Much of the time, it’s a question of attitude.  Additionally, communication and collaboration are very important components in building and maintaining a positive, productive player-coach relationship.

Every player has something to offer, and it’s up to you and your coach to define and develop your role and perform it to the best of your ability.

Sure, it’s a challenge.  But, with a “can-do” attitude and by following a few tips, you might find that making it work is not as hard as you think.

Check Your Attitude

Listen to what your coach has to say, and respect his or her experience and expertise.  Be willing to try new approaches and strategies.  Don’t brood about (what you perceive as) your coach not valuing your contribution.  No one wants to play with an athlete who is dismissive of suggestions or assignments.

Be Positive

There’s a lot you can learn from your coach, if you are open and receptive to learning.  Ask questions and strive to continue learning.  Your willingness and enthusiasm to embrace new ways of doing things will be appreciated.  Recognize that both you and the coach are building a relationship that allows each of you to be successful on the court or field of play.  Absorb the energy and enthusiasm your coach brings to the team.

Build Relationships With Teammates

Connecting with teammates, both on and off the court, can help you foster your relationship with your coach.  Stay appropriately engaged with teammates on common social networks with positive posts.  Forward relevant articles to your coach with a note, letting him or her know that you found it helpful or useful.

Improve Communication

Chances are, you under-communicate with your coach.  Get comfortable approaching and talking with him or her.  And remember, it should be you talking with your coach and not your parent(s).  Topics like playing time and comparisons with teammates are — and should be — off-limits.  Focus, instead, on your own self-development as a player.  Ask questions like, “In what specific areas can I work to improve in order to better contribute to the success of our team.”  Most coaches will make more of an effort to help you once they know you are willing to help yourself.

Don’t Snipe

Avoid making negative comments about your coach to your teammates, friends, etc., and keep the negative stuff OFF social media.  All that will accomplish is to cast you in a negative light, make things awkward for those around you,  and adversely affect your team chemistry.  What happens at practice should stay at practice, unless it involves something that has the potential to hurt you or others.

Your thoughts?

WE BUILD STRONGER ATHLETES!

We provide motivated athletes with a simple, customized training plan to help them improve performance and reduce injury risk.

The Power of Positive and Possible

A few months ago, I shared an article about “possibility thinking.”

I’ve also blogged about The Power of Positive Attitude and The Power of Positive Self-Talk.

There is a strong and undeniable link between POSITIVE and POSSIBLE.

Needless to say, I really believe in the power of positive thinking and a “can-do” approach to anything and everything — school, sports, work, and life.  In my business, I witness it every day.  Athletes with a strong belief in themselves have an uncanny knack for success.  They expect success.

These individuals demonstrate a willingness to work through adversity, “stay the course,” and follow their dreams.  It’s not that they don’t encounter obstacles along the way, they are simply too focused on and passionate about their goals to be sidetracked.  They believe in themselves and what they are doing.  They refuse to quit.

Positive people are much more likely to look for – and see – the success potential, in every situation.  They realize that there is good in every day, even if every day is not perfect.

Positive thinkers see the opportunity in every difficulty, and not the difficulty in every opportunity (to paraphrase Winston Churchill).

Positive thinking is a possibility creator and a door opener. It enables you to do virtually everything better than negative thinking will.

Your thoughts?

WE WILL HELP YOU BECOME A BETTER ATHLETE!

We provide motivated athletes with a simple, customized training plan to help them improve performance and reduce injury risk.

5 Ways to be More Confident

I saw this recently on social media, and thought it was worth sharing.

Believe in you.

Be your best.

Do your best.

Give your best.

Work hard, stay positive, and good things will happen.

Your thoughts?

WE WILL HELP YOU BECOME A BETTER ATHLETE!

We provide motivated athletes with a simple, customized training plan to help them improve performance and reduce injury risk.

Tough Coach? Here Are 5 Tips to Help You Make it Work

It’s important to be a coachable athlete.  As a player you want to flourish under your coach, not flounder.

At some point, you may find yourself playing for a “tough” coach.  Adjectives like demanding, hard-to-please, challenging, and exacting may come to mind.  Hopefully, fair is also a word that describes the coach.

Perhaps you haven’t had much experience playing for this type of coach.  How will you make it work?

Much of the time, it’s a question of attitude.  Additionally, communication and collaboration are very important components in building and maintaining a positive, productive player-coach relationship.

Every player has something to offer, and it’s up to you and your coach to define and develop your role and perform it to the best of your ability.

Sure, it’s a challenge.  But, with a “can-do” attitude – and by following a few tips – you might find that making it work is not as hard as you think.

Check Your Attitude

Listen to what your coach has to say, and respect his or her experience and expertise.  Be willing to try new approaches and strategies.  Don’t brood about (what you perceive as) your coach not valuing your contribution.  No one wants to play with an athlete who is dismissive of suggestions or assignments.

Be Positive

There’s a lot you can learn from your coach, if you are open and receptive to learning.  Ask questions and strive to continue learning.  Your willingness and enthusiasm to embrace new ways of doing things will be appreciated.  Recognize that both you and the coach are building a relationship that allows each of you to be successful on the court or field of play.  Absorb the energy and enthusiasm your coach brings to the team.

Build Relationships With Teammates

Connecting with teammates, both on and off the court, can help you foster your relationship with your coach.  Stay appropriately engaged with teammates on common social networks with positive posts.  Forward relevant articles to your coach with a note, letting him or her know that you found it helpful or useful.

Improve Communication

Chances are, you under-communicate with your coach.  Get comfortable approaching and talking with him or her.  And remember, it should be you talking with your coach and not your parent(s).  Topics like playing time and comparisons with teammates are – and should be – off-limits.  Focus, instead, on your own self-development as a player.  Ask questions like, “In what specific areas can I work to improve in order to better contribute to the success of our team.”  Most coaches will make more of an effort to help you once they know you are willing to help yourself.

Don’t Snipe

Avoid making negative comments about your coach to your teammates, friends, etc., and keep the negative stuff OFF social media.  All that will accomplish is to cast you in a negative light, make things awkward for those around you,  and adversely affect your team chemistry.  What happens at practice should stay at practice, unless it involves something that has the potential to hurt you or others.

Your thoughts?

WE WILL HELP YOU BECOME A BETTER ATHLETE!

We provide motivated athletes with a simple, customized training plan to help them improve performance and reduce injury risk.

Always Keep Swinging

“My motto was always to keep swinging. Whether I was in a slump or feeling badly or having trouble off the field, the only thing to do was keep swinging.” – Hank Aaron

No one performs at the peak of his or her ability level, all the time.  You’re going to have good games and bad games.  And, sometimes, the bad games can seem to persist, and you may find yourself in somewhat of a slump (conversely, sometimes the good games will persist, too, and you’ll enjoy your “hot” streak).

The root of your slump may be mechanical, physical, psychological, or emotional.  In all likelihood, you may not even be aware of the cause of your slump, just the end (performance) result.

Attitude is everything.  More than anything else, your approach to improving your performance — when in a slump — will be most important in determining the outcome.

You may not hit the ball every time you swing the bat, but one thing is certain: you’ll never hit it if you don’t swing.  Same goes for shooting a basketball.  You’ve got to shoot if you want to score.

This same principle applies to school, work, and life.  “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” – Benjamin Franklin

Have a goal and be realistic.  Understand your strengths and areas for improvement.  Develop an action plan that is aligned with your goal, and take small steps toward your goal, every day.

Believe in yourself, don’t get discouraged, and don’t quit.  Seek help and inspiration from someone with experience and expertise in the area in which you want to improve.

Try and succeed… try and fail.  Try again.  Keep trying.  You’ll never win if you never try.

Get STRONGER, Get FASTER!

Your thoughts?

Positive People Are Healthier

Abraham Lincoln reputedly said, “Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”

Do you expect the best or think the worst?  For most of us, optimism and pessimism are on a continuum.  And, while no one is necessarily on the extreme end of either side, we all gravitate one way or another.

Your state of mind affects your health, according to a recent article in Men’s Health.  Negative thoughts are like parasites that can adversely affect your health and wellness.

According to research from the University of Pittsburgh, compared to optimists, pessimists tend to have:

• higher blood pressure
• higher triglyceride levels
• higher odds of heart attack
• higher odds of early death

Jeffrey Huffman, MD, director of cardiac psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, believes that “Happy and hopeful people are more likely to exercise, eat healthy, and stop smoking.”  Simply stated, a positive outlook empowers you to take control of your health.

Staying positive can also reduce the secretion of a hormone linked to multiple sclerosis and heart disease.

It’s been said that “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” – Charles R. Swindoll

It’s never too late to start looking on the bright side and improve your reaction to situations you encounter in your life.

Get STRONGER, Get FASTER!

Your thoughts?

Mental Preparation is the Key

Every athlete knows that physical tools are important.  Strength, speed, agility, and athleticism — and the commitment to the development of each — are integral to success in virtually every sport.  Factor in sport-specific skill development (for example, basketball ball-handling and shooting), and you’re on your way to building a strong foundation.

Equally important is your mind, and its ability to drive your body.  Mental preparation, focus, and confidence are all implicated in your success and attainment of your goals.  Generally, your limits will be those you set for yourself.  Here are some tips to improve performance and push through those self-imposed limitations through mental preparation.

Have a plan

I’m always surprised by athletes, especially at the higher levels, who “just play.”  That is, they don’t really have a game plan.  Situational preparation leads to successful execution.  A baseball player should go to the plate with a plan, depending on the score, inning, opposing tendencies and trends, number of outs, baserunners, pitch type and location, etc.  Having a plan — and working your plan — will help build your confidence, which fuels a positive mindset.

Stay positive

A negative attitude and focus won’t help you or your team.  When I train athletes, we don’t talk about the negative.  Sure, there will be times when you face less-than-desirable circumstances and conditions (inclement weather, an injured teammate, etc.)  Your attitude is contagious and it will impact the people around you.  Do your best to maintain positive words and body language.  Expect to win.

Be adaptable

There’s a lot you can control, but not everything.  You have to practice being adaptable, and believe you can do anything.  Train yourself to overcome obstacles, and not concede to them.  For example, a basketball point guard should anticipate the defense taking away his/her strong hand, and should practice and develop capable ball-handling skills with his/her “off” hand.

Focus on small goals

Rather than focusing on winning the game, direct your focus on each individual at-bat or offensive possession.  Your goal should be to win each inning, quarter, or period.  Successful attainment of each small goal will lead you, ultimately, to your larger goal.  Looking too far ahead to the outcome can dilute your focus.  Do your best to impact the present and the future will take care of itself.

Talk to yourself

Positive self-talk is a strong motivator.  External motivation is great, but it’s also inconsistent — you can’t always count on others to motivate you.  Find quotes, sayings, or slogans that motivate you.  Visualize yourself succeeding (and celebrating).  Learn to communicate with yourself in a way that is positive and motivating.

Get STRONGER, Get FASTER!

Your thoughts?

The Power of Positive Attitude

“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” ~ Winston Churchill

A positive attitude may not ensure success in everything you do but, without one, dealing with everything (and everyone) becomes more difficult.  A positive attitude brings optimism into your life, and makes it easier to avoid worries and negative thinking.

A positive attitude can help you achieve goals and attain success.  It can give you the ability to inspire and motivate yourself and others.  A positive attitude can enable improvement in everything you do — school, sports, work, and life.

Attitude is contagious.  Before you say a word, your attitude is conveyed to others.  Your body language is a result of your mental attitude.  By choosing your attitude, you get in that mood and send out a message that everyone understands, consciously or unconsciously.

Have passion for what you do… whatever it is.  Passion and desire breed success.  Passion is the single fastest way to drive yourself to success.  Do something you love, and get excited about it.

Best of all, you can choose a positive attitude… choose to be happy (yes, it’s a choice).  The only source of happiness – and unhappiness – comes from inside yourself.  Happiness is not something that comes to you.  It is something you create now, today.  It is not what happens to you that counts. It is how you react to what happens to you.

Have faith in yourself.  Believe in you.

Your thoughts?

WE WILL HELP YOU BECOME A BETTER ATHLETE!

We provide motivated athletes with a simple, customized training plan to help them improve performance and reduce injury risk.