One of the individuals who I follow and pay close attention to is mental conditioning coach Brian Cain. Brian is high-energy, 100% positive, and right on. He is anything but polyanna, as most good mental game coaches are. So, I enjoy hearing what he has to say. What follows is an excerpt from an email I recently received from Brian. Check it out:
... The highest earning and performing individuals I coach do some very specific things in the morning as part of their routines built for excellence.
MORNING ROUTINES
I suggest a short daily reader (my Daily Dominator Book will be out in July), and I read John Maxwell’s Daily Reader, Sean Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens Reader, and Tony Dungy’s One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge. Reading these each morning helps me to jumpstart my day and get the right mindset going first thing. This whole process takes about 5 minutes each morning.
- They read from good books each morning.
Chip Kelly, former football coach at The University of Oregon, not with the Philadelphia Eagles, challenged his players to make their bed first thing in the morning. Making your bed first thing when you get out of it does is three critical things: 1. You show attention to detail 2. You show discipline over yourself 3. You act differently than how you feel. Cementing these three actions within one minute of waking up will help you to, as Coach Kelly says, Win The Day.
- Make your bed
Waking up 15 minutes earlier than you normally do is the ultimate excuse exterminator for morning “excuseitis,” the disease of making excuses. When you wake up 15 min earlier you will have created the time to implement a morning routine of excellence. If you don’t have a morning routine of excellence already… what are you waiting for? Remember, it is the start that stops most people. Get started with your morning routine of excellence TODAY!
- Wake up 15 minutes earlier
On your morning commute, trade your talk radio and music for a book on tape. If you have a 10 min commute each way, you can easily get through a book a week if you are relentless in listening on your way to and from work or the field. If you were to pick one topic area, let’s say leadership, and listen to a book on leadership in your car each day for an entire year, you would be a World’s leading authority on leadership in a year or two and COMPLETELY change your life. Pick a topic, pick a book and GET STARTED… The quality of your life depends on it.
- Books on tape vs. talk radio and music
Dr. Rob Gilbert is one of the greatest motivational speakers and sport psychology professors in the world. His commitment to excellence, teaching and daily discipline is unmatched by anyone in the field. For almost 8,000 consecutive days, he has left a three minute motivational message on his success hotline at the number above. I have called this daily since I first heard him speak in 2006 and it has had tremendous positive impact on my life. I call the success hotline after I read my morning books mentioned above, take notes and apply his teachings in my daily life. I HIGHLY suggest you do the same. It will change your life. ...
- Success hotline – 973-743-4690.
You can check out Brian's blog here. I highly recommend it. Flood your mind with constructive thoughts and ideas ... and then act on them. Build a routine for excellence. The time to start is now. Each morning, each day, is precious. Make it count.
See you on the field.
