Good Evening! Welcome to the Cre8ive Coaching Newsletter. Here is your weekly serving of poker related knowledge regarding on or off the table topics.
Today I introduce you to a book I just finished reading. There are many keys to success that the best do better than the rest. I explain parts of the book below. Enjoy!
Tristan’s Topic Today:
Recently I read a great book titled “Training Camp” by Jon Gordon. The premise of the book is a story about a young football player named Martin, trying to make a NFL team. He has a great first preseason game, scoring two touchdowns in his debut. On the second touchdown he hurts his ankle, and he needs to recover while uncertain if he will make the team. He meets Coach Ken who befriends him and introduces him to the “Training Camp Playbook: What the Best Do Better Than Anyone Else.” Below are the eleven tips for success and me touching on them.
1. The Best know what they truly want.
-Vision. They know what they are working toward. It’s often in the distance, but they have a clear picture of it in their mind.
2. The Best want it more.
-The best of the best are willing to do what it takes to be great. The best don’t just think about their desire for greatness, they act on it. They have a high capacity for work, do things others won’t do, and spend more time doing it.
3. The Best are always striving to get better.
-They strive for perfection. They pursue perfection with a passion and are willing to be uncomfortable. If you are always striving to get better, then you are always growing. If you are growing, you are not comfortable. Growth is a process.
4. The Best do ordinary things better than anyone else.
-This happens by practicing and practicing, focusing and improving every day on the little things. To be amazing you must practice more than others.
5. The Best zoom-focus.
-Success is about the fundamentals, which are often boring and ordinary. The best accomplish extraordinary feats by doing ordinary things with great consistency, commitment, and focus. Get better by focusing on the right things. The art is in committing to the process, focusing on the fundamentals, and executing.
~Ask yourself daily: What are the most important things I need to do today that will help me create the success I desire?
~Say no and yes. Don’t waste your time on trivial things that don’t align with the vision or goals, say yes to the priorities, no to the distractions.
~Tune out distractions. Don’t listen to what people say about you. Don’t compare yourself. Focus on continuous improvement and getting better.
6. The Best are mentally stronger.
-Being mentally strong means you are able to overcome any kind of situation. It means you stay positive through adversity. You are resilient when facing pressure, challenges, and change. Being mentally tough allows you to overcome distractions and self doubt. Mental toughness is a process that can be developed. Use the technique “weed and feed.” Our minds are like a garden, weed out the negativity and feed it positivity.
7. The Best overcome their fear.
-Confront the issue of fear before moving forward. Discover what you are scared of. Each fear reveals a deeper fear. Pride can separate us from love. Love casts out all fear. Love is more powerful than fear.
8. The Best seize the moment.
-The best don’t allow their fear of failure to define them. They know this fear exists, and they overcome it. Even if they lose, they are still on the path to greatness. Even though the best have a dream and a vision, it is the journey, not the destination, that matters the most. The moment is success, the moment is reward. Don’t let the moment define you, you define the moment. Define the moment by knowing regardless of what happens, you have given it your very best. You are more than your success or your failure, you are who you are in the moment. Make the most of it and enjoy it.
9. The Best tap into a greater power than themselves.
-Become a conductor instead of a resistor. Resistors hold on, conductors let go. Resistors rely on their own power, conductors empty themselves and let power flow through them. Let go. Surrender. Give all your pain, fear, anxiety, and junk to God. You don’t need to it alone, let your faith in God and a higher power help you. “I can’t do it alone. I need you, God.” Have faith.
10. The Best leave a legacy.
-You leave a legacy by living and working with a bigger purpose. You leave a legacy by making your life about more than just you, by moving from success to significance.
11. The Best make everyone around them better.
They do this through their own pursuit of excellence and in the excellence they inspire in others. One person raises the standards of everyone around them. They do this in both their work and life. The point is to strive to be your best and inspire others to be their best, because it’s in the striving where you find greatness, not the outcome. Eventually someone will come along and be better, so the person you become and the impact you have on others are timeless.
This book was great because it teaches many lessons about what it takes to be successful and what a definition of success is. We can be so worried about accomplishments, expectations, striving to reach our goals… but in the end the process of getting better and enjoying the journey is what matters most. In the quest for greatness, we really find out who we are. During this adventure, we need to have faith and remain focused. Who we are is shown throughout this period of development. We are human. Constantly evolving, always learning, becoming who we see ourselves as. This is a lifelong crusade that should be enjoyed. If you enjoyed this, I suggest taking the time to read the book. It is a good and quick read!
“Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be.” – George Sheehan