Think Like a Champion
“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.”
- Willie Nelson
Last Sunday, I had the great opportunity to participate in a Baseball Panel whose audience consisted of young baseball players (Little League—High School), coaches, and parents. Former major league baseball players Shea Hillenbrand, Mike Butcher, and Marcuse McBeth joined me on the panel.
It was an amazing day of sharing ideas, laughter and foundational beliefs.
As I was typing up my post-presentation notes, I thought there were too many good ideas not to share with my readers.
Shea, Mike, and Marcus easily handled the baseball-specific questions; I didn’t add too much in their area of expertise. I spoke about how to train your mind to overcome the setbacks that come with baseball and life. While speaking to the baseball players, I was looking at the parents because the techniques I teach can be used between the lines and in life.
Here are the top ten topics that I spoke on during the panel talk:
1. Positive Self-Talk: The way we speak to ourselves has a huge impact on our mindset. Instead of focusing on negative thoughts and self-doubt, practice positive self-talk. Lifting yourself up with affirmations such as "I am capable," "I am resilient," “I got this” and "I am worthy" can help reset your mindset and boost your confidence.
2. Set Clear Goals: Clear goals give you direction and purpose. Write down 3 of your short-term and 3 of your long-term goals and create a plan to achieve each of them. The short-term goals become “mile-markers as you move towards your long-term goals. They will keep you moving in the right direction. If we don’t have short-term goals, we can lose focus because we aren’t given reinforcement during the climb.
3. Failure = Learning Opportunity: Failure is not the end but a stepping stone towards success. Nelson Mandela once said, “I never lose; I either win or I learn.” Embrace failure as a learning opportunity and use it to grow stronger and wiser. Reflect on what went wrong, learn from your mistakes, and adjust your next move.
4. Find Your Quarters: The people you surround yourself with significantly influence your mindset. Surround yourself with positive, supportive individuals who lift you up and encourage you to be the best version of yourself. Avoid those that bring drama and excess baggage into your life. These are the people that drain your energy and slow your growth.
5. Be Grateful EVERY DAY: Gratitude is so powerful. Remembering how lucky you are to be where you are, after all you have gone through, will shift your mindset from “poor me” to “I can’t wait.” Take time each day to think about the things you are grateful for, whether big or small. Practicing gratitude can help you build a positive outlook on life and appreciate the blessings around you. I am confronted with “walls” daily to see how badly I want something. The walls I have had to get around, over, through or under thus far are blessings that prepared me for the walls that I will confront in the future.
6. Reach Farther Than YOU Believe You Can: We all have limiting beliefs that hold us back from becoming who we are meant to be. Figure out what these beliefs are and challenge them by reframing them in a self-empowering way. Replace thoughts like "I can't" with "I can" - and watch how your mindset shifts towards limitless possibilities.
7. Live a Life of Perseverance: Your perseverance and resilience define your ability to bounce back from setbacks and adversity stronger than before. Build perseverance and resiliency by developing ways to strengthen your mindset, take care of your mental and physical wellness, and reach out to those who can help you when needed. Remember that challenges are opportunities for growth, and perseverance and resilience are keys to overcoming them.
8. You Control Your Effort: In a world that seems to be able to control less and less, the one thing that we always control is our effort. By effort, I don’t just mean once in a while. I’m talking about consistently giving your best effort! Consistency is key to building a powerful mindset over time. Stay committed to your goals, even when faced with obstacles or setbacks. Consistent effort leads to progress, growth, and, ultimately, success.
9: You Must See It to Believe It: Visualization is an excellent way to train your mind to focus on the possibilities before you. Too often, we don’t believe in ourselves enough to understand when the good things are happening. By making visualization a daily routine, you can find mental clarity, peace of mind and an overall sense of well-being.
10: Be Your Greatest Fan: Remember to celebrate your wins, no matter how small they may seem. Celebrating your accomplishments boosts your confidence, motivation, and overall satisfaction with life. Acknowledging and rewarding yourself for your hard work and dedication to your journey towards a powerful mindset is important.
Conclusion
Building a Championship Mindset takes time, effort, and dedication. I promise you that the rewards are well worth it. Adding these 10 thoughts to your daily routine allows you to change your life and achieve success, happiness, and fulfillment.
Remember that a mindset is never “broken”. Most of the time, we don’t know how to use it to our advantage. If we start working on our mindset it can be a powerful tool, but it will take time. Have patience with the process. Take baby steps to begin with. To see the advantages, you must continue working on your mindset for the rest of your life. This isn’t something you “finish”; it is a project for the rest of your life.
Start today and empower yourself to embrace the possibilities over limitations, growth over stagnation, and positivity over negativity. You have all the power to create a life you love.
Have an amazing day!
