THE MONDAY LEADOFF

Hi my friend 🫡

Neither effort nor preparation is glamorous. Yet, both are essential to success. Here are nine ideas that I find helpful when it comes to hard work and preparation:

1. Stop wanting things to be easy and prepare for them to be hard.
2. Don't tell everyone about the game plan, just execute the game plan.
3. Failure comes from a failure to imagine failure.
4. When things don't go as planned, a helpful thought process is, "I can make the best of anything."
5. Between the stages of apprenticeship and mastership lie long and eventful years of untiring practice.
6. Easy choices, hard life. Hard choices, easy life.
7. We love being mentally strong, but then we hate situations that allow us to put our mental strength to good use. Learn to be mentally strong in the moments when we need it most.
8. For it is his to decide how soon he makes good the loss. (My guy Seneca is on a four-week Monday Leadoff mention streak. Nice job Seneca.)
9. Until you win, effort goes unnoticed.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES:

(Credit: Nick Kokonas)

You stay ready so you don't have to get ready.

(Credit: Shane Perrish)

Attention isn't free. It's the most valuable thing you spend.

(Credit: Seth Godin)

Leaders who set out to give are more productive and effective than leaders who seek to get.

(Credit: Tim Ferriss)

Learn to ask, "If this is the only thing I accomplish today, will I be satisfied with my day?"

(Credit: Dr. Joe Dispenza)

When it's the hardest is when it matters the most.

WHAT'S BEEN WORKING

1.

Guiding questions

Here are some guiding questions I use if I'm ever feeling stuck, lost, or unmotivated:

• What am I good at?
• What makes me happy?
• What excites me?
• What makes me feel accomplished and good about myself?
• What am I most proud of having accomplished? Can I repeat this or further develop it?
• What do I enjoy sharing or experiencing with other people?

My good friend, Mike Coduto, head coach of Willamette University baseball (2024 NWC tourney champs) uses similar questions with his athletes.

2.

The 3+ Principle:

To increase effective problem-solving, I'm forcing myself to explore at least three possible solutions to a problem. Sometimes, I fall into 'either-or' thinking regarding decision-making. A safeguard against 'either-or' thinking is imagining that one of the options is off the table. Working to dig into the problem forces me to be more creative with solutions.

QUOTE I'M PONDERING

"Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become."

-James Clear

Nothing but the best,

Matt 🎯

P.S. Have you ever counted walls to move through stress?