A good mentor regardless of whether it be in sports or business takes into consideration where you are in life, who you are in life, where you want to go in life, how realistic your goals are with respect to your skill level, and help quide you to reaching your goals.
A mentor is also there to help you work through the never ending set of challenges that will naturally make up the ups and down encountered on the journey.
The athletes I work with often get caught up in the technical aspects of their performance and focus on what it is they are not doing well rather than focusing on the process. Its wise for the performer to know where they are now, how well they are doing, and the importance of establishing a plan for where they want to go complete with strategies and objectives for getting them there. A mentor will bring you back to focusing on developing and sticking to an established plan of action.
A team of players whether it be in sports or business have two primary goals; (1) to get joy out of what they are doing, and (2) to perform well at what they are doing. However, if the team is made up of a group of individuals focused on individual achievement they may have challenges working toward the common goal. A team with a coach that has a team development plan with specific strategies and structure for going about reaching performance goals will more than likely have a better chance of success. Structure, discipline, solid coaching skills, and clear goal direction will give the team a purpose. A mentor can be the driving force behind this approach.
Finding the right person to be your mentor actually depends on your goals. First determine what is is you wish to accomplish and identify a timeline. Be specific about your 2-3 long term goals, honestly and objectively access your skill set in relation to your goals, and make a list of the roadblocks keeping you from reaching your goals. Armed with this information you now have a purpose and a fundamental idea for your mentor search.
If its a sports perfomance coach you seek (not a sports skill coach like a swing coach for golf, or a tennis pro for improving your backhand) you will define your search based on characterisitics associated with performance coaching. Performance improvement coaches will focus on helping you to establish a plan which might include finding a swing coach, but also will include providing guidance on the process and direction you might take in reaching your goals. They can serve as a great sounding board and a trusted advisor. Most importantly the mentor should come with the credentials and success illustrating their ability to teach and guide you in the areas you need to get stronger in. References of their past success will go a long way to reinforce credentials and their strengths at helping you get to where you want to go with your performance.
A mentor, unlike a coach (may have been a coach, or an athlete at some point) will have the experience of walking the walk or experiencing what it is you are experiencing. They know the pitfalls, roadblocks, politics, emotional challenges, and how to best cope with them. The mentor has knowledge of how to execute a plan, how to monitor a plan, how to track performance, what to coach and what to let go, and how to help you establish a process orientation that will lead to success.
Should you need help or guidance with finding a mentor please do not hesitate to contact me at jre@protexsports.com or inquire about my 12 week Mental Edge Performance Development and Tracking Program. This 12 week program is designed to mentor athletes through a process of goal creation, performance plan development and execution, and finally to monitor performance and build success.
http://www.protexsports.com/
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Cheers
John
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Practice SMART Perform SMART
Working smarter does not mean working harder. It simply means practicing on the areas of your game you wish to improve requires a plan with specific objectives. It's not about the quantity of the work you do, but the quality of the work on the specific task areas of the skill needing refinement.
Focus on what is absolutely critical to improve the skill. If it happens to be your golf swing be sure to know exactly what it is with your golf swing you wish to correct. If you don't know what the issue is then seek out a swing coach to analyze your swing
Once you have a better understanding of the technical weaknesses of your swing you must establish a set of performance objectives focused on correcting that aspect of your swing.
When you establish objectives use the SMART principle. Objectives must be:
1. Specific
2. Measurable
3. Achievable
4. Relevant
5. Timely.
The next step is to assign task related exercises associates with each objective. The practice plan will focus on these task related exercises in order of importance with larger motor refinements first and then finer motor movements last. Success is achieved in successive steps. Achieve mastery with one task and then move onto the next task. By taking these serial related steps to your plan you will enhance the skill, build confidence, and trust in the skill execution.
I talk quite a bit about the process of establishing a plan in my new book, Mental Edge: Success Tracking and Journaling System.
Go to http://www.protexsports.com/protexsports_products.htm and learn how to get access to my new book. If you have questions please email me at jre@protexsports.com
Cheers
John
Focus on what is absolutely critical to improve the skill. If it happens to be your golf swing be sure to know exactly what it is with your golf swing you wish to correct. If you don't know what the issue is then seek out a swing coach to analyze your swing
Once you have a better understanding of the technical weaknesses of your swing you must establish a set of performance objectives focused on correcting that aspect of your swing.
When you establish objectives use the SMART principle. Objectives must be:
1. Specific
2. Measurable
3. Achievable
4. Relevant
5. Timely.
The next step is to assign task related exercises associates with each objective. The practice plan will focus on these task related exercises in order of importance with larger motor refinements first and then finer motor movements last. Success is achieved in successive steps. Achieve mastery with one task and then move onto the next task. By taking these serial related steps to your plan you will enhance the skill, build confidence, and trust in the skill execution.
I talk quite a bit about the process of establishing a plan in my new book, Mental Edge: Success Tracking and Journaling System.
Go to http://www.protexsports.com/protexsports_products.htm and learn how to get access to my new book. If you have questions please email me at jre@protexsports.com
Cheers
John
Mental Congestion - Undermines Confidence
Mental congestion undermines our confidence, but it also buries our mental instincts and destroys our spontaneity. If we are constantly bombarded with unorganized thoughts, how can we perform spontaneously?
People often speak of the mind-body connection, but I believe the mind is the one part of the equation most people take for granted when it comes to excellence in performance. Don’t get me wrong, physical strength, and skill mastery are critical ingredients to performance success; however, it’s the other 90% that can make all the difference. As Yogi Berra famously stated, “Baseball is 90% mental, the other half is physical.” His message simply points out that we are not generally aware of the importance of the mind in performance achievement.
People who are in touch with their bodies, and then connect with the powers of their minds, think more clearly, have a healthier dialog with their sub-conscious (self-talk), have less experiences with depression, and generally have increased amounts of energy. When the mind becomes a “go to” tool for performance enhancement, the mind-body connection can become a spiritual experience with gratitude and appreciation for the life we have. The outcome of performance no longer becomes the focus, but the process and joy of the experience is what matters most. As Oprah Winfrey says, “If you start focusing on what you have and what you’re grateful for, you will begin to see more.”
Once you commit to perform at a level that is both on a mental and physical plane, the actual process can become an amazing experience. When the mind and body meet on an equal playing field and each trusts one another to take action in mutual support, thoughts of failure will begin to disappear.
Regularly exercising the mind will contribute to lowering the risks of heart disease, cancer, depression, and many other health problems. Reducing mind chatter lowers stress, helps with weight control, definitely increases ones positive outlook on life, and, therefore, produces clarity and, consequently, improves performance. Without the harmony between the body and mind, we would not be able to exist. The cooperative relationship between mind and body reduces mind chatter and, therefore, provides a more composed and rational approach to addressing the challenges presented to us.
“The quieter you are, the more you can hear.” Bama Ram Dass
For more information on strategies to beat Mental Congestion and enhance performance please send me an email at jre@protexsports.com
People often speak of the mind-body connection, but I believe the mind is the one part of the equation most people take for granted when it comes to excellence in performance. Don’t get me wrong, physical strength, and skill mastery are critical ingredients to performance success; however, it’s the other 90% that can make all the difference. As Yogi Berra famously stated, “Baseball is 90% mental, the other half is physical.” His message simply points out that we are not generally aware of the importance of the mind in performance achievement.
People who are in touch with their bodies, and then connect with the powers of their minds, think more clearly, have a healthier dialog with their sub-conscious (self-talk), have less experiences with depression, and generally have increased amounts of energy. When the mind becomes a “go to” tool for performance enhancement, the mind-body connection can become a spiritual experience with gratitude and appreciation for the life we have. The outcome of performance no longer becomes the focus, but the process and joy of the experience is what matters most. As Oprah Winfrey says, “If you start focusing on what you have and what you’re grateful for, you will begin to see more.”
Once you commit to perform at a level that is both on a mental and physical plane, the actual process can become an amazing experience. When the mind and body meet on an equal playing field and each trusts one another to take action in mutual support, thoughts of failure will begin to disappear.
Regularly exercising the mind will contribute to lowering the risks of heart disease, cancer, depression, and many other health problems. Reducing mind chatter lowers stress, helps with weight control, definitely increases ones positive outlook on life, and, therefore, produces clarity and, consequently, improves performance. Without the harmony between the body and mind, we would not be able to exist. The cooperative relationship between mind and body reduces mind chatter and, therefore, provides a more composed and rational approach to addressing the challenges presented to us.
“The quieter you are, the more you can hear.” Bama Ram Dass
For more information on strategies to beat Mental Congestion and enhance performance please send me an email at jre@protexsports.com
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