More often than not, when the level of competition is close, the difference between success and failure comes down to what's going on inside our heads. The best part about it is that the way we talk to ourselves is 100% in our control and something every athlete should strive to be excellent with.

Think of Purposeful Practice as a way of holding yourself accountable for achieving your goal of being the best ballplayer that you can be. By following the Purposeful Practice framework, you’ll ensure that you’re making the most of your practice time and creating a sustainable and repeatable process for success.

Regardless of what level you play at, you’ve undoubtedly already had to deal with adversity, whether it be ON the field or OFF. It’s just a natural part of athletics and LIFE. Trying to avoid adversity or hide from it just isn’t an option if you’re an athlete who’s truly on a journey towards catching excellence.

Sleep is just as important as your training and nutrition for achieving optimal athletic performance. You could argue that it is the foundation upon which everything else rests on. So, make it a priority and give your body the rest it needs to perform at its best on a consistent basis.

It’s about that time again to talk about one of the most important tools that you can add to your toolbox in 2023 - your breath or what I like to call a ‘Big League Breath’. If you know anything about Major League Mindset, you know that using your breath as an ally is something that I consider to be universal advice for athletes of all ages.

The new year is fast approaching. It's that time of year where people begin to take stock of the year that they’ve had and also gear up for the new year. You’ve probably heard people talking about resolutions that they’ve made in the past, and you may have even made some yourself. Do you ever wonder what the success rate is on actually following through on them though?

One way to help you keep a positive perspective is to SEE, APPRECIATE and CELEBRATE everything, every day. To take things AS GRANTED, not FOR GRANTED. If you feel inspired, consider the following…

This “Stop, Start, Continue” process is great for checking in on your behaviors regularly and will help you decide what’s working, what’s not, and what changes should be made. All that it takes is a bit of self-reflection and consistency.

Trust me, it’s way more fun to play for a team that BELIEVES in themselves. By applying the MLM concept of Embracing Adversity and Failing Forward, you can be the player and leader who helps your team rally and achieve whatever goals you all set, ON and OFF the field.

Identity literally means ‘repeated beingness’. So, by identifying who you are and what you do when you’re at your best, and then repeatedly being that version of you, well quite simply, that is who you BECOME.

Know that whatever dreams you may have will only remain dreams unless you TAKE ACTION. If you create a plan to actually achieve whatever you set out to do, and then TAKE ACTION on a daily basis, your likelihood of getting the job done will be MUCH greater. So, what is her 4-step “WOOP” process and how can you use it to turn your dreams into a reality? Check it out in today’s blog!

It’s called Major League Mindset for a reason! Believing in yourself, envisioning your success, and focusing on EXECUTION are all core concepts of the Major League Mindset program. With that being said, today let’s talk about building self-awareness around three things that are 100% in your control and can give you the best chance for success in a repeatable and sustainable way.

We’re coming back to one of my favorite topics at Major League Mindset - SLEEP. If you’re a serious athlete looking to unlock your true potential, you probably spend a lot of time working on your mechanics, increasing your strength and stamina, and upping your mental and nutrition games as well. When it comes to sleep though, many are not approaching it like the true competitive edge it can be.

Post-Game reflection is another simple, repeatable process that you can incorporate into your routine to help you identify and work on improvements, and help you celebrate the wins that you’ve had in any situation. I encourage everyone to make this part of your game day routine which will help put you on the path to sustainable success!

Being able to overcome adversity and maintain a consistent, level approach regardless of the situation will set you apart and put you on the path to sustainable success. I highly recommend that you begin to practice following this flush it routine when you inevitably make a mistake in the future so that you can compete with all you’ve got, every.single.pitch.

Do What You Say You Will Do. It sounds like a pretty easy concept right? In theory, it is. Before you head off and think that you’ve got this one completely covered though, it’s good to remember that like everything good that sounds simple in theory, in practice it can be much more difficult. Simple does not always mean easy.

The biggest competition that you will ever have is to become the NEXT BEST version of yourself. Start there, and focus there. Being a great teammate no matter the circumstance will aid you in being the best version of yourself on and off the field. No matter where you go in life you will have to deal with competition, but it’s how you handle it that will separate you from the rest.

There is something that you should keep in mind when you think about the word *competition* though. Who exactly are you competing against? Being competitive is natural for any athlete, but you should never forget the fact that baseball (and life) is a *team* sport. How you interact with your teammates is just as important as the work you do to improve your own game.

We’ve all been there. You get pumped up for game day, and within the first few innings, the game is already out of hand. At that point, it can feel as though the game is dragging on forever (especially during those hot summer days), and it can become very easy to lose focus and drift back into bad habits. You may have even thought about ways you can make the game speed up to get out of there.

All of us are going to experience obstacles in our lives, it’s how we internalize the process of learning that makes the difference. When you face an obstacle in your life, remember to approach it with a positive attitude and think of ways that you can overcome it. It will make you stronger in the long run! Remember these four words: FALL. LEARN. RISE…STRONGER.