Winning Spirit 16 Timeless Principles that Drive Performance Excellence

Individual Preparation individuals prepare in different ways. what works for one per- son doesn't necessarily work for another. Some wait until the last minute. Some require a degree of fear as motivation. Others want to eliminate all distractions, have complete silence, and shut themselves off from the rest of the world. Others prepare with music in the background or in the company of other people. Some need to rehearse over and over until they feel confident. Whatever the method, the goal of good preparation is the same: to ready ourselves for optimal performance, to play or work at our best. Ideal preparation is more than a physical rehearsal. It should include the mind and heart as well as the body, so that we are prepared on many levelsbalanced, centered, and confident. The six principles set forth in this section reinforce the importance of preparation. We give examples of what works for some individuals, while emphasizing throughout that everyone must find his or her own unique way to prepare. We do strongly believe and teach that repetition is king in the world of preparation. Whether in sports, running the same drills over and over, or in business, practicing a sales pitch or refining a presentation, we gain through repetition a sense of mastery and self-confidence that can be taken into the real game. Repetition can be a physical endeavor on the court or in the field. It can also be mental repetitions done silently at any place or time. Lying in bed, standing in the shower, sitting in a quiet place, thinking about and rehearsing what we want to make happen. However it is accomplished, repetition is about connecting the mind with the body to achieve peak performance. While we all tend to rely on preparation techniques we have used successfully for years, we invite each individual to push himself or herself and try some of the different types of preparation in this section. To be prepared, it's necessary to check in regularly with our individual process and progress. Are we getting enough sleep? Are we eating properly and getting the necessary nutrients? Are we satisfied with our performance? Do we need to make changes? This we know: Excellent performance does not happen on its own. Preparation is required. We also need to make some personal choices about how we are going to spend our time and energy. How well-rounded do we want to be? Do we want to be an inch wide and a mile deep? Are we ready to put all our effort at excelling in one area, while falling short in others? One thing is certain: It's up to each of us to choose and walk a unique path and, in the process, to design a road map to performance excellence. principle #1 Know What You Want it's been said that clarity is power. that's true, but clarity put into action is ultimate power. It is impossible to strive for something until we know what it is we are pursuing. You have to know what you want. Clarity offers a road map as well as the freedom to go after what we most desire. Clarity also provides a built-in filter to reduce the distractions that would interfere with our doing what needs to get done. To identify what it is we really want requires time and concentration. It can be helpful to write down everything we want to become and accomplish. Even making a simple list may help. We routinely rely on shopping lists; writing down what we want in life can serve as a reminder in the same way. Getting clear is mandatory. It offers direction and motivation and helps prioritize energy. Whether or not we are conscious of it, most of us want more of something in our lives: more love, more friendship, more meaning, more achievement, more wealth, more health. "More" is seldom achieved without hard work. Having more, or getting more, aMontana, Joe is the author of 'Winning Spirit 16 Timeless Principles that Drive Performance Excellence', published 2005 under ISBN 9781400064441 and ISBN 1400064449.