Tag: beliefs

Coach Wheeler’s Formula for Success

Coach Wheeler's Formula for SuccessThis article is a little different from the other ones on this blog. Different in a good way.  The topic of Success is probably more related to your career or life in general… and less “basketball specific”. I think you will find that  Coach Wheeler’s “Formula for Success” is in the vein of John Wooden’s “Pyramid of Success” that he taught his players at UCLA. If you want to “build a winning mindset”, you will definitely be interested in Coach Wheeler’s “Formula for Success”.

What kind of Formula for Success
are we talking about?

While Wheeler’s Formula for Success is primarily focused on business or career success, it can be applied in other ways. (I am hoping you will leave a comment after reading this article saying how you are going to apply the ideas in your life.) If you are looking for financial success, whether you have a job or a business, you will certainly find this “thinking framework” helpful.

Inspired by…

12 Rules for lifeThe top level concept, that your “volume & quality of work” determines your overall success, was inspired by Jordan B. Peterson. He is a clinical psychologist, tenured Professor at University of Toronto and, in general, a pretty smart guy from what I can tell. His knowledge of clinical psychology studies allows him to provide insights that many other “self-help” authors either miss or aren’t backing up with science. To paraphrase the success quote from him that inspired this article, “Success in life is predicted, primarily, by 2 traits: industriousness and intelligence.” (He also has a book out that is called “The 12 Rules for Life” which I have heard a lot about on podcasts so I am hoping to read it soon.)

First Layer of the Formula…

Coach Wheeler's Formula for SuccessThis probably won’t sound earth shattering but it should make immediate sense when you think about it. “The volume and quality of your work determines your [eventual] success in life.” Duh? Right?

If we stopped there, you probably would not get much out of this formula because that statement is common sense.  But if we go deeper, you should find more ideas that you can turn into actions which will lead you to more success in your chosen field.

Next Level…

As you can see in the diagram above, I am calling the “volume” side of the formula “Hard Work”. I think we can all agree that putting in more effort and time (the definition of “hard work”?), will result in more output and productivity. If you produce more, your results should (over time) lead to success.

What goes into “Hard Work”?

Hard Work - Formula for SuccessThe Formula for Success has 3 parameters under “Hard Work”. They are (1) Passion, (2) Health and (3) Consciences. Let’s look at each in more depth.

(HW-1) Passion. We all need motivation if we are going to put in the hard work that is needed for success. Developing the skills of self motivation will help you do the work that others (i.e. the competition) won’t. It will also help you go further than the competition as well. The reason it is such common wisdom to say “Live Your Passion” is because it is critical to enjoy the process of “work” … so you will do more than your competitors. Think about it this way, if you are motivated by a passion for your work… is it really HARD work? Probably not.  On the other hand, will you be passionate about everything you need to do? No, but we will talk about that in the third element of Hard Work, Consciences.

(HW-2) Health. This should be self-evident and common sense, but if you don’t maintain your health, you won’t be able to produce as much as possible. Letting your health decline will reduce your energy and may even “take you out of the game.” Aside from all the diet guru’s who are giving you weight management advice, Health is actually pretty simple. The three key elements of Health are a) Food, b) Sleep and c) Play.

I use the word “Play” (instead of exercise) on purpose. If you approach exercise as drudgery, you won’t enjoy it and I have heard that the effectiveness will actually decrease. Choose an exercise that you can, on some level, enjoy. It will energize your mind while building up your physical capacity at the same time.

Do we really need to discuss Diet & Sleep? 8 hours of sleep is a good goal but you can tell what works for you. If I could recommend one change to your diet, I would ask you to drink more water (instead of calorie-filled & chemical-filled drinks). We all know that green veggies are your friend… and they will impact your health & work output. Think about it like this… imagine you get a raise at work for every time you have a meal with green vegetables. [It doesn’t really work like that, but isn’t it a neat way to convince yourself to eat better?]

(HW-3) Consciences. This is related to self-discipline as well as self-identity. Are you the type of person who does what needs to be done? Especially WHEN it needs to be done? Author Jocko Willink has a good quote (and book by the same name), “Discipline = Freedom“. This is the one area that you can make the most immediate impact … if you pay attention to your thoughts and take control of your habitual ways of thinking.

Power of Habit by Charles DuhiggI’m not talking about willpower.  Willpower is  a limited resource and it can “go away” when you are tired at the end of a long day or you have a dip in your motivation. Be sure to build as much of your “need to do” activities into habits and routines that you don’t have to think about. A good book for learning how to do this is “The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg.

One more thing about Hard Work…

Before we look at the other side of the formula (Smarts), I should explain one particular part of the Hard Work diagram. Did you notice the words “Goya”, “Goya”, “Goya” where the connector lines lead into the Hard Work bubble? This is taken from a motivational speech by inspirational keynote speaker Croix Sather. GOYA is an acronym for “Get Off Your Ass”. In terms of Coach Wheeler’s formula for success, GOYA is a reminder that you need to TAKE ACTION and not just think about what you should be doing. This is also a great transition into the “Smarts” portion of Coach Wheeler’s Formula for Success… as we keep in mind that thinking alone won’t get you what you want!

Let’s Get Smart!

Smarts-Formula for SuccessThe second major component of Success is “Smarts” or “general intelligence”. Coach Wheeler breaks this down into 3 parts, (1) Knowledge, (2) Social Skills and (3) Problem Solving. Going back to Jordan B. Peterson, he has said that the studies show intelligence, as measured by IQ, is incredibly difficult to improve. On the other hand, Knowledge can continually be accumulated and you can gather facts or ideas that you can use across a wide variety of situations. Coach Wheeler also added Social Skills to his model for success and we will discuss how to build and leverage them more below.

(S-1) Knowledge. As we go through life, we pick up information that we can then apply to solving problems in the future. This increases the value of our output and increases our chances for success. As you learned above, IQ is tough to change but we can “look smart” by simply learning “the tricks” for success in a given situation. There are typically two ways that we learn… independent learning and structured learning.

Independent learning is when we take the initiative and learn on our own. Examples include watching instructional YouTube video or reading books. There is an amazing amount of information out there and we probably have more access to information now than at any other time in history thanks to the internet and search engines. Smart people continue to learn.

Structured learning would include traditional schooling or perhaps one-on-one coaching. One of my favorite sayings about school is “Math = Money”. This means that learning math in school will help you handle money (and grow your wealth) when you get out into the “real world”. Depending on the quality of your teachers, it might be easy to get bored or “zone out” in school. Stay focused and keep asking yourself questions that help you stay engaged. “How will I use this in my life?” is a good one to start.

(S-2) Social Skills. There are many different types of “Smarts” and your ability to work with, and influence, other people is a major consideration when determining the quality of your work. We are not saying that you should try to make everyone happy. Sometimes you need to create conflict to get what you want or solve the problem that you are presented.

Toastmasters - Public Speaking and LeadershipAnother way to look at social skills is your ability to communicate effectively. On top of that, your leadership skills figure into your eventual success. How do you improve these things? Join Toastmasters. They are a world-wide non-profit organization dedicate to helping their members improve their public speaking and leadership skills. Find a chapter near you by visiting their website… Toastmasters International.

(S-3) Problem Solving.  This is typically correlated to the people’s “inherited” qualities of IQ and creativity. Even though much of your qualities may be genetic, there is still a skill that can be developed. If you want more ideas on how to improve your Problem Solving, here is the first article in our series on the topic. To learn when we publish more Problem Solving articles, be sure to sign up for our email notification service (in the right column on this page).

It is a fair statment to say that the quality of your work output is generally tied directly to your ability to solve problems. Brain Power (i.e. IQ) is good to have, especially when you are tackling more complex problems but everyone can learn how to solve problems. If you are motivated and work hard at accumulating the knowledge you need to solve problems in your area of expertise, you will be successful. This is where I tell you that all the parts of Coach Wheeler’s Formula for Success work together to make you successful.  But you probably already figured that out, right?

Bottom Line…

Will Coach Wheeler’s Formula For Success work for you? Like they say “The program will work… if you work the program.” I don’t think there is anything too “out there” in this formula. It should be easy to understand… but what are you going to do with it? Can you “up your game” when it comes to Hard Work? What do you need to improve on the “Smarts” side of the Formula for Success? If you don’t change what you do, how can you expect different results? The choice is up to you. You can use the formula… or you can “go with the flow” and take whatever life gives you. Which do you think will turn out the best for you?

Downloadable Bonus !

Coach Wheeler's Formula for SuccessCongratulations! You have made it all the way to the end of this article. You deserve a reward for your efforts. (Hopefully the article was interesting and not exactly “hard work”.) Your bonus for making it this far is a downloadable copy of Coach Wheeler’s Formula for Success diagram. You are welcome to share it on social media and, ideally provide a link back to this article. Right-Click on the link below and “Save As” to get the downloadable PDF version!
SuccessFormula-download-CoachWheeler

 

Affirmations for Athletes

Afffirmations 4 Athletes by Coach WheelerAffirmations are a powerful way for you, as an athlete, to overcome ways of thinking that are holding you back from becoming your best.  Society has programmed many “limiting beliefs” into your mind over your lifetime. If you have read my post about Mental Management, you will notice that affirmations are one way that you can use your Conscious Mind to program your Subconscious Mind and improve your Self Image.

You will also find that doing affirmations on a regular basis will improve your focus on positive outcomes or goals while pushing out thoughts about the obstacles / limiting factors / fear of the unknown you might be experiencing.

This article will define affirmations, show you how to build effective ones as well as provide some samples that you can use or adapt to your own situation.

What are affirmations?

Affirmations are statements that you write down and say on a regular basis, ideally every day, multiple times a day. Repetition is key. The more often you say the affirmation, the more likely it is to come true.

Affirmations Experience by Scott AdamsDon’t believe me?

It is good to be skeptical, especially when we are talking about changing how your brain is programmed. On the other hand, if there is something that will make your life better, don’t you deserve to learn about it? Here is the link to an article by the creator of the comic strip Dilbert, Scott Adams, that talks about why he thinks affirmations work. He also talks extensively about his experiences using affirmations in his book, “How to fail at almost everything and still win big“. Let’s assume that between what Coach Wheeler and Scott Adams have said, you want to learn more about how to use affirmations to improve your life.

How do I create effective affirmations?

The key to making affirmations that work is three-fold…

(1) Affirmations must be in the present tense. They might start with “I am…” They are built on the assumption that the goal or state of being that you desire is already happening. This is important since your mind will begin to believe whatever you say, especially if it is repeated enough. I am sure you have seen this happen to someone, maybe even yourself, where sticking to their story for so long that you believe it is true. Even if the person is delusional (i.e. disconnected from reality), their decision making is based on the “future reality” that they desire and believe. Because of this, their actions fall in line with that reality. The result? You create the reality that you believe.

(2) Don’t use negatives. Replace negative statements with something positive that overcomes the negative. For example, if you want to reduce the number of turnovers you commit in games, don’t use “I won’t turn over the ball.” Instead, focus on the positive condition that removes the negative, such as “I am an excellent passer.”

Belief comes from repetition(3) True or Not? A successful affirmation should represent what you want to be true, not necessarily what is already true. Some people have trouble imagining a different life where they enjoy an upgraded existence, especially if they are in the middle of some sort of crisis. When things are not going your way, that is exactly when you need to develop a vision for a better tomorrow. The easiest way to make that “better tomorrow” happen is to imagine how it will feel and consistently program your mind to believe it will happen. Affirmations are the perfect tool to use the power of words to start thinking differently about your situation. Once you think different, you will act different and things will change.

Sample Affirmations for Athletes:

Below are some examples that you can use or adapt to fit your own situation. These sample affirmations are geared toward somethings that athletes may find helpful. If you have additional ideas, please be sure to leave a comment below!

  • I make every open shot.
  • I control the game.
  • I make my team mates better.
  • I deliver the ball so my team mates can easily score.
  • I am in amazing shape and better conditioned than my competitors.
  • I am mentally tough. Nothing can stop me from achieving my goals.
  • I am a winner.
  • I constantly learn, grow and improve my game.
  • I perform well under pressure.
  • I am a good team mate.
  • I work hard and produce results. *
  • I can be trusted and never let down my team. *

* These last couple affirmations are more “character-related” (versus skill-related or outcome-oriented). For a downloadable Character Assessment Worksheet based on the work by Brett Ledbetter from “What Drives Winning”, check out the link to this article. [link coming soon]

Bottom Line:

Warning… Don’t compare your affirmations with what other people are doing. Your affirmations are specifically for YOU and YOU can be great! Don’t let anyone tell you that your aspirations and goals are “unrealistic”. Greatness, by definition, requires you go beyond ordinary to achieve the “extraordinary” !

This is what will happen as you start doing affirmations. You will begin to notice when you are in situations like the ones in your affirmations. This recognition along with the memory of what you have stated in your affirmation will move you toward achieving your affirmation. Will it happen immediately? Not likely… but it could. You might realize that you were closer to your affirmation than you imagined. If not now, when? In other words, how sure are you that it will it happen eventually? 100%. The sooner you start your affirmations, the sooner you will see results.

 

Building your inner / outer Warrior

No one is born a warrior.

You become a warrior. You train yourself. You learn from people you admire and respect.

You challenge yourself. You set a standard for your actions that is above average. “Good enough” is not good enough for you.

You focus on what is important. You are not distracted by unimportant things. You spend time with others who share your goals. You help them get better just as they help you improve.

You stand for your values. Your actions reflect a respect for the value of competition.

You are constantly learning and improving. You are open to new ideas and find ways to adopt the best ones.

You recognize that there is always room for improvement. You know that success is enjoying the journey toward achievement, not the achievement itself.

You never quit. No matter how tough it gets, you are tougher. You find a way to your goal or you make a new way.

You control your mind and emotions. You choose your reaction to circumstances. You are not at the mercy of your situation.

You take action on your top priorities. You don’t need external motivation. You are in charge of your life.

You know how your mind works and can find all the motivation you will ever need.

You are strong and getting stronger. You protect the weak. You challenge oppression.

You strive to be better than your past. You bounce back from mistakes and learn from each one so they are not repeated.

You see the best in others. You recognize the worst as an opportunity for growth.

You are an example for others. You are a beacon of possibility.

You are a warrior. You never give up on your dreams.

Warriors WIN.

 

– by Coach Dave Wheeler

 

Swish-Warriors Win

Overcome Laziness – Japanese Concept

Watch the video which will introduce you to a cool concept to overcome laziness. It is from Japan and called Kaizen. Watch the video and then we will talk.

Kaizen is a great way to make a change in your life. It starts a habit in the smallest way possible (for one minute) and allows it to take hold in your daily routine. Once it is a habit, you will begin to see results… which will motivate you to expand the habit and get even more success.

The concept of Kaizen is even more effective for young athletes who are just beginning to train their bodies for sports. While they don’t have the capabilities of a varsity athlete or the professionals they see on TV, they have a distinct advantage… TIME. By doing small tasks or workouts on a consistent basis a young athlete can become a superior athlete faster than they can imagine. Patience + Time = Results.

How could you apply kaizen to your life? Pushups in the morning for 1 minute? How about jumping rope for 60 seconds? How many jumps can you do in that time? What do you want to improve? Start implementing kaizen today!

Try it. Take a little bite. You will like what it does for you.

Why we will win

Coach Wheeler WinsAs I interviewed for various high school varsity coaching positions, I could see that some of the people on the selection committees seemed to be wondering “Why does he think he can take our school’s basketball program, which may have had only a handful of wins last season and establish a winning tradition?”
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This post is in response to those skeptics that did not hire me… and, by choosing someone else, they gave me the opportunity to find a varsity coaching position that is an even better fit. (More on that in a future post.)

.. Is Winning Worth It?

If you are hiring a new coach, you might be wondering if winning is even a worthwhile goal. Isn’t it good enough to just field a team? My answer is NO and I have explained why winning is important in a previous post in case you on the fence.
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Why build a winning basketball program

First, let me say that a certain amount of my motivation for building a winning program is selfish. I like to win and I like to see how my players grow as part of the preparation process that results in those wins.

I know that some of you have already tuned out. You heard “selfish” and decided that I am some kind of ego maniac who just wants to show how smart he is by winning basketball games.

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Nothing could be further from the truth.

“I believe winning is a byproduct of preparation and mindset.” – Coach Dave Wheeler

I believe that young people should have the opportunity to LEARN HOW TO WIN, whether it is on a court, a field or in the classroom. Am I saying everyone should win? NO. Winning doesn’t work that way. The sooner we discover that we need to earn our wins, the sooner we will start doing the things it takes to win.

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Are you ready to win?

At the core of my approach to basketball is a winning mindset that has 3 key tenets or beliefs.

  1. “We Never Quit”
    Babe Ruth said, “It is hard to beat an opponent that never quits.”
    ..
    Have I ever quit? Sure. I did 2/3 of a Half Ironman Race (swim, bike, run) in 90+ degree heat and had to drop out before the half marathon run portion. Does that mean I have quit on the idea of completing a full Ironman Triathlon? NO. It will happen and I continue to train.
    ..
    Motivational speaker Les Brown says, “The game is not over until I win.” This works well in life but you are probably thinking that basketball is a little different. There is a scoreboard and a clock. The rules say that whichever team has the most points on the scoreboard when the clock runs out is the winner of the game. So if you are on the losing end of the score does that mean you can’t win?
    ..
    The key is to have a bigger goal that defines “winning” for you and never quit until you win. The odds are that we probably won’t go undefeated this season but we can certainly beat more teams than we did last year. Can we get into the playoffs? With a shot at winning the whole thing? I like to aim high and work towards aggressive goals. That, plus a relentless drive to get better, is part of a winning mindset… and what I teach.
    ..
  2. “We control our minds” is the second key tenet or belief of a winning mindset.  This is a little more complicated than “Never Quit” and it involves learning many new ideas that might be less commonly known.
    ..
    The biggest take-away is how to control your mind so that you do not let your circumstances dictate your responses. We control how we approach the game. We control whether or not we let the bad calls made by referees (and we know that there will be more than one) control whether we get mad. We control what the events in our life mean to us and then use that control to react in the way(s) that get us the best results.
    ..
    One example of how we control our minds is the first lesson I always teach the first week of practice: The difference between Pain and Suffering:
    ..
    Pain is a physical sensation in your body. It is often a useful indicator that you are pushing your body to do more than it is used to doing, especially the first week of practice when we start the conditioning process.
    ..
    Suffering, on the other hand, is optional. Suffering is a choice. Suffering is based on how we interpret pain. Is it the worst thing that has ever happened? Does it mean that the coach doesn’t like me? Or does it mean that my body is being challenged and I will be better and stronger tomorrow? Does it mean that I am getting future wins for the pain I am experiencing today? Does it mean that the coach cares enough to push me so I find out how far I can go beyond what I thought were my limits?
    ..
    Suffering is a choice based on what we tell ourselves about the meaning of our current situation. By recognizing and controlling our choice of meaning, we get to experience life differently (and often in a better way).
    ..
  3. “We embrace and overcome Challenges” is the third tenet or value. Life is full of challenges. Some we choose and some are forced upon us. Basketball is very similar and it reveals that the challenges we choose are often related to the challenges that are forced on us.
    ..
    For example, if we choose to challenge ourselves physically (so we get into peak condition) by the time we face outside challenges, such as a game against another school, we will be better prepared to overcome whatever challenge they may bring.
    ..
    Preparation is one of the keys to winning and our mindset or approach toward challenges will determine how well we can prepare. Will there be challenges we did not anticipate or prepare for? Certainly. If not in basketball, there are always challenges in school and in life which we did not expect. Even with these challenges, if we approach them with a “Never Quit” attitude and with a clear understanding of how “We Control of Our Mind”, we will be much more likely to create a successful outcome.
Bottom Line…

I coach to win. Not because winning is the “ultimate goal” but rather because learning how to win is a skill that can be applied to almost any area of your life. It helps my players “set a higher standard” for their basketball careers as well as the rest of their life. They become winners.
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Just like classroom teachers who provide critical skills such as algebra or proper grammar, I provide the skill of winning. The mindset that says “I will never quit”, “I know how to control my mind (and emotions)” and “I embrace and overcome challenges” because there will always be challenges if you want to achieve something great. In fact, there will always be challenges even if you aren’t trying to achieve something great… so why not choose greatness?

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Let's build a winning mindset

Mental Toughness – Control Your Story

Narrative is the story you are telling yourself.

You have a voice in your head that is narrating or explaining what everything in your life means. Picture Morgan Freeman’s voice doing a play-by-play as your coach tells you that you won’t be starting the next game.  Maybe the voice says “The coach hates me.” or “The coach has his favorite players and there is nothing I can do to change his mind.” With this thinking (and the story it implies), are you likely to do the things which will get you into the starting lineup any time soon? Probably not.

On the other hand, what if Morgan Freeman said, “The team we are playing is very tall and obviously coach thinks we need our taller players in there.” or “I wonder what I need to do to get into the starting lineup?” or “Coach has always treated me fairly so he must have a good reason for not starting me. I will need to ask him to explain it to me so I can find a way to contribute to the team’s success.”

Where do these stories in my head come from?

The story we tell ourselves is built on the beliefs we have accumulated over the years and it can be hard to change our thinking… or it can be as easy as considering a different (more effective) story to explain the situation. This is the difference of being controlled by your past or developing the mental toughness skill of actively CHOOSING how you interpret events in your life.

How do I change the Narrative or Story I tell myself?

Get some alternatives. Ask someone else how they would explain the situation, preferably someone who does not have an interest in the outcome. Often your family’s beliefs are the same or at least very similar to our own beliefs. This means that they may not offer stories or narratives that are substantially different from our own and their stories may not give you a better course of action.

Find an “objective 3rd party”, i.e. someone who is not part of the “problem”, and see what types of explanations they can find for you.

What if the new story is not true?

Living in denial of the truth will certainly bring poor results but the reality is that there are a multitude of ways that events in your life can be interpreted. Clearly you need to recognize the facts of the case, like in our example the fact that the coach said you are not starting in the next game.

The key is how you react to the facts… and the sooner you realize that while you might initially think a particular circumstance is “good” or “bad” it is often how we react that makes it good or bad for us. Choose to be mentally tough and create your own story.

You can change your story…

… and this can open up all kinds of opportunities that you would have missed.

“Problems are not solved at the same level of thinking that created them.” – Albert Einstein

Comments on Changing Your Narrative and Creating Your own Story are welcome and encouraged…

Basketball Coaching Cover Letter 2017

I used the following cover letter for a basketball coaching position I applied for recently and will likely use it for future applications this year. This is my “current” cover letter and is subject to change since I tend to edit my cover letter depending on the position and they are often very different year-to-year.

The basketball coaching cover letter below is also not formatted / laid out like the official version due to the way this website works. If you know someone who has an opening, please let me know through this website or the contact form on my camp website, www.InviteOnlyBasketball.com.

I would really appreciate your feedback and ideas for improvement in the comments below. What is your first impressions? If you were an athletic director (AD) do you think that this letter would intrigue you enough to call for an interview?

If you need more background, this basketball coaching cover letter is often paired with my current basketball coaching resume which is on this webpage. Check it out!

Thanks,

Coach Dave Wheeler

************ Coverletter Text Below ***************

Re: Boys Basketball Varsity Coaching position

What is the most important part of high school athletics?

Winning?

Or developing the character of the athletes that go through your program?

I think you will agree that character AND winning can, and should, go together. Especially if the athletes are taught how to overcome challenges, persevere when times are tough and develop the skills they need to be successful.

My approach to basketball is a little different from other coaches. I believe that winning basketball is a skill that anyone can learn if they are willing to put in the effort. I believe in using every square inch of a basketball court and never giving up until the game is won. I believe that a player’s attitude and mindset are the keys to success both on and off the court.

As a coach, I am also a teacher… of new ideas and techniques within the game of basketball. I teach players to take chances based on the support of their team. I teach players where to focus their attention so they are able to anticipate their opponent’s next move. I teach players how to make the game easier for us and harder for the opposition.

I would like the opportunity to talk with you about what I could do for your school’s basketball program as your next head coach.  Please give me a call at 860-309-XXXX (cell) or 203-885-XXXX (office) so we can set up a time to talk.

Sincerely,

Dave Wheeler
Head Boys Basketball Coach
The Marlborough School
Overall Record: 36-2
2x regular season league champions
League Playoff Runner-up (2017) & Champion (2016)

 

Do you have a Winning Attitude?

Building a Winning Attitude with Coach Dave WheelerWhat does it take to become a winner?  Many people talk about a “Winning Attitude” but how many actually practice it?  How many of us even know what goes into a winning attitude?

Today I will look at what goes into a winning attitude, using basketball as the example, and how we can cultivate a winning attitude in ourselves and our teams.

Quick Summary of a Winning Attitude:
  • A Winner sets high standards
  • A Winner expects to win
  • A Winner learns from losses
  • A Winner prepares to win
  • A Winner embraces challenges
  • A Winner enjoys the process
“How you do anything is how you do everything”

Have you ever heard the phrase, “If you want something done, give it to a busy person”?  The thinking is that someone who is already busy will already have the habits in place to get things done where someone who finds ways to NOT be busy is simply avoiding getting things done.  Winning is a habit and like the saying goes, “How you do anything is how you do everything.”  If you have a winning attitude, you will apply it to all aspects of your life.  It doesn’t mean you have to be competitive with everyone in your life (that’s called “a jerk”) but you can recognize what your goals are and do whatever is needed to meet those goals.

How do I apply this as part of a Winning Attitude?

There are opportunities every day to “let it slide” or settle for less than the best that you can do.  Winners know that if you will give up on the small things you will give up on the big things too.  Small actions prepare you for big successes.  A Winning Attitude means holding yourself to a higher standard than other people.  Most people are not winners.  It is a fact of life, but winning is a choice and you can make that choice … every single day.,

“In it to Win it”

If you are going to play, you are going to win.  A Winning Attitude is about committing to being a winner.  Are you going to win every single time?  Not necessarily… but winners start with their goal in mind and focus on what it takes to win.

“Win or Learn”

Even if you are committed to winning, there will be times when you encounter someone who is better prepared or has better strategies or tactics and you come out on the short end of the competition.  Does this mean you Lose?  Not necessarily… You have a choice.  You can either Lose or Learn.  If you quit after you are beaten, then you Lose.  If you Learn from the experience and apply it to make you and your team better, then you are better prepared to win the next time.  As motivational speaker Les Brown says, “It’s not over until I win.”

The Will to Win vs. The Will to Prepare to Win

Winning is a result of preparation.  Games are won based on what you do in practice and HOW you practice always shows up in how you play.  Winners are always looking for ways to improve, whether it is physically, mentally or by developing their skills.

Embrace The Challenge

Someone with a Winning Attitude is not intimidated by challenges.  They are seen as opportunities to test your abilities and develop confidence.  Winning means that you find ways to win, even when there are obstacles or strong competition.

In fact, winners enjoy the challenge.  They recognize that without challenges and obstacles, they can never find out how good they really are. That’s why going undefeated by playing poor competition can be a curse in disguise.  Certainly you want to win when the stakes are the highest, but if you don’t face any competition before the championship game then how do you know if you are ready?  Have you faced strong competition that could bring out the best that you have?  A winner looks for strong competition because they know that it will make them better.

How do I develop my Winning Attitude?

Practice, Practice, Practice…
Challenge.  Learn. Repeat.

A winning attitude is all about
1) Embracing Preparation & Competition,
2) Learning and Growing, and
3) Enjoying the process.

You can change your attitude immediately… if you recognize where it needs to change.  This article has given you some ideas but it is up to you to catch yourself when you are not in a “winning attitude” and make the necessary changes.

This sounds hard.  Is it realistic?

Like I’ve said before, not everyone is a winner even though anyone can become a winner.  Will it take extra effort?  Absolutely.  Will you have to give up some things that might have been “nice to have”?  Sure.  Will it be worth it?  Certainly.

An excellent book for anyone lookiGood to Great by Jim Collinsng to develop a winning attitude is “Good to Great” by Jim Collins.  One of the key ideas that Jim Collins writes about is the reason there are so few “Greats”.

“Good is the enemy of Great” – Jim Collins

Most people settle for “good” or “good enough” while winners are the ones that go for “Great”.  The funny thing Jim Collins found as part of his research for the book was that it takes no more effort to be great.  Different effort and concerted, focused effort but not necessarily “more effort”.  That begs the question… If you can see yourself as good, why not go for great?

Building Basketball Confidence – The Keys to Success

Confidence is critical to success both on the court and in life.  Do you have the confidence to take the shot with the game tied as the closing seconds wind down?  Can you step to the foul line and make your shots to win the game?  Do you have enough confidence to ask out someone on a date?  Can you try something new without knowing if you will succeed?  It all boils down to one thing… Confidence.

After watching the video on this page featuring the Dena Evans story about her loss of basketball confidence when she was playing at Virginia, you will start to see some of the ways that a basketball player can undercut their own confidence as well as some ideas for building it back up.

There are 3 keys to Building Confidence, whether it is on the basketball court or in real life.  They are:

  1. Your Habits of thinking,
  2. What you Focus on and
  3. How you have Earned confidence.
How does your loss of basketball confidence start?

It would be nice to know where the basketball confidence went to in the first place. A loss of basketball confidence might start with a bad game.  Maybe you were not feeling 100% or were coming back from an injury and did not perform at the level you expected.  You might not even notice when it exactly started. Dena doesn’t go into much detail in her video.  The important point in time is when you start to question your skills, your abilities and once that happens, it can be like a snowball rolling down a hill, gaining in size and momentum until it cannot be stopped… or can it?

Your confidence is built on the words you use in your head.  Maybe a coach or a family member noticed your poor performance and gave you a “suggestion”.  They probably were trying to be helpful but you translated that into something like, “I’m not good enough” and the snowball started rolling.

Each failure or non-success after that was noticed by your mind and added to the “evidence” that you are not good.  Pretty soon, it was all that you could think about.

Where do the words in our head come from?

Most of the rules we have for ourselves, the beliefs we hold about the world, were all, at one time or another, presented to us by other people.  It starts with your parents when you are a child and is built on by the friends you have growing up and into adulthood.  Coaches can give us words or rules that we carry into life and apply not just on the basketball court.  On top of this, there is the media … with advertisements and any number of “talking heads” telling us what is right or wrong and what type of car or perfume we need to purchase.  All these words mold how we think and how we act.  In many ways it is helpful since we are able to understand and interact with society, but in many ways it prevents us from become the best that we can become.

How do I overcome the beliefs holding me back?

The first step in taking back control of your mind and restoring your confidence is to notice the thoughts that are causing the problems.  Every time you think, “I messed up” or “I’m not good enough”, ask yourself “How could I look at this differently?”  Almost every situation can be seen from at least two different “angles” and once you start noticing your negative thoughts, you can decide that belief would be more empowering and would make you more confident in your basketball game.

For example, if you notice yourself thinking “I can’t believe I missed that shot. I am a lousy shooter”, you can step back and realize that even the best shooters miss and, assuming it is true, you have practiced that shot enough that it was a good shot to take and a miss is not the end of the world.  Maybe you were even defended well on that shot.  Don’t look for excuses but also be sure you are dealing with the reality of the situation.  You don’t have to beat yourself up for every miss.  If there is something to learn from an experience, take the lesson, apply it somehow and keep getting better.

Confidence is a habit.

As you start to notice your thoughts, positive and negative, you will probably find that you have to make an effort to correct your negative thoughts, at least in the beginning.  This is part of training your brain to work for you.  Eventually, more positive thoughts will fill your mind and fewer negative thoughts will find their way in.  Your confidence will grow as you build the habit of controlling your thoughts… but that is not “the end”.

What you Focus on Increases

Aside from “catching” negative thoughts, it is important to use your Focus, or attention, to build your confidence as well.  Dena Evans talks about how after her sophomore season, she needed to write down 10 things she did well after every pickup game or workout.  At first she struggled but eventually she was able to Focus on what was going right during a game which make it easier for her to write down her “10 Good Things” and start reviving her confidence in her basketball skills & abilities.

Note for Coaches:

If you are a coach and you see that your team lacks confidence, maybe you are focusing on the wrong thing.  I am not suggesting that you avoid correcting mistakes.  That’s an important part of learning and developing as a player but don’t forget to reinforce the good things that your team is doing, especially as they learn new skills.  They might not recognize in the heat of a competitive game or scrimmage that they just successfully used the move you have been teaching them for the past three weeks.  Applaud the successes and you will get more of them.  Focus on good things and they will multiply.  As the coach, how you deliver your feedback is a critical part of your player’s basketball confidence.

Thinking isn’t enough

After reading this article, maybe you have come to the conclusion that all you have to do is 1) Create the Habit of controlling your thoughts and 2) Focus on the good things.  Those are two important elements but basketball confidence is not that simple.  You don’t get confidence without EARNING it.  What does this mean?  It means that you work hard on your moves.  It means you put in extra effort so you are in peak physical shape.  If shooting is an important part of your game, it means that you have shot more shots than probably anyone else you know.  You KNOW you are good because you have put in the effort, learned what you need to know and have built your basketball confidence based on results.

You know that you can hit that shot with the seconds winding down because you have practiced it.  You know that you can execute a spin move that leaves the defender looking stupid … because you have practiced it… and practiced it… and practiced it.  You have earned the right to be confident … and now you know how to control your mind so that it is there when you need it.

Is Winning Important?

CW-blog-WinImportantDo you want the short answer?  Here it is…Yes.
Winning is important… but not for the reasons that most people think.  Let me ask you, “What is your relationship with the concept of winning?”

Sports are a metaphor for life…

… and if a person doesn’t learn what it takes to win through competition and sports, it is very likely that they will struggle to learn it in other ways throughout their life.  The idea of “Winning” is not without controversy.  It is a concept that many people have deeply held beliefs around, often to the detriment of the people they are trying to develop… their players.

The 3 Faces of Winning

There seem to be three reactions to the topic of “winning”; not counting Charlie Sheen’s “approach”, which we won’t be addressing.

First, there is the “winning at all costs” camp which justifies all kinds of reprehensible and sometimes immoral or even illegal behavior in the “pursuit of winning”.  Eventually though, these people are removed from their positions of authority because their behavior is not tolerated by their players, parents and their organizations.

On the other hand…

On the other (second) side of “winning” are the people who feel “everyone is a winner” and their downfall is that as they pass out trophies for everyone, they create youngsters who feel entitled to win at everything they do.  Sadly, these kids will either be disappointed when they realize that the real world doesn’t work that way or they will simply give up without putting in any serious effort.  This philosophy of “winning” takes away the reward for effort and improvement and cripples kids chances of achieving their dreams in the future.

Another way to look at this is through Carol Dweck’s framework from her book titled “Mindset”.  She explains the difference between a “growth mindset” where a loss is simply feedback for future growth versus a “fixed mindset” which says that someone either has talent or they do not so any loss indicates a lack of talent and there is no reason to pursue future challenges in that area.

And this one is “Just Right”…

The third approach to winning, and the one that I support, leverages the challenges offered by competitive sports so that players discover what they might be capable through a sustained effort and focus.  It is firmly planted in the “Growth Mindset”.  I like to say, “Winning is a byproduct.  It is what happens when proper preparation meets productive attitude.”

Sport is a unique opportunity for players to learn lessons not easily acquired in other ways.  My teams pick up things like “How to work together as a team toward a common goal”, “How to push past discomfort to improve your physical conditioning”, and “How to ‘Master the Mundane*’ tasks that are part of repetitive drills that yield improved game skills.”

* “Master the Mundane” is a phrase I picked up when I interviewed Tom Brayshaw, the 1989 New Hampshire Player-of-the-Year and 2117 point career high school scorer.

The action of a game enhances a player’s ability to focus – identifying opportunities and reacting quickly to developing situations on the court or field of play.

This third view of winning, at least the way I see it, also treats losing a bit differently from the way the general public sees it.  I tell my teams that they will never lose… if they can learn from every contest where they do not come out on top at the end of the game.  I call it “Win or Learn” vs. “Win or Lose” and it is a way of turning every contest, regardless of outcome, into one more step in the process of ultimate winning… becoming the best that you, and your team, can be.

This also makes it easier to adopt an attitude of good sportsmanship since your competitor is not the enemy.  They are simply the team or player(s) that are committed to bringing out the best that you have and identifying your weaknesses.  It is hard to be mad at someone who is doing their best … to make you better !

Don’t Cheat your players out of a winning mindset !

While it probably doesn’t warrant a 4th view of winning by itself, I often see coaches who settle for “good enough” rather than holding their players and team to a higher standard.  A standard that is focused on becoming the best and winning much more often than not.

Maybe coaching is not that important to these coaches.  Maybe no one ever taught them what it means to be a winner so they can’t pass those ideas on to their team.  I am not blaming them.  There are many reasons why it happens and, sadly, many parents or school administrators simply let it continue.  As Jim Collins says in his book, “Good to Great”, sometimes “Good is the enemy of Great”.  If you are happy with “good enough” it is very easy to stop there and not pursue excellence.

Whatever the reason, coaches who settle for “good enough” are cheating their players out of critical life lessons that the pursuit of winning in sports could provide.

 

Agree?  Disagree?
Oversimplified? Too Complicated?
Too Much? Not enough?

Leave a comment below.  The only rule for comments is “Remember The Fonz”… be cool (and respectful).

 

Next article…
“How do you create an environment for winning?”

Do you want to know the mental framework that I use as the foundation for creating a winning team, even at the middle school level?  What gets players motivated to push themselves and perform at their best?  I will address these questions in my next article

 

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