Do we travel through life with a headwind of negativity or a tailwind of positivity? Our attitude represents one of our biggest and most vital choices.
Our attitude extends into our conscious self-talk. Are we delivering to ourselves and to our players a message of success and confidence or the converse?
We have tremendous power to effect change, beginning with ourselves.
Can I improve my process? Can I build better habits? Can I spend less time and invest more? Can I see the world more clearly by seeing myself more realistically?
Am I behaving with better intent, more purpose, and greater skill or am I using (BCD actions) blame, complain, and defend (from Urban Meyer)? Did I do the work of preparation, that could include better nutrition, exercise, sleep, and study?
Am I working with purpose to serve others or with passion to serve myself?
When explaining and demonstrating (age is a limitation) new drills and techniques, I sometimes remind players of two words we don't use - can't and try. "Try is a word of failure." Master Yoda makes this abundantly clear in The Empire Strikes Back.
Remind yourself of an event or project that succeeded because of your preparation and follow-through. Years ago as a much younger ICU physician, I took care of a patient who had multiple, serious injuries from a gunshot wound. He eventually recovered after months of technically-trying care. Today, I wouldn't even consider caring for a patient with what he had, as sick as he was. But I believed that he could survive...and that translated into a better outcome.
We have to face our flaws to perform at a higher level. "The last mistake is our best teacher." But we need to teach our students to expect success and cultivate with great process.