To separate yourself from the crowd, you must stand out in a sea of average. To stand out, you must be willing to do the little things that average people are not doing.
When confidence, composure, and consistency are woven together the result is competitive excellence.
Find your excellence today.
Confidence
You Earn the Right to Be Confident
Confidence is not given and it cannot be faked. You earn confidence by doing everything in your power to prepare yourself to perform at your highest level.
Confidence does not depend on your opponent. Any feelings of superiority over your opponent based on previous outcomes is cockiness or arrogance. It is not confidence and it is a dangerous mindset to have.
Your opponent might perform better or worse than you. You don’t control them. You only control you and your efforts to prepare.
When you know you have done everything possible to prepare yourself for whatever tests might come your way, you can be confident.
Doing everything in your power to prepare is a great challenge in and of itself. Complete preparation involves rigorous mental and physical training.
Both of these areas require great effort and are not easy to execute.
Confidence Connection: Confidence is a function of your preparation. Master your preparation and you can be confident you will be able to perform your best when your best is needed.
Composure
You Need a Personal Mission Statement
Many people live a conflicting lifestyle. Their words say they want to accomplish one thing, but their actions don’t match up.
Don’t let this happen to you. Use a personal mission statement to align your words and your actions.
A personal mission statement is a written description of what you want to accomplish and why you want to do it.
It defines your purpose and explains your values.
A personal mission statement is not a restatement of your goals. It is broader than that. This statement describes what inspires and energizes you. It defines who you are and what you stand for.
Your personal mission statement maps out why you believe in yourself and how you plan to bring out your own personal best.
It is important because it provides a path for success and gives you permission to say no to distractions.
Composure Connection: When you know what you stand for and where you want to go, it is easier to stay focused and keep your composure when your emotions are challenged. Make a personal mission statement today.
Consistency
Indistractable – A Superpower
When former NBA basketball player Kevin Johnson was in high school, he was practicing alone in the gym one Saturday night. The janitor asked him why he was not out partying like everyone else. Johnson responded, “parties won’t get me where I want to go.”
Johnson was not going to let anything take his focus away from his dreams.
He was indistractable.
Distraction is normal in our society today.
People must deal with the constant battle for their attention from their cell phones and social media. Things that are perfectly designed to capture your attention.
The constant buzzing, alerts, and notifications create an enormous fear of missing out (FOMO) that is virtually impossible to resist. Technology is a huge challenge, but it is not the only one. Distractions can also come from your boyfriend/girlfriend, video games, or a number of other areas.
Reggie Jackson said, “In spite of all the distractions, stay focused on the job.” If you want to succeed, you must learn to manage the distractions in your life. They aren’t going away!
Here are three things you can do to become indistractable:
- Control your digital life so it doesn’t control you. Turn off all of your alerts and notifications. Instead of constantly checking, give yourself specific times to check in throughout the day. When you give yourself specific time to surf, browse, or be on social media guilt free, it is easier to keep from getting distracted at other times.
- Turn the things you value into your time. If you want to make the varsity, commit to practicing a certain number of hours each day. When you make a commitment with yourself to do something for a specific amount of time, it is easier to stay focused on your goals.
- Surround yourself with people who have the same mindset and goals as you. When those around you believe in and support your purpose, it becomes easier to say no to unnecessary and unwanted distractions.
Consistency Connection: If you want to achieve your dreams, learn to focus your time and energy consistently. Distractions pull your attention away from the work required to be great. Be indistractable and keep your eyes on the prize.
Quote of the Week:
“This ability to conquer oneself is no doubt the most precious of all things sports bestows on us.” – Olga Korbut
Be excellent this week. Do the opposite of average!
Yancey Sanderson
Follow me on Twitter @YanceySanderson
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