It did get me thinking about how those things in life that we love the most are those that we choose to do. Ask me to mow the grass and you might get a happy response or a frustrated expression. It all depends on how much time I have and if I can take the time to do it right. If I am rushing to complete the task, then I am miserable.

The 18th Hole at the Founders Course – Greystone Golf and Country Club

Our jobs, obligations, and practices are often in the same perspective. They become things that we see as a chore – the means to an end. That is a shame, because they require more out of you.

I am always very concerned when I consult with organizations about employees that try to find the loophole in everything, the work around, the short cut, or “get one over on” their employers. It is as if something is owed to them, an entitled perspective, that resembles the frustration of a chore. I have to focus my efforts with the leaders of the company to manage these employees more effectively.  Imagine if they saw that their job not as a right but an opportunity to live their passion and calling. More than likely, the things that they resent in their job would move to the back.

Athletic training and preparation is the same way. Most of us hate the conditioning exercises and approach them with frustration and anger. “Why?” is the most common expression I see amongst players, as if training to their excellence is a chore instead a process to live a calling.

Honestly, I think I see this “chore attitude” more in the younger generation. Sorry ya’ll. Just sharing my opinion. If you don’t like it, do something about it by engaging in the task fully as it is what you want to do, a calling, and not a chore. I owe you nothing but my attention and focus and effort. Anything else you feel you are owed, then work for it.

It is time to change your perspective and see that the world is really your canvas. What you put out comes back to you so put out the excitement, enjoyment, and passion that the world deserves, because that is the best part of you.

Bhrett

Image courtesy of Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

I am an Olympics junkie, building my work and leisure time around the coverage of the Games.  It is the only time that I can really immerse myself in the unique sports and cheer hard for athletes that I probably won’t hear from for several more years.  Whether it is road racing and track-and-field or shooting and archery, I am absolutely enthralled by the pursuits of the athletes wearing the Red, White, and Blue.

There has been a consistent theme in athlete interviews this year, more than I have noticed in past years.  Interview after interview and athlete after athlete, it seems that they are talking more openly about their “preparation and commitment to their mental game.”  I first heard Ryan Lochte talk about his own preparation and changing his training regimen to be stronger mentally and physically to dominate in the water.  He recommitted after the Beijing Olympics and has been innovative and relentless in his training ever since.  He later said that he wants to have the confidence on the starting blocks that “no one has out prepared me.”  Sound familiar?

Image courtesy of Adam Petty/Getty Images and EW.com

Dana Vollmer, the US Gold medal winning swimmer in the 100-meter butterfly, rebounded from missing the US team in 2008.  As a member of the 2004 team, she struggled with injuries and her own medical conditions, missing a return trip after a successful debut in Athens in 2004.  In an interview following her triumph, she credited her own “recommitment” to her preparation and mental game for not only winning the Gold medal but setting a new world record.

Just yesterday, I watched an interview with Misty May Treanor and Keri Walsh Jennings share insights into their own preparation for their third consecutive Gold medal.  They are dynamic beach volleyball duo that has dominated the competition for 8 years, so much so that they have never lost a set!  With both in their mid-30’s and moving into different phases of their lives, they discussed the importance of their “team around us, from trainers, therapists, and coaches.”  They emphasized their own commitment to excellence as the reason for bringing the team together and utilizing the expertise of those around them.

If Olympic athletes can do it, what’s holding you back?  Whether you own a business or are competing in your sport, what is preventing you from reaching out to the experts around you to help you prepare to be the best?  It is not a sign of weaknesses or dependence to utilize the skills of experts around you.  Ask yourself this question – if you had experts at your disposal, sitting in front of you, what would you ask them?

When I pitched, looking back now, I do not think I took advantage of those around me.  In fact, in high school, my dad took me to see Gayle Hatch, probably the most influential pioneer in field of strength and conditioning.  I went through the motions as he was training Olympic Gold medalists.  True story.

I know better now and so do you.  Surround yourself with the team to raise the bar on your own preparation and commitment to the mental game.  If you can gain an advantage on the competition by being better prepared or more mentally aware, why wouldn’t you?

As I said, I have learned my lessons.  This month, I have welcomed two new full-time team members to The MindSide.  Mark Jamroz joined the team from ThinkPositive and Bruno Event Team.  As veteran of the advertising and creative services industry, Mark is the Director of Business Development and will be leading several emerging initiatives on our MindSide Corporate side.  Kayla Natale is also with The MindSide now full-time, transitioning from her part-time role to become our Client Relations Manager.  Her primary role will be to keep me aligned on the tasks at hand and run, organize, and manage the MindSide Curriculum.  Both have hit the ground running and you will be hearing more from them soon.

If The MindSide and Olympic athletes can utilize the skills and expertise of great people around them, make the commitment to be better prepared, mentally and physically.  Be better prepared in your preparation and execution.

Someone, somewhere is preparing to beat you.  Are you prepared to DOMINATE them?

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Bhrett McCabe, PhD is a sports and performance psychologist and is the Founder and President of The MindSide, LLC.  The MindSide is consulting and organizational development company that trains athletes, people, and corporations to achieve excellence in their own performance.  For more, please check us out at www.themindside.com.

For more email information for Mark Jamroz, he can be reached at mark@themindside.com.  Kayla Natale can be reached at kayla@themindside.com. 

It’s 102 degrees. I’m painting outdoors. And I love it!

I love painting. Sure it’s boring, but it gives me a lot of time to think. And as I worked through the hot weekend I thought about – well – the heat.

Like most of us, I’ve done some browsing on Facebook. It’s not uncommon to see photos of my friends, feet in the sand, drink in hand. That’s understandable. But I rarely see photos of my friends hard at work.

Most of us are eager to share how much we love life. That’s easy when things are going well, sitting on a beach watching a sunset or chillin’ by the pool.

But can you say the same thing when things are rough?

Facing the Truth

We are creatures of comfort and it’s the natural response of every human being to avoid anxiety and discomfort.

How often do you find yourself deferring a discussion with a convenient “Whatever…” instead of working to solve a problem? Don’t we all avoid unpleasant tasks? Our taxes? Mowing the lawn? Math homework? (I HATE doing taxes.)

Likewise, do you find yourself hesitant to look at a video of your golf swing because you don’t want to face the truth? The good news is, the sooner we face those truths and those unpleasant facts, the sooner we can improve.

Don’t Hide from the Heat

For many people, it’s a natural response to avoid conflict and competition. The fear of an unwanted outcome drives us to avoid the anxiety presented by these challenges.

The fact is, true champions love the heat. When the game’s on the line, they want the ball. When the U.S Open comes down to a six-foot putt, they love the pressure. They don’t rush to avoid it. They don’t wish it would never happen. Those are the moments they prepare for – and they relish every second of it when it occurs.

But how often are we in a position to have to make a putt to win the U.S. Open? The answer is – everyday! When you embrace the pressure of a final exam, when you make a big presentation at a meeting or when you risk a loss on a new business venture, it’s no different than lining up the make-or-break putt for the U.S. Open. When you exercise the discipline it takes to confront difficult tasks on a daily basis, you prepare yourself for the big moments in life.

Don’t run away from the heat. Embrace it. Look forward to difficulties and prepare yourself to become better than anyone else at handling the stresses of life.

Bubba didn’t win The Masters by backing off of a high-risk hook from the rough. Tiger didn’t win at The Memorial by taking the safe route instead of the lob wedge.

Of course, there were consequences to those shots. Tiger could have bladed his wedge into the pond. Bubba could have hit it straight through the fairway. True champions face those moments. They accept the challenge, focus on success, and save their worries about the consequences for the post-game interview.

Sometimes it works out the other way. Hunter Mahan chunked a must-make chip shot from a tight lie in the Ryder Cup – but his teammates backed him up immediately. They know there’s a consequence to every high-risk shot and those results can happen to anyone. But he lived through it. As the saying goes, “This too must pass.” That applies to the agony as well as the ecstasy.

Sharpen the Blade

How about you?

Are you afraid of the heat? Do you use it as an excuse not to practice, not to work, not to take a chance because you are afraid of the consequences?

Ironically, the reason we work so hard is to enjoy the comforts of life. Too often we focus on the goal and not the process. Practice is not meant to be comfortable. More often than not, competition is not comfortable, either. In fact, it’s best when the heat is on. That’s when the TV ratings go up and the cheers from the gallery increase in volume. We all like to watch the high-pressure performance, but are you preparing yourself to participate in one?

So the next time you’re practicing in 100 degree heat and a member strolls by and says, “Hot enough for ya?” you can answer like a true student of The MindSide by saying: “Yup. I LOVE the heat.”

He’ll shake his head and chuckle, but we know exactly what you’re talking about.

Last week, I received a panicked text message from one of my elite junior players after a tournament round that he need to speak with me at my earliest convenience. He was playing in a large invitational tournament that meant a good bit to him and, in his mind, to his collegiate aspirations. According to his text, he had started off great in his round, only to finish “terribly.” When I called him back, his experience was not uncommon to many players – they played the wrong side of The Bell Curve.

As a psychologist, I have done my unfortunate share of statistical training. One of the core foundations of statistical science is that normal events occur at a frequency that is quite predictable. With enough understanding, you can predict where the occurrence will fall according to the normal distribution of events. Referred to commonly as The Bell Curve, it asserts that your average event, your most commonly occurring event, and median (e.g., exact middle of all events in order) event will all be the same, and provides a structure where all other events can occur within the variance from your norm. Referred to as standard deviations, 68% of events fall within one standard deviation, about 95% fall within two standard deviations, and 99% fall within three. So if an event occurs less than one percent of the time, it almost a random error.

Figure adapted from Wikipedia; created by Jeremy Kemp 2009

So, what does this have to do with golf? Just like my player I referenced above, we place too much value and weight in shots that are simply random occurrences or events, particularly when they are poor shots. If you hit one of those tremendously ugly shots, you have to understand that it is a very rare likelihood of occurring. Yes, by statistics, it may happen again – SOON. That being said, too many players allow that shot to change their approach, erode their confidence, and impact their momentum/rhythm. Would you change your approach, check your swing, or immediately seek out a swing lesson if you hit a tremendously excellent shot on the other side of the spectrum? So why do it when you hit one bad shot, have one bad round, or have a bad event?

When something bad happens, put it into perspective and recommit to your process and foundations for success. They obviously got you to the levels you are at now, so trust them. My feedback to my player was to see bad shots just like great shots – over and finished. Avoid the temptation to place value on a shot you can no longer impact.

Till next time, remember that your best play Begins in Your Mind…..Your MindSide.

Bhrett McCabe, PhD
The MindSide, LLC

Twitter
- @DrBhrettMcCabe
@DailyOnePercent
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To learn more about the performance perspective of Dr. Bhrett McCabe, please visit his website at www.bhrettmccabe.com or call (205) 902-6263.

Will Cannon of Hoover High School and Alex Green of Fairhope High School were the Co-Medalists for 6A Boys!

Ashton Nix came in 11th at the 6A Boys!

Vince Cave won the 4A Medalist!

William Sellers was the 3A Medalist after shooting 8 Under on the final day!

Ryan Benton won the 1A-2A Medalist and Ben Wood came in 2nd!

And a big congrats to Morgan Natale of Spain Park High-school. She finished 4TH in state, which is coming after a huge win at Regionals!  She was also selected as The Female Golfer of the Year by The Birmingham Kiwanis Club and will be honored this Tuesday!

Again, Amazing job to all of our athletes!! This is only the beginning.

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.