Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Preparing for the journey...

This is what I wrote for our guys as they prepare for what is the first varsity season for most of them...

The road of life twists and turns and no two directions are ever the same. Yet our lessons come from the journey, not the destination.

As we enter the 2011 season, it must be understood that there will be a roller coaster of emotions from the start to the finish line, wherever that may be. Mental preparation should never be underestimated as you prepare for whatever unknowns lay ahead. Here are a few things to consider as we start the season together.

1. EXPECTATIONS: The journey of a thousand miles begins with a footstep. Expect one thing: extreme highs and lows. Expect mistakes and successes alike, and embrace them as a lesson to learn from, and then forge ahead. The season will be a roller coaster, so prepare yourself for anything that might happen. Expect the unexpected.

2. GOALS: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Create personal and team goals before the season begins. Use a 3x5-inch index card and place it somewhere you can see it on a daily basis (bathroom mirror, ceiling above your bed). As the season progresses, continue to alter these goals as they are accomplished.

3. BELIEF: The 4-minute mile was thought to be unattainable until it was first broken. Within the next 18 months, 45 runners also broke the barrier. Stay away from fixed mindsets as they only obscure the unlimited boundaries of potential within each of you. “I can’t” sabotages your own efforts. Dream big.

4. RELAX: “Relax in order to max.” No good thing has come from being stiff and tense. Relax and let go, trusting in everything you’ve worked on. Be like water, which is fluid, yielding and soft, yet strong enough to form huge canyons. Don’t allow yourself to feed the butterflies within.

5. FOCUS: Focus on the here-and-now, and nothing else. Whatever has happened or will happen is out of your control. Worry about the next pitch and only the next pitch. Flush the mistakes and move on. If you spend too much time worrying about what’s behind you, you’ll trip over what’s in front of you. Pay full attention to the present. Focus only on the things within your control. You can’t control the wind, bad hops, great breaking balls, or poor umpiring. When a plane flies from San Francisco to Hawaii, it is off-course 90% of the time. It eventually reaches Hawaii safely because the pilot corrects for the interference and errors caused by the uncontrollable winds. Adapt.

6. DON’T THINK – DO: Analysis is paralysis. Trust your instincts and the training. Learn from the mistakes but don’t dwell on them.

7. REFLECT: Performance is the result of priorities. Reflect on your natural performance patterns. Recall the success and what factors contributed to them (become a creature of habit). Eliminate the factors that led to failure. Always take time out every night to reflect on the day’s lessons.

8. FEAR: This is a natural emotion that indicates the need to be alert. It is a survival instinct, and it allows you to understand the importance of the situation and then prepare for it. The other side of every fear is freedom. To keep from being overwhelmed, break down the expanse of the season into smaller parts: game-by-game, inning-by-inning, out-by-out, pitch-by-pitch.

9. FAILURE: Success comes to those who can weather the storm. If you expect it, you can then prepare to learn from it. Just don’t get comfortable with it. Life’s greatest lessons come from failure, not success. Work to ensure you aren’t making the same mistakes twice. Accept slumps as part of the game and don’t resist it. The tighter you grip at a fistful of sand, the more slip through your fingers. Same with slumps.

10. DON’T DWELL: Don’t dwell on the losses OR the victories. Enjoy the moment, and move on to the next task at hand. You’re only as good as your last performance, so don’t let success become a burden. Use the memory of success to give you inspiration during the inevitable decline that comes from great success. Always work to continually return to the top of the mountain.

HAVE FUN! They don’t say “WORK Ball,” they say “PLAY ball” for a reason…

Just remember, perfection is unattainable. Strive for excellence and the success will follow.

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