by connecting to your why

Transcription

1 STAY MOTIVATED ALL SEASON LONG by connecting to your why We've all had those days where nothing is going right, we're frustrated, and we ask ourselves, "Why in the (BLEEP) am I doing this?!" So what keeps us moving forward, keeps us from quitting? It's different for every person, but some handle those days better than most. They not only bounce back more quickly, but they also have an unwavering belief that it's all worth it. This "thing" that these people have is called resonance. It is a process that can help people perform better and live more fulfilling lives (Newburg, 2002; Newburg & Clawson, 1997). It helps people find meaning and engagement in whatever they do and is one key to helping them perform well and achieve their potential. (Newburg, Kimiecik, Durand-Bush & Doel, 2002). Now I'm telling you, you can have that too! 1

2 You can have it by following the Resonance Performance Model (Newburg, 2002), which is detailed below. It starts by defining your dream or why you play. Then you prepare every day to achieve that dream and deal with any obstacles that come your way by revisiting your dream. RESONANCE PERFORMANCE MODEL (Newburg, 2002) This cycle starts by defining your dream or why you play. Then you prepare every day to achieve that dream and deal with any obstacles that come your way by revisiting your dream. 2

3 DEFINE YOUR DREAM It all starts with knowing your dream-why you coach/play. This dream isn't a goal or even a really big goal; it's how you want to feel. Think of your best day on the field. That moment or game when you were on cloud nine and couldn't stop smiling. What did you feel? How would you describe yourself in that moment? Below are some examples of positive emotions: brilliant calm capable captivated cared for carefree certain cheerful cherished clear composed confident connected courageous daring decisive disciplined dynamic elevated empowered exhilarated faithful flowing focused fortunate genuine gifted good happy (full list at positiveemotionslist.com) Choose 1-5 words that mean the most to you and make you feel like you're at your best. These are the words that will guide you. They will help you decide which path to take and they will help you push through adversity and challenge. Write them down somewhere and post them where you can see them every day. As an example, here are my words :) 3

4 PREPARE The next step in the cycle is to prepare. This doesn't necessarily mean you have to grind or give 110%. It means you do everything you can to realize your dream. It means making your preparation purposeful. If you want to feel accomplished, what is it going to take for you to feel that? First, you must define what that looks like for you. Do you feel accomplished when you have productive at-bats? When you win team awards? Then you have to decide what will get you there. Do you need to get more live at-bats? Do you need to work on your focus so you can perform more consistently? The key here is to have a reason for every drill, every way you prepare. ANTICIPATE OBSTACLES There is no avoiding it- you will face obstacles. You may be tired, distracted by personal drama, injured, or even sometimes distracted by success. Know what events typically derail you from your dream path, so you can recognize them and get back on track. If you're unsure of what obstacles you may face, brainstorm with a teammate or coach. Here are some examples: weather personal distractions injury teammates/coaches losing winning school lack of sleep personal hardship loss of focus fear of failure fear of success fans officials 4

5 REVISIT YOUR DREAM This part is tricky. A lot of times, when we hit an obstacle, our reaction is to go back to the preparation stage. Here's an example: you go into a "slump" or are having a hard time with one pitch, and tell yourself you have to get out of it. So what do you do? Work harder, right? Go back to fundamentals, take extra reps, stay late after practice. Sound familiar? Though our intentions are good with this plan, the problem is that slumps aren't physical. A slump means you know you should be performing, but you just aren't for some reason. You have the skills to perform, but it's not clicking. Slumps are mental. So why would you treat them with physical remedies? The better plan of action is to take a step back, take a breath, and revisit your dream. This simple act of reminding yourself why you're doing all of this can help alleviate frustration, improve focus and help you perform better. Once you do this, you can continue the cycle and get back to preparation with a clear mind. There are different ways to revisit your dream. You can write your word(s) on a piece of equipment or something else you have with you on game day. You can have a small journal to write out your frustrations and remind yourself of what's important. You can also designate a lifeline- someone who knows how to get through to you when you're frustrated. Whatever tactic you choose, just do something that works for you! so do you want to get better this season? THEN FILL OUT THE WORKSHEET ON THE NEXT PAGE AND HANG IT SOMEWHERE YOU'LL SEE EVERY DAY! 5

6 my dream I W A N T T O F E E L H O W I ' L L P R E P A R E P O S S I B L E O B S T A C L E S H O W I ' L L R E V I S I T signed, 2018