Stale Routine??? 4 Areas to implement into your routine to experience fulfillment in your body, mind, and soul
It’s that time of year again when people are getting back into their routines:
Summer is winding down
Vacations are coming to an end
School is starting back up
Fall sports are beginning
Today we are going to talk about:
4 Areas to implement into your routine so you can experience fulfillment in your body, mind, and soul.
Quick Word
Don’t feel pressured to fit these in every day …
Simply add them in 4-6 days per week. The point is to feel a sense of upliftment and fulfillment in your life.
Sometimes we try to add in too much at once, which leaves us feeling depleted rather than vitalized.
The trick is to find that sweet balance where you feel uplifted without being bogged down.
And with that said, let’s get into it!!!
1. Your Craft
Your Craft is that thing that you absolutely love to do.
It’s what you find yourself daydreaming about and what you would do if there was only one thing you could be doing.
It’s what you cannot not do.
For many of you that are athletes, this may be your sport.
But it may be other activities such as:
Playing a musical instrument
Creating works of art
Making content for the internet
Identify what your Craft is and make time to invest in it throughout your routine.
2. Your Physical Strength, Conditioning, and Fitness
Find ways to improve your physical strength, conditioning, and fitness.
Once again, as an athlete you’ll probably be in the weight room and on the playing field to cover this area.
But if not, find ways to implement this into your routine.
You can lift weights and do cardio if you want to …
But don’t force yourself to doing things that you don’t like to do because you think they are good for you …
Find ways to be creative to do physical activities that you enjoy doing:
Go on a bike ride
Take TRX bands to the park
Play pick up sports
Find an activity that is enjoyable for you and that you can stick with, and implement it into your routine.
3. Your Mind
Train your mindset so you can carry yourself the way you want.
You can work on being cool, calm, and composed in pressure situations through visualization or meditation.
You can pray, journal, do written contemplation …
Find something that will help you to be in the mindset you desire, and implement it into your routine.
4. Your Lifestyle
Choose one new habit each week to help you become a better human being.
You can create a nutritional habit such as eating whole foods or removing gluten from your diet.
You can create a sleep habit such as getting to bed at a certain time or waking up earlier to do a morning routine.
Find a new habit each week that will improve you as a person, and implement it into your routine.
General Guidelines
4-6 Days Per Week:
Invest in your Craft
Improve your Physical Strength, Conditioning, and Fitness
Train your Mind
Create a new Lifestyle Habit
And if you need help with your routine, feel free to reach out to me for coaching so we can find the routine that works best for you.
I wish you well on your journey of finding the routine that will enable you to experience fulfillment in your body, mind, and soul, and I look forward to seeing you next week.
Become A Dynamic Athlete: The evolution of work ethic and how to evolve from a dreaming athlete, to a disciplined athlete, to a dynamic athlete
A quality many desire to develop is …
A strong work ethic.
In the spirit of Labor Day weekend, we will talk about:
The evolution of work ethic and how you can evolve from being a dreaming athlete, to a disciplined athlete, and finally to a dynamic athlete.
Dreaming Athlete
They may desire to get better or achieve a certain goal, but …
They either don’t know how to get there …
Or …
They don’t have the energy or motivation to carry it through.
In my opinion, this is the category most people fall under:
The basketball player that only plays HORSE or pick up when they feel like it
The person who knows they need to gain muscle or lose weight but haven’t been in the gym before
Most often, these individuals need:
Structure
Coach/Guide
Strategic/Systematic Program
Over time, with consistency, they will evolve to a …
Disciplined Athlete
They are hard workers:
They embrace the grind
They wake up and smell the routine
They have a “no days off” mentality
Often, they are ambitious, but …
They have not been gifted with the genetic lottery.
So they feel like they have to do everything they can and leave no stone unturned so they can one day reach their aspirations.
If I’m being honest, this is the category I fell under for most of my athletic career.
I had a lofty vision of playing professional basketball, but didn’t have the size or athleticism to do it.
I buckled down on my training, became the hardest worker, and followed a strategic/systematic program where I was training 2-3 times per day and never deviated from it.
Although I did get better, it limited me in the long run.
Many times I severely overtrained myself …
And got injured or extremely sick and had to be taken out of sports to recover.
Most often, these individuals need:
To let loose and freestyle
Trust in themselves and in their intuition
Over time, with consistency, they will evolve to a …
Dynamic Athlete
They have the …
Freedom to adapt their training on a moment-by-moment basis:
They can honestly look at their goals and where they’re currently at to understand what they need
They can ramp up their training or put on the brakes to meet the needs of the moment
They take full accountability of their training choices and full responsibility of the outcomes
This is like Kobe Bryant who chose not to have a trainer for most of his career and was a student of the game himself.
This is like Tom Brady who developed his own style of training focusing on mobility and pliability rather than the intense strength and conditioning most of his teammates were doing.
These individuals are so highly in tune that they know what they specifically need each and every moment to allow their full potential to unleash itself.
Take an honest look at what stage you are currently at and what you need.
And eventually you will evolve to the point where you too are so highly in tune that you know what you specifically need each and every moment to allow your full potential to unleash itself.
I wish you well on your journey of evolving from a dreaming athlete, to a disciplined athlete, and finally to a dynamic athlete, and I look forward to seeing you next week.
Lesson From The Little League World Series: How to be a free and well developed individual throughout your teen and adult years
Lately, I’ve been watching a lot of the Little League World Series.
It fascinates me by how many people love to watch youth sports.
Considering this, today we’ll talk about:
3 Reasons why I believe so many people love to watch youth sports (and kids in general).
And …
How you can implement these same 3 qualities into your sports, schooling, jobs, and entire life to help you …
Be a free and well developed individual throughout your teen and adult years.
1. Feed Your Ambition
First, kids feed their ambition.
As kids, we’re told we can be anything we want to be:
We can be a professional baseball player
We can be an artist
We can be a musician
And everyone around us seems to support our aspirations.
However, as we age and develop …
We are told we need to fit into pre-defined roles.
And as we feel pressured to fit into these pre-defined roles,
We lose our ability to feed our ambition.
2. Be Willing To Make Mistakes
Kids are willing to make mistakes:
It’s OK if they drop a fly ball
It’s OK if they fall down
It’s OK if they get dirty
That is how they learn!!!
However, as we age and develop …
We begin to worry how others perceive and judge us based on our mistakes.
In the process, we stop taking risks …
And we dilute our potential.
3. Find Your Craft
Kids find their Craft.
They discover what they absolutely love to do and they go all in on it …
Without worrying about any external rewards other than the sheer enjoyment of the activity itself.
However, as we age and develop …
We are told we have to do certain things:
We have to go to school
We have to go to college
We have to get a job
We have to do the same thing day after day
In this process, we do things out of necessity, rather than for the pure love and enjoyment of the activity itself …
And we lose sight of what our Craft is.
However …
You can use these same 3 qualities to be a free and well developed individual throughout your teen and adult years.
1. FEED YOUR AMBITION
What is calling you???
Pursue it with reckless abandon.
2. BE WILLING TO MAKE MISTAKES
It’s OK if you fall down and get dirty … that is how you learn!
Take risks and allow your full potential to rise to the surface and express itself.
3. FIND YOUR CRAFT
What do you absolutely love to do???
What is that thing that you cannot not do???
Identify it, develop the skills for it, and pour into it everyday.
As you implement these 3 qualities into your sports, schooling, jobs, and entire life …
Everything you do becomes more fulfilling …
And you will be a free and well developed individual throughout your teen and adult years.
I wish you well on your journey of feeding your ambition, being willing to make mistakes, and finding your Craft, and I look forward to seeing you next week.
What If You Don't Reach Your Dream??? Opening up to a larger platform to make a greater impact
Have you ever worried that you might not be able to reach your aspirations? You’ve worked so hard for something, but still feel you may come up short? If you’re feeling like that, don’t worry—I felt the same way. I had this dream, but despite putting in so much time, attention, and energy into pursuing it, I still fell short.
If 10 to 15 years ago you told me how short I would actually fall of that dream, I would have been heartbroken. I would have felt miserable, perhaps even like a failure. However, as I reflect on it now, I realize that life had a much more profound vision for me. It provided me with a larger platform to make a greater impact and inspire those around me.
My Commitment
In 2008, I made a commitment that one day I would play professional basketball, and that everybody who watched me play would be inspired by the way I played the game. As a kid, it seemed simple: so it is said, so it is done—let’s get after it! Growing up, I was always a very successful athlete. My teams seemed to win every game we played, and there was no doubt in my mind that one day I would play pro.
My First Obstacle
Until a few years later, when I was about 12 or 13 years old, for whatever reason, I stopped growing. For the past 13 to 15 years of my life, I essentially haven’t grown, haven’t aged, and haven’t developed. When this happened, I started to see my dream slipping away. Yet, this forced me to become the hardest worker and the most well-rounded athlete out there. I believed that if I could overcome my lack of size and still play pro, it would make a much greater impact and inspiration to those who watched me play the game.
My First Resolution
So, I buckled down on my training. The summer between my seventh and eighth-grade year, I was in the gym for hours every day: basketball skills training, lifting weights, plyometrics, running around the neighborhood—anything to enhance my physical body. I also watched my nutrition, trained my mind, and ensured I got to bed at a good time every night to enhance my recovery. Any edge I could find, I immersed myself in. As a result, I remained competitive despite my lack of size.
My Second Obstacle
However, this led to me completely overtraining myself and getting burned out. I was so burned out that I had to be taken out of sports altogether to recover. When I was taken out of sports, once again, I saw my dream slipping away.
My Second Resolution
Yet, I decided that if I could overcome my lack of size and now these medical conditions, it would make my story even more inspirational if I still managed to play pro one day.
Once I recovered from my sickness and got back into sports, I went after it again. I remained competitive and believed I could still play pro. But a few years later, when I was preparing to play varsity basketball, I overtrained myself again. At this time, I was waking up at 4:30 AM before school to lift weights and train for basketball. After school, I’d practice, train again, go home, do homework, and then repeat the next day.
My Third Obstacle
This extreme training made me sick and burned out again, to the point where I had to be removed from sports to recover. When I was removed from sports, I felt like my dream was being taken away once again.
My Third Resolution
But I thought, "If I can overcome my lack of size and now these medical conditions twice, it would make an even greater inspiration to those who watched me play." So, I got back after it. Once I recovered enough to return to sports, I continued to be competitive and chase my dream.
The Final Straw
Until a few years later, the third and final time the same situation played out. I was preparing to try out for the college basketball team, training more intensely than ever before. This time, I got injured and burned out to the point where I’m still dealing with the repercussions today. This ended my competitive athletic career. Once that happened, I lost sight of who I was. My dream was gone, and I felt like my platform to inspire others was taken away. I no longer felt like someone who could overcome challenges to inspire others. I felt defeated.
The Greater Vision
Making the transition from being an athlete to being an athlete of life was difficult. But I realized that life had a much more profound vision for me. Looking back now, I couldn’t have wished for a better outcome. Life has given me more experiences, opportunities, skills, and platforms to share my gifts and story, uplifting and inspiring others.
If you are struggling, worried that you might fall short of your dream no matter how much time, effort, attention, and energy you put into it, rest assured. If you do happen to fall short, it is because life has a much more profound vision for your future. Life will provide you with a larger platform to make a greater impact and inspire those around you.
I wish you well on your journey of trusting life and allowing it to show you the platform it has for you … to make an impact and be an inspiration to those around you, and I look forward to seeing you next week.
Why Do Olympians Perform Well Under Pressure??? How to get out of your mind and into the moment
Are you amazed by how well Olympians perform under pressure? Do you wish you could rise to the occasion but often find yourself caught up in your thoughts? Today, we’ll discuss three techniques to help you get out of your mind and into the moment, allowing you to unleash your full potential.
1. Focus on Your Breath
Your mind can’t focus on two things at once. By concentrating on your breath, you shift your focus from your thoughts to the sensation of breathing. Inhale deeply, exhale slowly, and feel the present moment. This simple technique helps you get out of your head and into your body, allowing your true potential to surface.
2. Immerse Yourself in Sensations
Engage all your senses. What do you hear, see, and smell? How does the equipment feel in your hands? By fully immersing yourself in these sensations, you move away from overthinking and into the present moment. This sensory awareness enhances your performance by grounding you in the now.
3. Lift Up Your Teammates
When you’re focused on yourself, it’s easy to get trapped in your thoughts. Shift your attention to your teammates. Give them high fives, offer positive feedback, and support them. This outward focus not only builds team morale but also helps you stay present, opening up opportunities for you to perform at your best.
Apply These Techniques to Life
These methods aren’t just for sports—they’re for life. Whenever you find yourself overthinking, remember to focus on your breath, immerse yourself in the present sensations, and uplift those around you. This approach will help you perform at your highest potential and become the person you were born to be.
I wish you well on your journey of getting out of your mind and into the moment so you can perform at your Highest Potential, and I look forward to seeing you next week.
