Mental Strength: Do you think fast?

In the 1930's a Northwestern grad student in the psychology department, E.F. "Al" Wonderlic, invented the test that came to be known as the Wonderlic. Each year, nearly 3 million job applicants in every line of work take the Wonderlic. NFL combine athletes must take it as well. The Wonderlic is a timed IQ test, consisting of 50 questions, ranging form easy, to hard, and must be completed in 12 minutes. Each question equals one point. What's good? Well, the average scores in some professions look like this: Chemist: 31 Programmer: 29 Sales: 24 Bank teller: 22 Security Guard: 17 The average NFL combiner scores a 21. Former Bengals punter and Harvard grad Pat McInally scored a perfect 50 -- the only NFL player known to do so. What's a sample question look like?  According to ESPN's Closer Look online articles, here are five: 1. Assume the first two statements are true. Is the final one: 1. true,  2. false,  3. not certain?  The boy plays baseball. All baseball players wear hats. The boy wears a hat. 2. Paper sells for 21 cents per pad. What will four pads cost? 3. The hours of daylight and darkness in SEPTEMBER are nearest equal to the hours of daylight and darkness in: 1.June,  2. March,  3. May,  4. November.  4. A boy is 17 years old and his sister is twice as old. When the boy is 23 years old, what will be the age of his sister? 5. RESENT RESERVE • Do these words 1. have similar meanings, 2. have contradictory meanings, 3. mean neither the same nor opposite? A well-rounded athlete isn't simply about how many 225-lb bench presses can be performed, or the speed of one's 40, but also ... the fast wit of one's mind. (I know a great place where you can increase your mental skills... yup, www.mentalstrength.com, of course) By the way, in case you want the official answers to the above, they are: 1. true, 2. 84 cents, 3. March, 4. 40 years old, 5. mean neither the same nor opposite. 'till next week, Sam P.S. Last week, we overlooked the hypertext link to the Mental Strength Credo.  To access the important 12-step life-changing credo, go here: http://www.mentalstrength.com For more information, visit: ESPN Closer Look: http://espn.go.com/page2/s/closer/020228test.html

About Mental Strength.com

Mental Strength.com has served over 10,000 highly productive people, including business owners, athletes and coaches since 1999. A cutting edge interactive website, packed with discussion boards, valuable downloads, books, resources and rich multi-media tools, MentalStrength.com helps its members maintain a great attitude, network with other productive people and obtain life-long mental strength. Memberships start at just $14.95. The tip of the week is always complimentary for non-members and available for enrollment at www.mentalstrength.com. You can also get Mental Strength.com updates by following us on Twitter @MindStrength.

Mental Strength Tip: 4 Ways to Better Use Positive Energy

Everyone has heard that a Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) is helpful to reach one's goals.

But what does that mean, really?

If someone deliberately bangs your favorite tennis racquet into the concrete, are you supposed to smile and thank them in the name of PMA?

If the opposing linebacker blind-sides you after you get a pass off to the receiver, should you help them up because they fell over while spiking you?

Of course not.

+++++++++++++++++++
You may not be able to control the actions of others, but you do have total control over your own attitude.
+++++++++++++++++++

And being positive is always better.

A positive mental attitude creates positive emotional energy.  They are basically one in the same. They go hand in hand, and are the keys to a healthy, successful athletic career. The more positive you are, the better your sporting career will be, in addition to your life in every area. 

Positive emotions give you energy, while negative emotions deplete your energy.  When you are excited, enthusiastic, happy and are interacting with people and activities you love and enjoy, you sparkle with energy and enthusiasm.  When you are angry or depressed, or negative for any reason, you feel tired and frustrated and, eventually, burned out. 

Another characteristic of very successful people is that they keep themselves calm much longer than the average person does. They are more relaxed and more in control of their emotions. They are very aware that expressions of negative emotion deprive them of the energy they need to be effective in the more important things they do. They don’t allow themselves to become easily upset or angry.  They remain objective and detached.

They stand back and refuse to take things personally.  They do not allow themselves to get drawn into arguments or other people’s problems. They save their energy for more productive purposes.

One way to keep yourself in control is through utilizing physical relaxation techniques.

The whole purpose of physical relaxation is to allow yourself to recharge your emotional and mental batteries - building up your mental and emotional energies.

Here are four things you can do immediately:

1. Keep your thoughts on the things you want, and away from the things you don’t want.  Focus on your dreams and goals, and keep them off of the things and people that cause you stress and stir up negative emotions.
2. Preserve your emotional energy by remaining calm and positive in stressful situations rather than allowing yourself to become upset or angry.
3. Get an ample amount of rest.  Not only does your body need to recover from strenuous training, but your mental and emotional state need Rest and recovery.
4. Get into the Mental Strength Visualization Room. 

Apply these four action steps and you will find your mind and body will become more effective than ever before!

‘till next week,

Sam

About Mental Strength.com

Mental Strength.com has served over 10,000 highly productive people, including business owners, athletes and coaches since 1999. A cutting edge interactive website, packed with discussion boards, valuable downloads, books, resources and rich multi-media tools, MentalStrength.com helps its members maintain a great attitude, network with other productive people and obtain life-long mental strength. Memberships start at just $14.95. The tip of the week is always complimentary for non-members and available for enrollment at www.mentalstrength.com. You can also get Mental Strength.com updates by following us on Twitter @MindStrength.

Mental Strength: If It Is To Be ...

I turned on the radio yesterday, as I sometimes do in the car when I am out of CD and audio cassette programs.

A political talk show was on.

The guest was a psychologist. He was on because he was diagnosing 100,000 people suffering from 'post traumatic wrongful-election distress syndrome.'

No Joke.

Now, whether you are part of the blue party, green party, or purple party, it's unimportant for this purpose, really.

What is important is the attitude that is expressed:

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Helplessness, or that someone
is coming to the rescue.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It has been said that the true sign of maturity is the realization that no one is coming to the rescue.

Except you.

So, I propose that as we begin this new year, that you set some big, hairy, audacious goals for yourself.  Then align yourself with a carefully chosen team of people that can help you achieve those goals.

Then work like crazy.

And so, as you develop your athletic career and your professional career, your motto ought to be:

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
If it is to be, it is up to me.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

When you carry a confident, it-is-up-to-me attitude, you will find people are magically attracted to you, wanting to be part of your winning team.

And you will accomplish more, faster than you ever thought possible.

Until next week,

Sam Hirschberg
MentalStrength.com


About Mental Strength.com
Mental Strength.com has served over 10,000 highly productive people, including business owners, athletes and coaches since 1999. A cutting edge interactive website, packed with discussion boards, valuable downloads, books, resources and rich multi-media tools, MentalStrength.com helps its members maintain a great attitude, network with other productive people and obtain life-long mental strength. Memberships start at just $14.95. The tip of the week is always complimentary for non-members and available for enrollment at www.mentalstrength.com. You can also get Mental Strength.com updates by following us on Twitter @MindStrength.

You Don't Have to Believe in Mental Imagery. It Works Anyway.

I read an interesting report by Dr. Jonathan Parker titled Visualization and Mental Imagery.  It details three reasons why imagery works.

The full report is available for members, but below is the first one of the three reasons.

In my opinion this component is the most important of the three, but like anything else, for best results you should really get all the working parts.

Get my drift?

Anyway...  Imagery works because images are events to the body.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
To the body, images created in the mind can
be almost as real as actual events.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

(I hope you just had an "AHA" moment.)

(If you didn't, read it again.)

In fact, the mind responds to imagery as if it were something REAL happening, especially when the images strongly evoke sensory memory and fantasy- that means sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and feel.

Example:

Recalling the smell and feel of the grass as you dove for a fly ball ... is an image.
Remembering the sound and timbre of the coach, saying he's proud of you ... is an image.
And recalling the internal bristle of energy in your body when you realize you are about to cross the finish line ... is also an image.
These sensory images are the true language of the body, the only language it understands immediately and without question.  To the body, these images can be almost as real as actual events.

This is the first operating principle of imagery.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
You see, our bodies don't discriminate between
sensory images in the mind, and reality.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Once again, the more closely you can imagine what you want to happen, the more your body will go to work in attempt to make it a reality.

Be careful what you think about, because IT REALLY CAN happen.

'till next week,

Sam

About Mental Strength.com
Mental Strength.com has served over 10,000 highly productive people, including business owners, athletes and coaches since 1999. A cutting edge interactive website, packed with discussion boards, valuable downloads, books, resources and rich multi-media tools, MentalStrength.com helps its members maintain a great attitude, network with other productive people and obtain life-long mental strength. Memberships start at just $14.95. The tip of the week is always complimentary for non-members and available for enrollment at www.mentalstrength.com. You can also get Mental Strength.com updates by following us on Twitter @MindStrength.

Mental Strength Tip: Confidence Equals Concentration

I interviewed a world-renowned sport psychologist a few days ago, Dr. Alan Goldberg.

Dr. Goldberg worked with the UConn Huskies basketball team in 1999 when they won the National Championship over Duke.

Needless to say he knows his stuff.

Dr. Goldberg suggested that your confidence is determined by what you are concentrating on.

For example...

Do you see the distractions in the stands?

Does your mind wander from place to place; looking at the guys walking around the stadium or checking out the cute girls courtside?

Or, do you think about the way you double-faulted on that last big point?

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Causing doubt, fear or worry
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Or, do you concentrate single-mindedly on the task at hand, and let your training habits take over?

Dr. Goldberg discussed an interview he conducted with champion swimmer Mark Spitz, who said, '...training is 90% physical and 10% mental.  After all, you gotta pay your training dues and prepare correctly.  But then ...

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Competition is 10% physical and 90% mental'
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Trust your training and learn to concentrate on the here and now.

'till next week,

Sam

About Mental Strength.com
Mental Strength.com has served over 10,000 highly productive people, including business owners, athletes and coaches since 1999. A cutting edge interactive website, packed with discussion boards, valuable downloads, books, resources and rich multi-media tools, MentalStrength.com helps its members maintain a great attitude, network with other productive people and obtain life-long mental strength. Memberships start at just $14.95. The tip of the week is always complimentary for non-members and available for enrollment at www.mentalstrength.com. You can also get Mental Strength.com updates by following us on Twitter @MindStrength.

Mental Strength: Great Quotes

Internalize these quotes, and enjoy the success that you achieve.  You may want to print this page, and post them in a place where you will read them often, such as your refrigerator door, or in your locker.


Print this page and post in a place where you'll read it every day:

• Progress always involves risk – you can't steal second with your foot on first.
• The mature mind seeks to follow through; the immature mind hops from one thing to another.
• It is better being a lion for a day than a sheep all your life.
• Experience tells you what to do; confidence allows you to do it.
• The game of life is not so much playing a good hand, but playing a bad hand well.
• Put all your eggs in one basket. Then watch the basket.
• Nothing is so common as unsuccessful people with talent. All they lack is determination.
• It isn't hard to be good from time to time.  It's hard to be good everyday.
• 'Big shots' are only 'little shots' that keep shooting.
• The secret of success … Put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest acts.
• A coach today must be an educator, babysitter, mentor, psychologist, and, most importantly a trusted friend.
• Good experience is what you get when you don't get what you want.
• Most people miss opportunity because it's dressed in overalls and looks like hard work.
• The price of success … Dedication, hard work, and an unremitting devotion to the things you want.
• Happy are those who dream dreams and are paying the price to make them come true.
  

Most of these quotes are from Nick Bollettieri's video, 'Developing talent.'

About Mental Strength.com
Mental Strength.com has served over 10,000 highly productive people, including business owners, athletes and coaches since 1999. A cutting edge interactive website, packed with discussion boards, valuable downloads, books, resources and rich multi-media tools, MentalStrength.com helps its members maintain a great attitude, network with other productive people and obtain life-long mental strength. Memberships start at just $14.95. The tip of the week is always complimentary for non-members and available for enrollment at www.mentalstrength.com. You can also get Mental Strength.com updates by following us on Twitter @MindStrength.

Mental Strength Tip: Keep it Simple

Today's topic is simple.

So simple that most people miss it.

Last week, I was on the tennis court with a very successful woman. Our lesson topic: How to hit high percentage tennis shots in pressure situations.

We applied the Law of 21, which is the foundation for mastering new techniques through repetition. And after about 40 minutes she got the hang of her new skills quite nicely.

Now in order for new skills, or any skills for that matter, to become automatic you must have the mind uninvolved with the process.

In other words; don't think about it, just do it.

Isn't this the secret that all athletes want to master?

Yes, probably.

Here's the simple technique we did on that 95-degree Thursday morning in southern California:

I asked her to forget everything we just worked on – don't think about it, and simply let your body do it.

Your body knows. It's your mind more often than not that'll set you back.

So, in order to do this I asked her to exhale at contact; that is, when she hit the ball, I asked her to exhale her breath. This kept her focused on her breathing – a present moment activity that lets her body fulfill the task, and keeps her mind from messing up the process.

She proceeded to be about 90% effective, up from about 30%.

Not bad for an hours work.

About Mental Strength.com
Mental Strength.com has served over 10,000 highly productive people, including business owners, athletes and coaches since 1999. A cutting edge interactive website, packed with discussion boards, valuable downloads, books, resources and rich multi-media tools, MentalStrength.com helps its members maintain a great attitude, network with other productive people and obtain life-long mental strength. Memberships start at just $14.95. The tip of the week is always complimentary for non-members and available for enrollment at www.mentalstrength.com. You can also get Mental Strength.com updates by following us on Twitter @MindStrength.