Many of us have role models, people we look up to for inspiration. Especially as competitors. Having an idol that serves as an example of what is possible can be one of the most supremely powerful ingredients in your personal development. In fact, you can go as far as saying that actualizing your full potential […]
read moreAs athletes and high performers, we all have dreams of achieving true greatness. But what is true greatness? What does being great mean to you? And how do you achieve it? These are important questions to consider. And here is a first principle of being on the path to greatness: If you want to be […]
read moreThere isn’t a competitor on the planet who doesn’t have doubts sometimes. It’s natural and it’s human. Many of the athletes I work with are really good at what they do. They’ve experienced a lot of success, yet almost all of them have crises in confidence from time to time. None of us are perfect, […]
read moreIt’s no secret that you need excellent focus to be a great competitor. The best athletes in the world do this well and while they may make it look simple, it isn’t easy to do for long periods of time. There are a lot of things going on that are competing for your attention, and […]
read moreWe all know that Confidence is a key component of good performance and the notion that “confidence is a choice” should be obvious. However, many athletes choose not to be confident and therefore make the road to good performance more difficult. Knowing that Confidence and Mental Toughness is first driven by your actions – which […]
read moreLast week, this audio reminded me of the philosophy that you have to work on yourself first before you can achieve the results that you want. You have to grow into the person that can achieve greatness. As I listened to this message, I realized that the same thing is true in competition. While you are […]
read moreQuestion for you: do you view self confidence as a quality you either have or not, or do you believe that it is a skill that can be developed? In the video below, Dr. Ivan Joseph suggests that it is the latter and he gives some suggestions on how you as a coach or athlete […]
read moreIf I were to tell you that confidence and self-belief were major components of mental toughness, you’d probably say something like “yeah, no kidding!” And you’d be right to say that. It’s obvious that’s the case, but let’s dive a little deeper into self-belief because it may not be as obvious that there are two […]
read moreIt’s that time of the year in high school and college when practice for Spring sports is getting ready to start or has perhaps even just begun. It can be a nerve wracking time for some. There may be uncertainty as to whether you’ll play or where you might be in the lineup, and your […]
read moreAs many of you know, my work with athletes and teams through PerformanceXtra has been a part-time venture for the last couple of years, but as of January 2014 this has changed. PerformanceXtra is now my sole focus and mission, and I’m excited for the challenge. Originally, I started this business for two reasons: 1. […]
read moreThere are times in competition in which we face opponents who are better than we are. They may have a better record than us or perhaps they have more achievements. Regardless, that’s not nearly as important as how we react to the challenge of facing this opponent. In this type of matchup, our mental attitude […]
read more“Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.” -Alexander Graham Bell Are you prepared to compete today? Have you done everything possible to get ready? If you answered yes to these questions, then you should feel confident going into your competition. However if you’re like most of us, your preparation could use some improvement. […]
read moreIt’s amazing what a little encouragement can do for a competitor. I was standing in the locker room talking to a fellow player after a grueling match in the National 45 and over Clay Court Tennis Championships in Ft. Lauderdale last week. My body was exhausted. My shoulder was screaming in pain. And my next […]
read moreWant a formula for being a successful athlete? Try this. Optimism * (Persistence + Resilience) = Success To understand this formula more completely, let’s define our terms starting with Persistence and Resilience as they are the base elements in the equation. Persistence is the ability to sustain effort throughout a performance. We often see this […]
read moreA vitally important ingredient to mental toughness and performing your best is confidence. I know that isn’t exactly a profound revelation, but where many athletes struggle is in developing confidence so that they can compete at a high level consistently. We want to develop the kind of confidence that is unshakeable no matter the circumstances. […]
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