Mind Games: Progress Not Perfection
"It's all about the journey not the outcome."
-Carl Lewis
Last chapter Mack really focused on how goals are so important for success. This chapter he focuses on goals but how our goals need to be set. They tell you where you want to be in the future, which is great encouragement. Famous swim coach Dick Hannula said, "Goals keep people on target." When we set SMART goals it allows us to see the progress we are making which then gives us the self-confidence we need. Before we get to the acronym SMART lets look at two characteristics our goals must have.
1. It must be a performance goal. Something we can control not something others control for you.
2. Our goals must be high enough that they encourage us to get better but realistic enough that we can achieve them.
When we look at these two factors we can start making SMART goals.
S- specific: be an honors graduate at basic.
M- measurable: I will have all of my 2,2,2's to max and learn something new everyday before leaving for basic.
A- achievable: I can reach this if I work hard.
R- realistic: many people have reached this goal and I know I can.
T- time-bound: I have until November 24 to push as hard as I can and then all of bootcamp to achieve this.
For me this is a short term goal because it will be happening so soon, but I do have long term goals. I want to be successful in the military, first as a combat medic and then as a nurse, once I get my degree. This is a huge goal but when I break it up into smaller goals, getting through AIT, getting into a nursing school, graduating nursing school, it doesn't seem like such an enormous task because right now I am just focused on getting through basic and AIT.
Through all of your goals you want to do the best you can but when we seek perfection we get discouraged. Instead of seeking perfection we need to see the progress we are making towards our goals because that will give us the confidence we need to succeed.
Friday, July 24, 2015
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Life gets busy but no excuses until basic so here are three chapters I didn't post otherwise it should be a daily thing until November 24th!
Mind Games: Getting Over Yourself
"I worked very hard. I felt I could play the game. The only thing that could stop me was myself."
-Jim Abbott
"This ability to conquer oneself is no doubt the most precious of all things sports bestows on us."
-Olga Korbut
This chapter really spoke to me because I have been known to play the poor me card. Right off the bat Mack says that to achieve anything in life we must get out of our own way. I have noticed that as I start to exercise and eat healthier again this is my problem. I want to sleep in until 10 and eat out a lot but I can't do that if I want to be a better me and be ready for basic. This also plays into feeling good about yourself, which makes you perform better. Cheating on workouts or diets makes you feel worse so there should be no desire to do this.
We all have gremlin's we face and Mack categorized these nasty guys into ten different groups.
1. Fear- The threat to your self image and nothing else. You think your failure will make people look at you with less respect, which then makes you feel worse about your own performance.
2. Anger- Based on frustrations and the failure of making the expectations from yourself and others.
3. Anxiety- Some people become anxious about being anxious.
4. Self-consciousness- Self image instead of task at hand. Again focusing on what other's think instead of what you need to accomplish.
5. Perfectionism- Parenting can play into this, if they wanted their children to be the best of the best, when they get older this can become a bigger problem.
6. Stubbornness- Not willing to take risks or make changes to step up to the next level.
7. Lack of motivation- Motivation must be a constant desire, and not just at the beginning of the journey.
8. Competitiveness- Must be competitive enough to compete but not so much that you discourage the ones around you to participate.
9. Distractions- "The rules don't apply to you" You feel as if you can do whatever you want but really all the extra negative stuff will keep you from your goal.
10. Persistence- You must look at set backs as opportunities.
We must evaluate these different gremlins in our lives and determine which ones are stronger so we can overcome them and become the best at whatever we are trying to become.
Mind Games: The Next Level
"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts."
-Earl Weaver
"Build your weaknesses until they become your strengths."
-Knute Rockne
Mack learned the word maize when he was working for a team in Japan. It means constant daily learning and improvement. I think a lot of the time we get set in a routine that is so easy for us to go along with that we forget there is so much more to try to improve our selves. This can be with changing our workouts, trying new foods or even just changing the way we think about things. Mack poses to questions we should ask ourselves daily.
1. What can I learn today?
2. How can I become better tomorrow?
Our mind only works when we leave it open. We must be willing and ready to learn new things. These learning opportunities will allow us to strengthen our weakness. People will always find your weaknesses and play off of them. Playing volleyball has really allowed me to learn this. They have strong blockers but a weak back row with a hole on the right side, dump it there every time. I was known in serving to find the weakest passer and give it to her. People will do anything to get the advantage so you must make your weaknesses your strengths. Everyone in the army must take the PT test. 2, 2, 2 we call it at RSP. Two minutes of push-ups, two minutes of sit-ups, and a two mile run. One of these is bound to be a weakness and most of the time it is the sit-ups or the run. I run half marathons so the run is actual my best and favorite one to do. The sit-ups and the push-ups I knew I would struggle with. I pushed myself before my first drill to build some upper body strength and I have gotten to where push-ups are a strength of mine. I am now trying to make sit-ups a strength as well. But I love to run and lift so when I work out I focus on those things and not my core, which I hate to work. Mack says it is in our human nature to work those things we know we are good at. But as everyone says we must see the worst parts of things in order for it to get better. We must make our weaknesses or strengths.
Mind Games: Good Enough to Dream
"You must have dreams and goals if you are ever going to achieve anything in this world."
-Lou Holtz
"Be the dream."
-John Chaney
Dreaming is something a lot of people do and many times the question isn't the dream but how are you going to reach it. In this chapter Mack leads the reader to believe that that isn't always the case. Many times people are living in the now. They don't know what their future holds or what they want which can make accomplishing things now more challenging. He gave the example of Dwight Smith, who played for the Cubs. During an interview with Mack before playing for the Cubs, he told him he wanted to play baseball professionally, for the Cubs in fact, and someday perform the National Anthem at a game. He proceeded to sing it right then for Mack in that hotel room. That confidence in his four year plan got him just what he want. He played for the Cubs and sang the National Anthem at a game.
Mack describes people like Dwight to be PSO, or positive sensory oriented. They have very vivid imaginations and sensory rich dreams. They have dreams not ideas about how their future will be. They know what they want and they have the confidence and determination to achieve such things. Micheal Jordan said it best when he said, "...they create their own vision. They don't let anything or anyone distract them."
Mack says we must live backwards and create a future which we then live into. He gives us ACT to accomplish this.
A- Accept your present state.
C- Create your desired state.
T- Take the action necessary to reach that desired state.
Dreams aren't stupid. They are achievable if we just believe in the power of that dream.
Mind Games: Getting Over Yourself
"I worked very hard. I felt I could play the game. The only thing that could stop me was myself."
-Jim Abbott
"This ability to conquer oneself is no doubt the most precious of all things sports bestows on us."
-Olga Korbut
This chapter really spoke to me because I have been known to play the poor me card. Right off the bat Mack says that to achieve anything in life we must get out of our own way. I have noticed that as I start to exercise and eat healthier again this is my problem. I want to sleep in until 10 and eat out a lot but I can't do that if I want to be a better me and be ready for basic. This also plays into feeling good about yourself, which makes you perform better. Cheating on workouts or diets makes you feel worse so there should be no desire to do this.
We all have gremlin's we face and Mack categorized these nasty guys into ten different groups.
1. Fear- The threat to your self image and nothing else. You think your failure will make people look at you with less respect, which then makes you feel worse about your own performance.
2. Anger- Based on frustrations and the failure of making the expectations from yourself and others.
3. Anxiety- Some people become anxious about being anxious.
4. Self-consciousness- Self image instead of task at hand. Again focusing on what other's think instead of what you need to accomplish.
5. Perfectionism- Parenting can play into this, if they wanted their children to be the best of the best, when they get older this can become a bigger problem.
6. Stubbornness- Not willing to take risks or make changes to step up to the next level.
7. Lack of motivation- Motivation must be a constant desire, and not just at the beginning of the journey.
8. Competitiveness- Must be competitive enough to compete but not so much that you discourage the ones around you to participate.
9. Distractions- "The rules don't apply to you" You feel as if you can do whatever you want but really all the extra negative stuff will keep you from your goal.
10. Persistence- You must look at set backs as opportunities.
We must evaluate these different gremlins in our lives and determine which ones are stronger so we can overcome them and become the best at whatever we are trying to become.
Mind Games: The Next Level
"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts."
-Earl Weaver
"Build your weaknesses until they become your strengths."
-Knute Rockne
Mack learned the word maize when he was working for a team in Japan. It means constant daily learning and improvement. I think a lot of the time we get set in a routine that is so easy for us to go along with that we forget there is so much more to try to improve our selves. This can be with changing our workouts, trying new foods or even just changing the way we think about things. Mack poses to questions we should ask ourselves daily.
1. What can I learn today?
2. How can I become better tomorrow?
Our mind only works when we leave it open. We must be willing and ready to learn new things. These learning opportunities will allow us to strengthen our weakness. People will always find your weaknesses and play off of them. Playing volleyball has really allowed me to learn this. They have strong blockers but a weak back row with a hole on the right side, dump it there every time. I was known in serving to find the weakest passer and give it to her. People will do anything to get the advantage so you must make your weaknesses your strengths. Everyone in the army must take the PT test. 2, 2, 2 we call it at RSP. Two minutes of push-ups, two minutes of sit-ups, and a two mile run. One of these is bound to be a weakness and most of the time it is the sit-ups or the run. I run half marathons so the run is actual my best and favorite one to do. The sit-ups and the push-ups I knew I would struggle with. I pushed myself before my first drill to build some upper body strength and I have gotten to where push-ups are a strength of mine. I am now trying to make sit-ups a strength as well. But I love to run and lift so when I work out I focus on those things and not my core, which I hate to work. Mack says it is in our human nature to work those things we know we are good at. But as everyone says we must see the worst parts of things in order for it to get better. We must make our weaknesses or strengths.
Mind Games: Good Enough to Dream
"You must have dreams and goals if you are ever going to achieve anything in this world."
-Lou Holtz
"Be the dream."
-John Chaney
Dreaming is something a lot of people do and many times the question isn't the dream but how are you going to reach it. In this chapter Mack leads the reader to believe that that isn't always the case. Many times people are living in the now. They don't know what their future holds or what they want which can make accomplishing things now more challenging. He gave the example of Dwight Smith, who played for the Cubs. During an interview with Mack before playing for the Cubs, he told him he wanted to play baseball professionally, for the Cubs in fact, and someday perform the National Anthem at a game. He proceeded to sing it right then for Mack in that hotel room. That confidence in his four year plan got him just what he want. He played for the Cubs and sang the National Anthem at a game.
Mack describes people like Dwight to be PSO, or positive sensory oriented. They have very vivid imaginations and sensory rich dreams. They have dreams not ideas about how their future will be. They know what they want and they have the confidence and determination to achieve such things. Micheal Jordan said it best when he said, "...they create their own vision. They don't let anything or anyone distract them."
Mack says we must live backwards and create a future which we then live into. He gives us ACT to accomplish this.
A- Accept your present state.
C- Create your desired state.
T- Take the action necessary to reach that desired state.
Dreams aren't stupid. They are achievable if we just believe in the power of that dream.
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