The Hard 90 Podcast With Zach Sorensen

There are two ways to do things.... The right way, and again. What is your right way?

Great advice from a great coach - You focus is to be at the Right Place at the Right Time Trying To Do The Right Thing.

3 things player need in a leader: Can I Trust Him, Does He Care About Me, Will He Make Me Better

Instead of focusing on being the best player on the team, focus on being the best player for the team. 

Character Counts. Courage Counts. Communication Counts. Consistency Counts. Connection Counts. Competence Counts.

1. We are always looking for RESULTS 2. When we don't get the results we want, we change our MECHANICS or TECHNIQUE 3. When that doesn't work, we start saying that we need more FOCUS 4. When you still aren't seeing the results you want, we realize that we need to manage our EMOTIONS 5. If you don't have a positive BELIEF SYSTEM, you will not get the results you want. DO CONFIDENCE, don't wait for it.

1. We are always looking for RESULTS 2. When we don't get the results we want, we change our MECHANICS or TECHNIQUE 3. When that doesn't work, we start saying that we need more FOCUS 4. When you still aren't seeing the results you want, we realize that we need to manage our EMOTIONS

The next level of the performance pyramid is focus. When you are getting the results you want after you make adjustments to your technique, often times we say that we need more focus. Results Mechanics and Technique Focus

1 - We focus on Results 2 - When we don't get the results we want, we Change Mechanics and Technique

At the top of the performance pyramid is results.  We all are looking for results.  Is this what we should be focusing on?

Which is better - Prove yourself right, Or Prove Others Wrong? Both are valuable. Use them both.

If you want to be your best, add an accountability partner and coach.

Measure everything! Measurement gives you information.  Measurement gives you answers. Measurement Creates Motivation!

Set your goal... Attach a WHY... Reverse engineer a plan... Ready, FIRE, and the aim.

Narrow your focus and see that you hit or almost hit your target every time.

Instead of focusing on whether things are good or bad, focus on progress. Stay committed to getting a little better every day.

Figure out who it is that you want to be and Be U More!

If you recognize your reason why and it is big enough, your commitment to the why will overpower the way you feel.

Lessons learned.... 1. It all starts with developing your process. 2. It takes small actions every day 3. It takes persistence, patience, and commitment.

If your commitment is greater than your feelings, you will get results. Schwarber tracked 1,300 pitches from a pitching machine, a process that helped him recognize breaking balls. He faced live pitching from a Cubs prospect. And then he played in two games. He walked twice, and his only hit was a double, but Epstein said in his second game, on Monday, “he smoked three balls.” And the next night, he played in a World Series game.

Athlete Tough.  If I were to ask you what is the key to being mentally tough, what would you say the answer is?

Somewhere Someone Is Practicing and when you meet them in a head to head competition....  They'll BEAT you.

What is your passion? Can you make your work your passion? Your passion will give you enjoyment in the process. Your passion will give you enjoyment in the struggle. 

When you can tap in to your ultimate why, you become more resilient and powerful.  In this episode we break down The Power Behind Finding Your Why.

Why do you do the things you do? What is the reason for doing it? If you can establish an even bigger reason why, that reason why will help you get through the difficult days. Also, it is during your failures that you can lean on your reason why to keep you in the fight and help you get back on track. 

Your goal is to bombard your opponents with wave after wave of missile strikes to disorient, disrupt, disable, and demoralize them. Over time, this combination of a purposeful, powerful, planned, precise, and persistent approach to competition is usually enough to eventually destroy most teams and force them to retreat or surrender. Jeff Janssen, Janssen Sports Leadership Center

Your athletes will need to know exactly when, where, and how to strike your opponents to best weaken and disable them. How precisely your athletes are able to execute and adapt their game plan will have a big bearing on the final outcome.

Instead of relying solely on power to take down an opponent, especially one who has just as much or more firepower, they must develop a calculated and coordinated plan of attack designed to take out your opponent's strengths and target their weaknesses.

Competitiveness is, in essence, the harnessing of the explosive power of passion, desire, rage, and fury into a single streamlined, powerful, and destructive force, like a missile.

Determining a compelling purpose for the war is what generates the passion necessary for fighting fiercely. The more compelling the purpose is, the stronger the passion for fighting.

What are the three steps to ownership? Step 1 - Know it. Step 2 - Do it. Step 3 - Own it. 

No Blaming. No Complaining. No Defending. Great rules to live by when working in a team environment.

What is your definition of mental toughness? Consider this definition... doing things that you don't want to do. 

There is nothing more important that for you to be present in each and every moment. Focus on being where your feet are.

What is your response when things get difficult? Do you see the negative in everything? Do you feel sorry for yourself? Try flipping the script. Hard times? Good. This may be the adversity that helps you turn the corner. Tough times makes for good opportunities.

It is the start that stops most people. Movement will always begin the building of momentum. Have a narrow focus with a goal of winning one play at a time. It is the stacking victories that will lead to the momentum that will help you to be unstoppable. 

Instead of focusing on the other team, what they have done in the past, or what they will do to you in the future, stay present. Focus on this play. Win this play.

How do yo gain momentum? How do you find yourself controlling the perceived momentum in the game. How can you stop the momentum of the other team?

When you start to struggle, you also start to look for answers.  It's Easy To Stay Disciplined When You Are Struggling. Are you able to stay disciplined even when you are not struggling?

Stay locked in on the current day. Stay focused on the present moment. Don't look to the finish line, but instead, work on making every day and every moment count.

What do you do to hold yourself accountable? What do you do to maintain your self-control and discipline? Listen to what Michael Cuddyer used to do to remind him to stay locked in each and every game.

Kobe Bryant used a strategy to make the switch mentally to get him focused on the task at hand. What are you doing to flip the switch?

One of the biggest mistakes we make as coaches is always asking players how they feel.  What that suggests is that the way we feel dictates the way we perform. This is not the case.

The three phases of mental performance training.... Prepare - Takes place before the competition Compete - Takes place during the competition Progress - Takes place after the competition

Discipline is a key component is all individuals that are winners.  Train disciple by using the Habit Cycle.

Instead of wondering why you aren't getting success, ask yourself, "Have I done what it takes to deserve success?"

Event + Response = Outcome.  You can't control what is happening to you or around you. You can only control the way you respond to it.

The Derek Jeter Affect: treat spring training games like regular season games. Treat regular season games like playoff games. Make them important, but not special.

Dn't ask if you are better than the person you are getting ready to compete against. Instead, ask, can I beat them on this play? What will it take to beat them on this play? And then, execute the plan.

Playoff baseball is here. The seats will be full of fans.  The energy will be electric. Every game matters. In this moment, remember what it took to get you here. Play the game one pitch at a time. Remember to play the game, not the occasion.

What is earthing or grounding? A combination of grounding and meditation can help you relax, focus, and get you locked in to the present moment.