Spring [Into] Training The Mind
Featuring Major League
2.20.24
⏳ THE LINE-UP
What’s On The Lineup Card?
Pre-Game: Mental performance, routine and a late 80's film
Warm-Up: Spring Training and the importance of preparation
Practice: Pre-game rituals and alter egos (kinda) w/ Pedro Cerrano
Gametime: Box Breathing, Mantras & High-Fives
The Close: Commit, Listen & Read
🕹 PRE-GAME
What Are We Talkin’ About?
10+ years after enjoying the energy that Spring Training brings, there’s no better way to kick off the Touching Base newsletter with a nod to the mental game from the classic baseball film, Major League.
You may be asking yourself - do I need to have seen the movie or know the sport of baseball? No, but if you find yourself in big moments and wondering how to calm your nerves, then let’s get to work on a pillar of mental performance with the power of ROUTINE.
☕️ WARM-UP
A Little More Context…
Birds chirping and the smell of fresh cut grass signals that Spring (Training) is around the corner. Do you know what Spring Training is all about? PREPARATION - and that's right where we are focusing for the next two weeks.
For many coaches, elite athletes and business leaders, separation comes from the preparation. This can be...
Your research on accounts
Dissecting your sales pitch
Physical or mental reps before stepping on stage.
Prepping for an interview or presentation for the board
The mental image of Spring Training brings me back to the feeling of preparing for a long season back in my pro-ball days.
You, my friend, may be in that season right now. PREPARING for what's next.
🛠 PRACTICE
Example Of Someone Using The Skill Or Framework.
Have you ever seen someone preparing for a keynote, sales call, big play or doing something odd before a high pressure moment? They are tapping into a key pillar of mental performance.
The power of ROUTINE.
You likely have an automatic routine for smaller moments throughout your day. Coffee and journal. Open tab, read newsletter and check calendar for the day. But what about the big moments?
For Pedro Cerrano’s character in the film Major League, he can’t hit a curveball in big moments (high-pressure). So, what does he do?
He engages in a pre-game routine to prepare. This includes...
Meditation in his designed space
States a positive affirmation, vision and mantra
Invites his alter ego in the form of a statue (Jobu) to come and take away the “fear of bats.”
Want to see it in action? Check out my review and steps HERE.
⏱ GAMETIME
Exercise For You To Try Now Or Later
Look at your calendar and write down moments where pressure builds and you tend to get overwhelmed. This could be a presentation to your boss, interview, addressing the team at an all-hands or before taking the stage. In sport, it could correlate to that big shot, penalty kick, final race or stepping up to the plate.
's Write down a few ideas that can help you center, refocus or prepare with more intention. Where will you do this? What worked in the past? How long does it take?
Test it. Fail at it. Get BETTER at it. High performers in business and sport have a routine to go-to. Most notably, they find a way to make it personal and own it. This step is.
Some potential examples you can try…
Breathwork sequences like Box Breathing. You can Try it HERE.
Verbal mantras tied to your belief statements
High-fives in the mirror. Seriously, this is real (check out the podcast suggestion below). My version wasn't quite a high-five but more-so a knock on the head and clenched fist to the chest.
QUICK RECAP
Most of the time in high-stake moments, variables (or curveballs) are thrown at us and it can feel overwhelming or out of our control. If there's one thing we know that is within your control, it's your ROUTINE (more on this later).
Yeah, you may look a bit “crazy” to the external eye, but that’s just a sign you are aware of the moment. AND awareness is where this whole journey of performance STARTS.
🏁 THE CLOSE
Highlights & Sources For Continued Learning
Commit to testing out some form of “pre-game” routine to prepare you for the moment.
Listen or watch Mel Robbins on the Ed Mylett Podcast on the benefit of a High-Five.
Read Atomic Habits, notably, Chapter 3, titled"How Your Habits Shape Your Identity (and Vice Versa)." In this chapter, Clear dives into the concept of identity-based habits and how routines can shape our sense of self.
...and if you liked Atomic Habits, you should also get "The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business" by Charles Duhigg. The Power of Habit precedes Atomic Habits and intersects research with practical examples to help YOU better understand habits, why they exist and how they can be changed.
If the best coaches are coachable, both of these books take lessons and techniques that are familiar, yet tweaked based on the author’s perspective and own research. You can expect the same iterations and lessons in Touching Base every Tuesday.
ON DECK- preview of what leadership topic is up next.
Next week, we lean into pillar #2, Communication Skills. Picking up with the theme of preparation, we’ll be dissecting Lou Brown’s speech (from Major League). We’ll review and highlight the importance of space, how to leverage hooks and ways to rally a team who may not be as motivated as you need them to be.
