THE MONDAY LEADOFF

Hi my friend 🫡

Stoicism has become a new avocation of mine. I've gravitated toward Seneca. Here are a few noteworthy insights from his letters Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium:

• To be everywhere is to be nowhere (commit to mastery)
• Count what you already have (be grateful for the players and coaches in my program)
• Always know who you are talking to
• Commit every day to being a better man
• Have high standards for friends
• Fear and desire both keep the mind too far in the future (Be present)
• All knowledge should be for others (gain knowledge to help those around me)
• Regularly ask myself, "What progress have I made?"
• Associate with those who will improve me and those I can help improve
• Crave improvement, not attention

VIDEO OF THE WEEK:

Novak Djokovic on the power of creating your reality through visualization, determination, and being Present.

RULES OF THUMB

(Credit: Shane Perrish)

No one can get you where you want to go. Only self-motivation can do that. External motivation might get you started, but only internal motivation will carry you across the finish line.

(Credit: Alex Hormozi)

The Rule of 100

Find the action that directly addresses you reaching your goal. Do 100 of that action (100 minutes or 100 reps) every day for 100 days. Consistency is key. Commit to your chosen action, and watch the transformation unfold.

WHAT'S BEEN WORKING

1.

Making athletes feel valued

I almost cut a player a few years ago. He was not very talented but had a passion for the sport and the baseball program. I kept him aboard while being transparent about playing time. He did not see the field, however, he helped with charting and was a phenomenal bench guy.

Not long ago, he asked to be a volunteer coach for my team. Perfect timing. We are about to implement a whole new offensive/baserunning approach that involves charting, pattern recognition, and film. He is a wizard with all of that stuff; he's going to be my right-hand man with the new initiative.

2.

Cold emails

I recently heard of a college coach implementing a highly effective yet obscure approach that led him to winning a National Championship. I used the Tim Ferriss cold email approach to connect with him. We ended up talking on the phone the next day. He gave me some massively effective coaching nuggets that will make my team better next season.

QUOTE I'M PONDERING

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” -Calvin Coolidge

Nothing but the best,

Matt 🎯

P.S. Social media is killing your gains (and the gains of your athletes.) 30 minutes of scrolling before training leads to fewer reps performed in each set (Gatois et al., 2021). Now, imagine what scrolling during training does.