Happy Friday,

As we roll into August thoughts about Fall sports begin. Training camps are around the corner. Competition will soon be here. And so will the stress of school and other life demands for student-athletes and parents alike.

You can start training your focus now so you can be better under pressure later. Check out the video below.

And then I share some feedback from members in our Success Stories Membership about the big changes made in July.

Enjoy the weekend,

Dr Eddie

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What is the best attitude to have in adversity?

If you truly want to perform your best in adversity or under pressure, what's the best attitude to have?

It's not optimism and it's not positive thinking. It's "pragmatic acceptance."

WATCH HERE

Pragmatic - or practical - means "what will work best in this situation to get the outcome that I desire?"

Acceptance, objectively observe what is going on as it is without all the emotional entanglement.

It isn't about right or wrong, fair or unfair. It's simply about what's going to get me to the end result? In this way, unpractical ideas, no matter how right they might feel, or how much emotion can be discharged - such as lashing out after a bad call, screaming or yelling at the ref, or getting revenge on the opponent - are outside the lines of the game, and no matter how much that might feel okay, those are to be rejected because they're not practical. They are not going to put you in position to win. This is thinking of your problems in sport (or in the context that you're performing in) in a very practical way. That regardless of what I feel about the adversity, how do I respond to the situation 𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 in order to get the result that I want?

For example, in tennis, there are repeated bad calls. I'm getting upset and I'm getting distracted. But how do I accept that the calls are not going my way, put that aside and deal with the point in the moment? What do I need to do?

I might make an adjustment such as hitting it more inside the court, as opposed to close line shots, to not risk another bad call. That may not be fair. It may not be fun. But it is pragmatic acceptance. If I'm not getting the calls, I have to adapt. Instead of simply wanting the calls to go better or the umpire to change, I accept him or her as s/he is, and making the adjustment myself.

This doesn't mean that your emotions don't matter. It doesn't mean ignore them or just bowling through them. It's understanding that while your emotions do matter, they can't interfere with your actions 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸. That you're still in the game. You still have time. And the only thing that matters is the play that you're going to execute.

So what can I do in a non-emotional way, but practically to put myself in the best position to succeed? You can deal with your emotions later, not as the game is being played. Not as you have to survive in that moment. This is the time for pragmatic acceptance. Accepting what it is, all the adversity as it is. And then making a decision about how to act in the best interest to get what you want right now.

Want help overcoming mistakes and playing your best under pressure? Reply to this e-mail and ask about 1:1 consulting.

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Progress Made Inside Success Stories Membership

A peek into the progress made inside Success Stories Membership.

𝗪𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 "𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀" 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲. The idea was simple. Choose one small behavior that will make a big difference in your life or performance. Do it consistently for four weeks.

Members chose meditation, increased sleep hours, sport and , musical skill practices, stretching and exercise, healthy eating goals.

𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿!

Check out Dave's feedback. He went for it and accomplished 3 goals!

Do you want help overcoming the obstacles to your performance goals?

Do you want support on your journey from other high-achievers?

Join Success Stories Membership now and let's get you going: www.dreddieoconnor.com/membership

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Dr. Eddie O’Connor

www.DrEddieOConnor.com

DrEddie@dreddieoconnor.com