I finished this book in April 2021. I recommend this book 10/10.
Like me, you might like to use sports references when you are talking to your team. You might have heard sports folks saying that 95% of winning is mental. Well, this is the book about what it takes for a top athlete on a mental level. This is the missing ingredient for you to raise to the winning circle.
You will finish this book fast. You will learn how to raise yourself above negativity. Get your copy here.
My notes and thoughts:
Remember, success is not an accident. Success follows a set course, and these principles are the boundaries of its path.
Mental management 1
Your conscious mind can only concentrate on one thing at the time.
Action statement 1
I take control of what I picture, choosing to think about what I want to create in my life.
Mental management 2
What you say is not important. What you cause yourself or others to picture is crucial.
Action statement 2
I always give myself commands in a positive way. I remind myself that what others are picturing as a result of hearing me speak is crucial to proper understanding.
Mental statement 3
The subconscious mind is the source of all mental power.
Action statement 3
I am so well-trained that all of my performance is subconsciously done. I trust my subconscious to guide my performance in competition.
Mental management 4
The self-image moves you to do whatever the conscious mind is picturing.
Action statement 4
I realize that my self-image is moving me to perform what I am consciously picturing. I control what I picture and picture only what I want to see happen.
Mental management 5
Self-image and performance are always equal. To change your performance, you must first change your self-image.
Action statement 5
I am aware that my performance and self-image are equal. I am eager to change my habits and attitude to increase my performance.
Mental management 6
You can replace the self-image you have with the self-image you want, thereby permanently changing performance.
Action statement 6
I am responsible for changing my self-image. I choose the habits and attitude I want and cause my self-image to change accordingly.
Mental management 7
The principle of reinforcement: The more we think about, talk about and write about something happening, we improve the probability of that thing happening.
Be sure to write down what you want. Writing down your goal will not guarantee your outcome, but it will aid the building of the self-image you need to be able to attain it. Be careful not to complain. I often hear people in both business and sport complain about their circumstances. Complaining is negative reinforcement. I teach my students not to reinforce a bad shot by getting angry. Do not reinforce a bad day at the office by complaining to your spouse. Remember something that you did well each day instead. Fill your thoughts only with your best performances, and you cannot help but be successful.
The process can be defined, and anything that can be defined can be duplicated. You can predict and control how many days a week you train. You can control the discipline of your efforts. You can control what you choose to think about and do. You can control the competitions you enter and how you choose to train for them. You can control who your teachers are and the training systems you use. My advice is to only set goals on things YOU can control.
Goal setting:
Determine a goal worth trading your life for.
Decide when you want it.
List the pay-value
Honestly, evaluate the obstacles in your way.
What is your plan to get your goal?
Evaluate your plan before you proceed.
Schedule your plan.
Start now.
Prior to reaching your goal, always set a new one to take its place.
Hold on to the end or trade up.
Mental management 8
The self-image cannot tell the difference between what actually happens and what is vividly imagined.
Rehearsal to improve attitude:
First, you must define the situations where your attitude needs to be maximized.
Decide what attitudes you need in these situations.
Rehearse that you are in these situations and feeling the way you desire to feel.
There are 3 parts or phases.
The anticipation phase
The action phase
The reinforcement phase
Pressure is not something you need to avoid. It is something you need to use.
Recognize that pressure is positive and something that you can control.
Focus on what you want to see happen, not on what is stressing you.
Use a planned, practiced recovery strategy.
First, concentrate on your breathing. Breathe in a practiced pattern for, say, three breaths. Then relax a specific muscle group such as your neck and shoulders. Finally, visualize being in complete control of a good performance. You can only think of one thing at a time, so while you are thinking about these things, you cannot be still thinking negatively.
Training guidelines:
Catch yourself doing something right.
Train for or five days a week.
Wherever you are, be all there.
Rehearse the matchday often within the training session.
When you are playing well, play a lot.
We raise ourselves to the standard we are around.
Plan your year.
Mental images that are written down have a greater impact on the self-image than those that we simply talk about. If you really want to change your self-image, make a habit of writing down what you write about. But, be careful, do not write about anything that you do not want to have happened.
In fact, it is not what you SEE that is important but what you FEEL. Rehearse the feeling of hitting a good shot. Don't try to see it. Try to FEEL it. What does the move feel like when you do it properly?
A Directive Affirmation:
Define the goal
Set a time limit
List the personal pay-value
Outline a plan to achieve the goal
Write a directive affirmation in the first person present tense.
Make five copies in your handwriting on five-by-seven cards.
Place the cards in five prominent places.
Read and visualize your directive affirmation each time you come to one of the places.
Remember, "having the power to determine an outcome beyond doubt" is like you. Work the problem, decisively execute your technical and mental systems, and your performance will tend to meet your expectation.
Become a promoter of your organization, of yourself, and of others.
"Success does not consist in never making mistakes but never making the same one a second time "~ George Bernard Shaw.
"The greatest mistake we make is living in constant fear that we will make one"~ John Maxwell.