3 Simple Tips to Nailing It!

Posted By Brad on February 15, 2017

“You’ve got to be 100% there. If you’re only slightly not there on a big mountain, it can cause you to fail or get in trouble” –Ed Viesters: No Shortcuts To The Top

Imagine you have a nail in your left hand and hammer in your right hand. You have to hit the head of the nail several times into a piece of wood until the nail is all the way in. So, do you have that image in your mind? Sounds simple, doesn’t it? And yet, what is going to happen if you don’t focus and pay attention to the task at hand? Well, you will miss the nail completely, hit the nail incorrectly and bend it or possibly hit your hand and break a finger. Not good.

Now, think about being an athlete. When you are in the game, it’s very important to be focused, pay attention to what is happening right in front of you and play in the present moment. It’s all about nailing it. You have to let go of any distractions around you, or in your head, that could prevent you from simply doing your job in that exact moment. And, just like trying to hammer a nail, if you’re not paying attention, you could end up hurting yourself or your team.

It’s not about what happened yesterday or could happen tomorrow. It’s not about good or bad. It’s not about win or lose. It’s not about the other team or the spectators watching the game. It’s only about you and, in that moment, what you can and will do to make the greatest impact.

Here are 3 simple tips to nailing it!

1. Play with your eyes and not your feelings.
You want to make decisions based upon what you see taking place instead of making decisions that are triggered by any negative emotions.

2. Play for what you want to do or achieve.
You want to make decisions based upon your goals instead of making decisions that are triggered by what you don’t want to happen or afraid could happen.

3. Play to your strengths and not your weaknesses.
You want to make decisions based upon using your personal strengths instead of making decisions that are triggered by thoughts or worries about your weaknesses or limitations in the game.

–Anthony Lanzillo

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