News flash, you get distracted. We battle distraction daily, hourly, in extreme cases, even minute by minute. By definition distractors are attention thieves which steal our focus from our tasks at hand. In some cases distractions can be avoided. In others, those thieves deserve our attention – just not right now.
Good coaches put a priority on their team’s morale. When morale is high, individuals experience greater confidence, effort, and satisfaction. We perform better when we enjoy what we’re doing and the people we work with. Ultimately, coaches set the tone for a team’s morale.
In sports there are winners and losers in every competition. While it’s better to lose than to beat yourself, failures hurt either way. No player likes to lose, let their teammates down, or fail. However, failure is part of the game and champions know how to keep failure from ruining their mindsets and their games. Are you coaching your athletes to cope well with failure?
Mark Twain said, “If you eat a frog first thing in the morning that will probably be the worst thing you do all day.” Thus spurred self-development expert Brian Tracy’s book entitled Eat That Frog. He and many experts help us answer the age old question, “Should I tackle the easy tasks or difficult tasks first?”
If you’re like me, deciding what to tackle first can slow down your productivity before you even get started on your work. That’s why I typically recommend planning tomorrow’s tasks today.
Oklahoma Sooner’s senior guard Buddy Hield was awarded the Naismith trophy, given to the NCAA men’s top player of the year. However, Buddy’s talent on the basketball court has been work in progress. As a freshman you wouldn’t have guessed his trajectory, but his insatiable desire for mastery has served him well. This mastery mentality is shared by the best athletes in the world. It is a mentality that starts early and is never satisfied.
As a child you may have been told that, “good things come to those who wait.” My family often said this around holidays when I was waiting for a birthday or a Christmas gift. It was only later that I learned this lesson has powerful implications for our lives.
Responsibility equals accountability equals ownership. And a sense of ownership is the most powerful weapon a team or organization can have,” Pat Summit, former Tennessee Women’s Basketball Coach, wrote in her book Reach for the Summit.
Motivating others is a challenge that every leader faces. However, leaders often approach the issue from an inaccurate perspective. They ask, “How can I motivate my team?” What they should be asking is, “How can I create a motivating climate around my team?” The difference is subtle, but the second question is profoundly more accurate. It allows solutions which are actually in a leader’s control. Fundamentally, we can’t motivate others.
If your tasks and projects seem to run right up to the final deadline, you aren’t alone. Parkinson’s Law states that your work expands to fill the time allotted for it. “How long will that report take?” your boss asks. “How long do I have?” you might respond. Bingo. Parkinson’s Law is a nemesis of productivity.
Human performance fascinates us all. What was Roger Bannister thinking when he trained to break the 4 minute mile? Certainly, he was focused on the possibilities. Truly, the magic is found in what an athlete is thinking. Thoughts drive performance.
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