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Pulling Away From the Pack
Justin Johnson, Performance Coach

As many athletes return to school from break and we stare down another year, I wanted to lay down a challenge to all and any youth athletes and non athletes reading this, especially, those contemplating New Year's resolutions. Whatever your area of activity, be it in school, friends, family, church, or in athletics: Separate Yourself. Be special, dare to be different, lead the pack, go big or go home, however you would like to say it or phrase it, I ask you to be bold enough to do it.

Few athletes exemplified this mindset more than baseball's Babe Ruth; he swung for the fences whether it was on the field, at the dinner table or in his life off the field. "I swing big, with everything I've got," Ruth said. "I hit big or I miss big. I like to live as big as I can." As a result, for many years Ruth held the record for most home runs and for most strikeouts. He saw strikeouts as part of the deal. He actually said, "Every strikeout brings me closer to my next home run."

By this time you may be asking yourself how can I, little average old me do such a thing? Here is how you get started. Find one activity you do regularly in your life. School, sports, church and friends are all good venues. Then give more effort, care, time and energy to that activity. Use your time in that activity to do it better and longer than others around you. The result, over time, is that you build a sense of pride and fulfillment within yourself. This feeling will only propel your drive to continue to separate yourself.

There is one other way you will know you have begun to separate yourself. Others will question you and urge you to stop! They may even make fun of you or criticize your increased efforts. This is exactly what you want! You see, there are far too many of us stuck in the center of it all. Risking little, gaining little, and losing little.  Yet this is not the way we were meant to live. Others will feel threatened by your new found feeling of fulfillment and your new status separate from the center and they will do what they can to urge you back to the pack. Don't let them! Dare to be special, dare to be great and continue your efforts to do so regardless of what others say.

If you are looking to make some changes this new year or even capitalize on some momentum built in '09 then make sure you are willing to be special. Don't be afraid to separate yourself to go after what you want. I assure you, you deserve it and you won't regret it.

If you would like help in taking the first step or when others begin to urge you back to the pack, please call us...we'd love to help you with your success 763-439-5246!

Justin

Justin@MentalEdgeNow.com

Keeping Up With the Jones's
Brady Greco, Performance Coach

One of the most common mistakes athletes make on a continuous basis is comparing themselves to others.  This frequent occurrence between teammates, other teams, and leagues can contribute to negative mental energy hindering the individual's performance.  What most athletes do not understand is that they are comparing themselves with flawed or untrue data, making it impossible for the athlete to attain the level of play or goals they set for themselves.  An old famous catchphrase that is used when comparing oneself to another is coined as, "Keeping up with the Jones's".  This fabricated motto indicates a comparison in which one neighbor persistently tries to socially and economically 'keep up' with the Jones's.  What the majority of people fail to understand is that the Jones's are too occupied trying to 'keep up' with the Jordan's and the Jordan's are too occupied trying to 'keep up' with the Gretzky's' and the Gretzky's are too occupied trying to "keep up' with the Ali's, and so on, and so on, and so on.

If an athlete continues to compare themselves to other athletes, then they will always find someone who is "above" them.  This is a game nobody can win at, because it is a continuous cycle that will ultimately end in a sense of failure within the athlete's mind.  This sense of failure can result in a lack of confidence, lack of motivation, lack of self-worth, lack of fun, and worst of all, giving up and quitting all together.  When an athlete compares their own personal journey to the likes of someone else's, they stop pursuing quality positive energy and attention toward their own journey.

Every athlete has a different path in which they encounter throughout their athletic career.  The most significant thing to understand is to be certain the athlete is doing what they want to be doing, and having fun doing so.  Focus on your own journey, because your journey is no better or worse than anyone else's.  An athlete's journey is special, organic, and one that nobody can control but the athlete themselves.  So be proud of it!

No one has lived in the same shoes as anyone else, meaning that they have not witnessed, experienced, or felt the same things that make up who YOU are today.  Instead of constantly worrying and comparing yourself to another athlete, begin to compare yourself to yourself.  Ask yourself: What have I learned? How far you have I gotten? How much have I grown?  Engaging in and intentionally practicing this specific mind-set can be one of the greatest tools an athlete can use in their sporting career and in their life journey.

We would love to help you stop the vicious cycle of keeping up with the Jones's...give us a call today 763-439-5246!

 

Brady

Brady@MentalEdgeNow.com