Stoicism has become a fashionable philosophy for elite coaches and athletes.
Anxiety limits us. "What if I fail?" Our ancestors survived with anxiety - worry for the next drink of water, meal, shelter, fire, clothing, protection from dangerous animals and murderous neighbors. Hypervigilance morphed into anxiety.
Stoicism dampens anxiety.
1. Focus on the little things. "Well-being is realized by small steps" and stuff adds up.
Basketball: what specifics am I working on today? Sharpen our axes first to fell trees. Microskills of footwork (e.g. attacking the front foot) and handwork (do not elevate the ball too much or too quickly on shot fakes).
2. Practice gratitude. Be thankful not bitter.
Basketball: Love our losses. They are our teachers.
3. Have no opinion. "You don't have to have an opinion about that." - Marcus Aurelius
Basketball: What do we think about Mark Jackson? We aren't required to have an opinion.
4. "Stop caring about what other people think." Remember 'don't take it personally' from The Four Agreements.
Basketball: Others' opinions say everything about them and nothing about us. Our job is to bring our best self every day.
5. Process your emotions. "Know thyself." Why do I feel this way? Maybe we have to let that issue go to move on.
Basketball: Practice controlling what we can control.
6. "Don't suffer imagined problems." We worry about much that never happens.
Basketball: Don't let "what if" interfere with "I can do this."
7. Choose not to be harmed. We can't allow others to occupy real estate in our heads.
Basketball: In the Netflix series, The Playbook, Doc Rivers explained his parents' teaching, "never allow yourself to become a victim." The Clippers weren't victims of Donald Sterling. Donald Sterling was a victim of himself.
8. Go for a walk. Walking helps us think and to maintain our body.
Basketball: Clear our minds. Walking can be mindful meditation; reset.
9. Keep a journal. Your journal could be a notebook, commonplace book, notes on your phone. I blog as a commitment to learning and sharing.
Basketball: Remember Don Meyer's three notebooks - basketball, general knowledge, and gratitude for his wife. It doesn't have to be fancy or shared with anyone else. Among our tens of thousands of daily thoughts, some can be life-changing. Write them down.
10.Grab the right handle. "There's a handle that will bear weight and a handle that won't." Remember Nietzsche. "That which doesn't kill me makes me stronger."
Basketball: Every day presents us with opportunities to choose well, to grow, and to become mentally if not physically stronger.
Lagniappe. Player development...
What attitude and energy do we bring to our craft daily?
Lagniappe 2. Reading coming off screens.
Tara VanDerveer and I were both born in Melrose, MA.
Happy Mother's Day. Remember to thank her.