Your actions have lasting impact, even if they seem innocent at the outset. Sports and corporate performance have the greatest long-term impact when they are done with integrity. What is integrity? From The MindSide perspective, I see integrity as standing behind what you say, what you do, and how that affects those around you. To boil it down further, integrity is the motivational basis, the moral compass, of what you do, say, and impact. If you have integrity, you are aware of the impact that your actions have on one another.

Every day, you are challenged with situations where you may be the only one that truly knows your impact. No one may know if you add something to the bottom line of an expense report, fudge a paper, or cut the corner during a workout. Living and performing with integrity is done when you are appreciative of the responsibility of your actions and how they impact others.

Dr. Henry Cloud wrote a great book, Integrity, and asked “what is in your wake?” That defines integrity. When you leave a situation, event, training, meeting, or interaction, did you leave it better than you found it? For the next week, ask yourself if your footprints are leaving an impression of a positive legacy or one of destruction? Only you know the answer.

I come to you TODAY with a desire to be something more than I was yesterday, to be more than I think I can be tomorrow, and to be everything that I want right now.

I left you yesterday with the outcome of my efforts, a chance to find out about myself and learn from my winnings and mistakes. I leave yesterday with experience and learnings that can only be understood when I walk the steps of someone willing to take the next step.

The lessons of yesterday, the day before that, the week before that, the month before that, and the year before that have made me who I am TODAY. I have not forgotten where I have come from and I will never forget who I am TODAY.

I cannot change the events of yesterday. I cannot make my struggles less painful and my winnings grander. I cannot cover up my scars simply because I do not want to be reminded of them every day. I see the scars, I feel the pain, and I yearn for more.

My past is behind me, but it fuels every aspect of who I am TODAY.

I miss those that helped push me yesterday only to see me in position to be successful TODAY. I never understood why they said the things to me, why they pushed me so hard, why they never let me quit, or why they were not trying to be my friend. I did not understand it then, but I understand it TODAY.

Excellence does not just happen TODAY because I was lucky. Greatness is achieved because it was prepared for every day of my existence.

The hunger for excellence has never relented, but TODAY it is strong. I am ready to be great TODAY. Not tomorrow, not yesterday. Right now – TODAY.

I have a TEAM around me for a reason. It is my responsibility to ask them for help to assist me in reaching my dreams. I cannot, I will not, and I have never done it alone – that will not happen TODAY. I have a TEAM TODAY.

My TEAM flies like the geese in formation for a reason, commanding the attention of everyone we pass. We sail above others on the wings of one another. Every time I push, I carry my teammate along. I always know where they are and they always know where I am. Yesterday, TODAY, and tomorrow, we fly on the wings of one another.

I trust my team, my coaches, my managers, and my leaders. Their experience provides the roadmap for success. It is my job to listen, learn, and apply the lessons that will make me better. I will remain humble in my winnings, gracious in my struggles, and committed to my process. I am part of a TEAM and TODAY, I will commit to making the TEAM better.

Each day is an opportunity to be great. It is up to me to be what I believe I can be. Not you, or you, or you. ME – TODAY.

TODAY – I am excellent because my preparation has demanded that of me.

TODAY – I am honored by the support and efforts of others.

TODAY – I will represent the efforts of others with honor, respect, and dignity.

TODAY – I will leave a legacy of excellence in every facet of my life.

TODAY – I will dominate every opportunity or challenge placed before me.

TODAY – I make my TEAM better and they will make me better.

TODAY – I will be me and love every minute of it.

TODAY – will you?

On the way down to Mobile, I stopped at a Burger King to grab a drink for the second half of my drive.  As I drove up, I was impressed by the brand new building, the cleanliness, and the overall imagery.  Gone was the dated Burger King branding and it was replaced by the presence of a grill environment with fire marks, heavy woods, and fresh high technology display menus.  I was very impressed as over the past year, I have become very aware of how branding sets the stage for behavior and opinions due to my collaboration with a great branding agency – Telegraph Branding.

From my conversations with Kevin and Isaiah in my business, I am always thinking about the ways that the message, the presence, and the imagery work to lay the foundation of The MindSide.  As a result, I find myself paying attention to the little things that companies do to communicate with their customers.  It is about presenting a culture, a foundation, that customers, the public, and contributors know the minute that they get out of the car.  My expertise is behavior and organizational change and theirs is about setting the stage and branding.  It is a great business relationship that you will hear more about later, but work together with seamless execution.

The reason that I bring up this example at Burger King was that despite all of the branding and imagery that was invested in, it took one representative to destroy it.  Business leaders invest millions on the imagery and the actions of one person can literally change my impression in an instant.  As I walked up to the counter, I was the only one waiting to order.  Behind the counter, there was one representative that was working on the register and she was holding a paper food boat full of fried food that I honestly did not recognize or could find on the menu.  It peaked my interest because I could not identify it.  She did not acknowledge me, even though we stood five feet apart, or that I was standing ready to order, or that she worked there and stood at the position to take my order.  She played around on the register for three or four minutes and never acknowledged me as she took a bite of her “mystery” fried food.  I thought I was on Candid Camera!

Eventually, someone in the back yelled something to her and her response was – “Not me, I am on break.”  All I wanted was a cup for the self-service dispenser.  After another minute or two, someone from the dining room came behind the counter and took my order.  There was no apology, correction, or explanation, simply a “whatcha  having?”

Excellence is about a commitment to it, a striving for it, and the actions to make it happen.  Excellence is not a result that you catch in a bottle or happen upon.  It is earned.  It has to be worked for every single day, in every instance, in every exposure to be successful.  It is about being excellent in the branding to capture the message and excellent in the delivery of those that live the message every day.

Regardless of your sport or if you are a boardroom athlete, excellence begins with you.  I watch so many athletes committing to excellence in the easy things, and hoping the rest follows.  It does not work that way.  Success is about total commitment to each facet to make you great.  The reason that I work closely with Telegraph Branding is that they get that.

Every organization, team, and athlete that has reached the pinnacle of success has a system in place to be their formula for success.  They do not take workouts off, blow off meetings, or mail it in.  Those that are truly great are excellent in every aspect of what they do, whether a coach sees it, a customer sees it, or a manager sees it.  Their excellence is their culture and they know that if they invest in their excellence, it is reflected in their brand.  In fact, excellence becomes their brand.

Think about how my experience would have been different had I stopped at a Chik-Fil-A.  I am always impressed with their staff and branding.  Both represent excellence in every facet of what they do.  The lobbies are always spotless, they appreciate the flow of traffic and work to make it better, and the servers go out of their way to make sure that my visit is great.  It is the perfect pairing of a culture of excellence reflected in their brand, their marketing, and their people.

Everyday you represent your brand.  You represent your family and your team, including your coaches, trainers, and support staff.  Ask yourself if you are fully committing to the excellence that they invest in you and are you reflecting that investment in your actions and presence?

Life is filled with decisions of every second of every day.  It is your choice how you represent your brand and your excellence.  Anything short of a commitment to excellence is mediocrity.  The results may not go in your favor, but if you commit to be the best that you can possibly be, your development will continue to grow to new levels.

Excellence is not a new topic.  As you finish reading this blog, think about this quote from Aristotle, who lived from 384-322BC.  I think he gets it and you can too when you commit to your own excellence.

“Excellence is an art won by training and habituation.  We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly.  We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence then, is not an act but a habit.” 

See you next week!

Bhrett

Performance during competition rises up only when it has been prepared to do so. The break-through point for me at LSU was when I stopped looking at the travel listing for road trips to see if I was going for the weekend, and instead, started thinking about how I was going to beat the opponent. My preparation was no longer about being on the travel squad and transitioned to doing what I took to win. Your preparation is no different.

When you focus on an outcome that is really not the main objective, such as finishing strong, getting off to a fast start, or “breaking through,” your performance focus shifts to distracting outcomes. Those are not what you prepared for nor are they what you are measured on. Your performance when it matters the most is measured on a body of work, through an application of a structured, efficient, and personalized preparation plan all the way through the way you compete and strive in competition. One outcome does not determine success or failure.

Based on your preparation plan, trust that you will be in the positions you want when it matters the most. Do not HOPE for a good finish. Commit to your preparation and let it go during competition. Win or lose, you can trust that you are doing the right things to be successful. The goal of preparation is to put yourself in a position to be successful. If you define that as winning, so be it, but be honest with yourself that your preparation and the process you put in place may have greater outcome than a final standing.

If you want to be the best and take the next step in your competitions, start it out by demanding more of yourself in your preparation. The best simply prepare better than anyone else.

Performance in every facet of your life comes with a great opportunity and a great responsibility. The opportunity is that we strive to compete and perform to our highest ability because we are normally driven to achieve the goal before us. That opportunity is the carrot at the end of the stick, right? Even more than that, the internal drive to gather our own resources and find the “extra kick” when things get difficult is the greatest opportunity of performance settings because it is the best time to learn about ourselves. Whether it is a trophy, a championship, a promotion, or a sales win, that drive to reach the opportunity is a powerful motivator.

The responsibility of performance comes at a higher level. Throughout all levels of training and development, there are coaches, managers, and trainers that have had to share honest and direct feedback to our development. While we want it to be soft and easy, the truth is the only feedback that consistently drives future performance is honest, constructive coaching. During training, it may be perceived as criticism and it may hurt our own self-image, breaking down the self-elevated persona that we are above criticism. It is important to understand that it is important for growth and development, whether we like it or not. No success has ever been achieved without a few scars along the way, a few kicks in the back, and a few periods that forced us to question our internal resolve to continue.

Honest and constructive feedback has many ways to be interpreted – criticism, coaching, development, sarcasm, or anger. The truth is that we are the ones that have to interpret it and that is a choice. Understand that, for the most part, coaches, trainers, and managers share the feedback because they want us to reach the heights that they believe we can reach, which is often higher that what we believe in ourselves. Feedback can be hard to hear and it may hurt, but try to understand the message behind it. It is not that they do not like us, have it out for us, or are too hard on us. The truth is that they would not share the constructive feedback unless they loved us on a much deeper level. That love is on a humanistic level, as they are committed to helping each of us reach the desires we set up. They are invested in our development.

The next time you receive constructive feedback, no matter how harsh, think before you make a judgment, think before you react, and try and listen for the true message in there. What do they want you to do? Do not mistake the delivery for the intent of the message. Listen for the message and your own handling of criticism, feedback, and coaching will move from resistance to engagement.

No champion has ever stood on the podium or in the winner’s circle without standing on the shoulders of all those that have helped them get there. It takes a team to reach excellence.

Embrace it and listen for that message.

Bhrett

Augusta National's Amen Corner

I had the pleasure of attending the Masters several years ago and it truly lived up to everything I had ever heard about it.  I walked in with such anticipation, much like a 6 year old child walking down Main Street of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.  When we walked in next to the 16th tee, I could not believe how the course really came to life right in front of me.  The television production really makes the course seem to on this expansive land, but the truth is that the course is all wrapped right around itself.  If you ever have the opportunity – go.

What I found the most interesting about my trip to Augusta National was the back of my badge.  The primary purpose of the tournament is to “showcase the horticultural beauty of the land, providing an experience for patrons to enjoy the flowers, plants, and other greenery of the surrounding property.”  While not verbatim, it said something like that.  The second purpose “is to host a world class golf tournament.”  I had a laugh because everyone knows the golf tournament, but not many really understand the history behind the land at Augusta National.

The land that Augusta National sits on was the site of an old indigo plantation and was actually the state of Georgia’s nursery during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.  The land is a horticultural majesty and the membership and tournament organizers pride themselves in their preparation of their land and tournament.  They pride themselves in the little details that many others probably overlook.  For instance, their sandwiches were very inexpensive but fantastic, such as the pimento cheese and roast beef.  Each sandwich is wrapped in a green wrapper, so if someone drops their wrapper during the week, it does not look terrible on television.  Every experience of the patrons is planned and considered.  The Masters is a great tournament, but it is the best when considering its commitment to excellence in every detail.

Opening day in baseball is my other favorite day.  It follows my impression of The Masters as well, namely, the beauty of the ballparks and smells that come with a day at the ballpark.  When I was playing at LSU, coach used to always tell our teams that a commitment to excellence started with our preparation.  He wanted every facet of our ballpark, the legendary Alex Box Stadium, to display excellence.  He demanded the dugouts to be clean, with special attention to the visitor’s dugout.  The screens on the field for batting practice were always freshly painted, strings tight, and the frames solid.  From the minute the opposing team got off of their bus, he wanted them to see what excellence looked like and attribute that to the LSU Baseball team.

It must have worked for both The Masters and the LSU Baseball Team – both are the elite in their respective fields, what others try and emulate.  My question to you today is this – Have You Committed to be Excellent in Everything You Do?  Have You Committed to be Excellent in Your Preparation?

I know I talk a lot about the power of preparation, but a player that fails to prepare fails to be excellent.  It is that simple.  The number of players that are able to “turn it on” during competition when they fail to put the effort in during their preparation is a strong minority.  The overwhelming majority grow their execution during competition from a strong foundation built from their preparation.  If you want to find out what the best in the world does to prepare, go to YouTube and search their training regimens.  Check out Lindsey Vonn, Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt, and so on.  It will change the way that you prepare.

Give me the next 45 days to fully commit to your preparation.  Focus on the small things, those that you normally overlook or think you will do at a later date.  Push yourself to put an extra 15 minutes of training in to your conditioning.  Those 15 minutes are the One Percents that foster true excellence.

It starts today – are you ready?

Take this week to get a leg up on your competitors. While they’re being lazy, you’re being productive. Try mixing it up with some cross training.  If you’re at the beach this week, wake up and go for a beach run. It’s a great way to work on those calf muscles and do some quality people watching. Play some tennis. If the water is safe, take an ocean swim. If not, go for a swim in the pool or better yet play beach volleyball. There are so many ways to stay active by trying new sports. The main goal is to have fun and stay in shape a non-traditional way!

This is also a great time to do some meditation. I’m not talking about surrounding yourself with candles and sitting “indian style” in a room for four days. Take 15 minutes or so and visualize your goals. You have the extra time this week. Go sit by the water, listen to the crashing waves, and see yourself reaching your goals. What is it going to take to get you there? Are you currently doing those things? If not, why? Start doing it! You have the power to make yourself better.

A quote to keep in mind this week. “We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappointment.”- Jim Rohn

This brings me to my final point. Use you’re good judgement. There are also “fun” temptations to avoid. You want to be cautious of your decisions. Protect your future. The one person looking out for your best interest is you! The majority of your friends aren’t trying to go to college for a sport- be aware that the decisions you make today have an impact on your future. You don’t want to be suspended your senior year for a drunk day, in the sun, on a spring break that years from now won’t matter. Do yourself a favor and just say no. There is plenty of time for celebrating later… when you’re picture is in the paper for signing day and not that MIP/MIC. Your true friends won’t judge you for making a decision to preserve your future. You’ve been working hard all year for a goal. Don’t let one week ruin it or stand in your way. Don’t let your teammates, parents, or yourself down.

Ok, enough preaching! Have a great spring break and let me know what activities you decided to do to stay fit! @KaylaNatale or @TheMindSide #crosstraining #discipline

On Sunday, during the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona, Hunter Mahan was in the semifinal match with Mark Wilson when the rare happened on the PGA Tour. On the 4th hole, Mahan hit a shot that terrifies and destroys golfers – a shank. With about 130 yards into an accessible pin and sand wedge in hand, Mahan literally hit the ball dead right, landing on the 6th tee box. Right off the hosel, the purest definition of a hosel rocket. It is the shot that every golfer fears, only this time it happened on live television. Even the announcers, Dan Hicks and Nick Faldo laughed. You simply do not see shots like that among the world’s best golfers.

Click the Link to Watch the Shot -

Hunter Mahan Shanks a Shot at the WGC Accenture Match Play

The error, the shank, the air ball, and the fumble are the unfortunate results of normal play. They happen. Given the absolute number of shots, ground balls, free throws, or carries that a player has in their career, the statistically rare occurrence will likely happen to the player at some point. It is a game of odds. Failing to pull through a victory, what some call a choke, happens too, but I hate that word and won’t mention it again (It is usually used by someone that has never played or lacks the appreciation for the difficulty of getting in that position). Back to the topic – when most players experience the embarrassing events discussed, it is a challenge of great mental fortitude to move through it.

In baseball, the pitchers used to sit in the dugout and try and find the player that was scared. The reason was that when the game was on the line, it was inevitable that the ball would be hit their way with the game on the line. The ball smelled fear and hunted it. It was amazing how frequently it happened. The bad thing was that we pitchers could see it too. That infielder moved tighter, seemed stressed, and failed to display the confidence you want in an infielder.

So, what Mahan did yesterday was amazing, not because of the shank he hit, but because how he handled it. Mahan’s immediate reaction to the shot was astonishment, even wrangling a little smile. I am sure that he was embarrassed and shocked, but you could not tell. He and his caddy simply walked to his ball and surveyed the next shot, hitting it to about 5 feet. Now, most players would fear the next iron shot, but Mahan walked to the next tee and hit a normal shot. It was over.

What was amazing, though, was that Mahan was not the only player to hit a shot of the terrible magnitude yesterday. Rory McIlroy, one of the top 3 players in the world, topped one out of a fairway bunker and nearly shanked a shot out of the rough. Both he and Mahan were destined for a loss on the day, right?

Wrong – Mahan and McIlroy both won their matches and played each other for the championship. Mahan ended up beating McIlroy for the title. It is important to understand and appreciate the mental fortitude it took for Mahan to “FLUSH” the negative shot and move forward. Strong, resilient, and focused.

When humiliating and negative events occur to most players, the immediate reaction is embarrassment. The athlete psyche is usually susceptible to the pressures and need for acceptance from colleagues, competitors, and the public. That is why the adrenaline rush of victory is so powerful. It is intoxicating knowing that you are standing up in front of everyone with their own desires wishing they were standing in your place. Does it only happen in sports? Absolutely not. Why do you think they have sales contests?

After the initial embarrassment sets in, it is common for players to start thinking about how they can prevent it from happening again. The focus is not the next play, the next shot, or the next opportunity, but undoing the last event. That is a dangerous scenario. Remember, the ball always finds fear and fear always finds failure. That fear is what usually leads to a series of negative events that follow, because the player has opened the door due to fear. It takes a strong mental approach to flush the negative event, acknowledge the fear, and focus on the next opportunity with fearless aggression.

The next time you hit a bad shot, make a mistake in public speaking, mess up a sales call, shoot an air ball, or spill coffee down your shirt, think like Hunter Mahan and laugh it off. Laughter is the greatest deterrent to entrenched embarrassment and is actually a great sign of humility. Accept the fact that you are going to make mistakes and some are going to be embarrassing, but that it is going to be fleeting. That is a fact of life and competition. The greatest failures in life are there for a reason – to challenge yourself to see if it is worth fighting for and learning how to rise up to the new opportunity.

“I have always felt that although someone may defeat me, and I strike out in a ball game, the pitcher on the particular day was the best player. But I know when I see him again, I’m going to be ready for his curve ball. Failure is part of success. There is no such thing as a bed of roses all your life. But failure will never stand in the way of success if you learn from it.” – Hank Aaron – the Greatest and Most Profilic Home Run Hitter in Major League Baseball

Hank Aaron - the Greatest Home Run Hitter in Baseball

I love this quote from Hank Aaron. He is still the Home Run King. I cannot give the title to Barry Bonds, as Hank Aaron did it the right way. He was not afraid of failure, as he was also one of the most prolific hitters in regards to strikeouts, but he was so consistent in his performance. He handled failure, embarrassment, and defeat with a strong mental fortitude. Failure did not define him – it developed him. It made him work harder. Embarrassment did not break him – it hardened him. It made him strive more for the greatness that he knew he had in him. Every day, he understood that there was a chance he would be successful or he would taste defeat – the difference that he and players like Hunter Mahan embody is that they choose to focus on the desires and rewards of the greatness that they want and not the avoidance of the failures and embarrassments of performance.

You have a choice. In the next week, you will suffer a defeat, a struggle, or an embarrassing outcome. Are you going to allow it to define you, changing the way you view your work and performance, or are you going to allow it to develop you? That is your choice – Champions are developed. Others are defined. Develop your greatness today – You are great – Show it.

One of the Best Closers in the Game - San Francisco Giants Brian Wilson

In the past week, I have received numerous requests to help players finish their rounds, games, or matches. It seems that they are playing great for the first 75% of their performance, but as the end approaches, their level of performance suffers. It is an interesting question because it makes me come back to my roots in baseball, but it really applies to every sport or performance situation.

In baseball, the hardest three outs of the game are the final three. That is why a Major League baseball team will pay millions for a pitcher that is effective at closing a game. Currently, one of the best in the league is Brian Wilson. He is more known for his outlandish character and fun with the media, but when he enters the game, it is over. His teammates know it, his management knows it, and the opposing team knows they have a huge challenge in front of them.

When the score is tight, there is significant pressure at the end of the game. Each pitch means something and when the opposing team can garner any momentum in the ninth inning, that momentum cascades usually into a change in the lead. It is up to the team to train and identify a pitcher that can keep their attention and focus in check in order finish the game. That role is not for any pitcher, though. It takes a player that is aggressive, confident, and has a short memory. All that matters is the batter you are facing right now. The closer WANTS the ball. Very simply, they want to be in that position.

When I was a pitcher, I was a reliever. Either I would come in early in a game or at the end of the game, in the ninth inning. I loved that pressure. In fact, I fed so much off of the adrenaline at the end of a game that I struggled as a starter. As the game got tighter, the more excited I got. I wanted to be the guy at the end of the game. Win or lose, I wanted to be the pitcher that the entire team looked to. The funny thing was that I did not have the great physical tools to be successful. I did not throw hard and did not have a nasty pitch. I was average, but I prided myself in my mental preparation, my focus, and my attention. I wanted it. When I was not brought into a game, I was not happy. I wanted the pressure, I wanted the adrenaline rush, and I wanted the opportunity. I did not worry about the consequences of not finishing a game for my teammates, because I felt that I was best prepared to get the job done. There were no “If’s,” only NOW.

The reason so many pitchers struggle with finishing the game is that they allow the pressure of closing a game to overwhelm their attention and focus. As a result, they try to be too fine, too perfect, and tend to pitch with a fear of consequences. They allow themselves to worry about the opinions of others if they fail. What is funny is that same pitcher may have recently completed the 8th inning with absolutely no problem, but once they walk out for the 9th inning, you can see the change. Finishing is not about changing anything, but focusing and raising the level of attention to what you want to accomplish.

Every athlete trains to be in the winner’s circle. If a player is not striving to be a champion, they are selling themselves short. The truth is, a player must compete to be in that position, competing to have to the opportunity to challenge themselves at the end of a game, match, or round. It is not about fearing how they will handle the situation and pressure, but instead, embracing and feeding off of it. Winning is not an accident. It is a result of a solid approach, efficient preparation, and playing with aggressive confidence when in position to close the deal.

To finish, do not change your approach or strategy. Avoid the self-talk of “If I can simply….”, or “Let’s just get this over with…”. Instead, square up to the challenge and raise your focus and attention on what you want. It is no different than a musician waiting for the opportunity to audition for a new contract. Sure, the nerves and anxiety will be peaking just prior to going out on stage, but the greatest embrace the nerves and “leave it all out on the stage.” They flush the fear of failure and instead, fully embrace the ability to showcase their skills. This is your time – show it.

So, when you are coming down the homestretch, focus on the shot, the pitch, the throw, or the final routine at hand. Fully give of yourself without fear of the consequences, both positive and negative. Accept the opportunity to showcase what you have trained for and leave it all out on the table. Win or lose, that is really out of your control. See yourself in the position that you want to be in. Visualize yourself managing the emotions, the arousal, and the excitement of the FINISH.

What’s the worst that can happen?

Fully give of yourself, focus on the WANTS, and accept the consequences, and you win?

Time to Leave it All Out There - You Can Evaluate Your Performance After You Cross the Finish Line