The Competitor’s Brain

When Alabama won their Elite Eight game to go to the Final Four, guard Mark Sears was interviewed after the game and said "Hard work is undefeated." He should know. He took tens of thousands of shots after being lightly recruited out of high school. Listen and learn how you can use hard work to your advantage. 

Aaron Boone described his guys as "savages in the box." There are other opportunities for you to be a "savage," whether it's in college, job interviews, or work. How will you set yourself apart?

One of the keys to success is honest self-appraisal. You can look at yourself too critically and beat yourself up (not good) or you can look at yourself uncritically and never improve (also not good). Sometimes it requires a conversation with people you trust who are going to be honest and real with you. But you need to be ready to listen. 

Why does relaxation matter? Well, relaxation is the key for keeping you in the present moment, and present moment focus unlocks peak performance. We discuss some of the options available for relaxation and how breathing and routine can also get you to a point of peak performance. 

I mention trigger work (although not by name) and Josh Waitzkin. Here's the actual clip from the interview with Tim Ferriss. 

When you get to a point of relaxation, when you can slow your heart rate down and are truly in the moment, you will find peak performance. We review some techniques to elicit the relaxation response. I am a 6-2-8 guy, but I do 4-7-8 every day as well. Take a listen and then read the info below for more details.

Dr. Andrew Weil 4-7-8

Dr. Herbert Benson

Brian Cain 6-2-8

When you're a hitter (or anything), you need to have a pre at-bat routine to ensure that whatever you're doing gets you ready for whatever you're going to do. This is adapted from Dr. Ken Ravizza's seminar on the pre at-bat routine and how to take possession of the batter's box. 

When former USC football coach John McKay was asked about his team's execution, he said "I'm in favor of it." He didn't mean *this* kind of execution. This podcast is a pretty tight adaptation of Harvey Dorfman's chapter on execution from the Mental ABC's of Pitching, available wherever fine books are sold. Or Amazon.

Think I wanted to get up this morning? Heck no. But by getting up, I cast a vote for who I am today. Acting differently than you feel allows you to feel differently and ultimately improve the output, effort, and perception of your day. 

Sometimes you have to do MTE to get yourself to the next level. MTE is short for More Than Expected. Here's why it matters. 

If you've got habits, does this mean you should continue them? Well, it depends if they're good or bad habits, and also whether you actually need them anymore. Start, Stop, Continue is an excellent way to reassess whether your habits are helping you achieve your goals.