Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence

Mind Gym: An Athlete’s Guide to Inner Excellence by Gary Mack with David Casstevens is one of my favorite books to pickup whenever I need a little inspiration and encouragement. While the many stories and quotes are derived from the world of professional athletics, the book is really about creating excellence in one’s life with applicability to any pursuit and any profession. The main theme is that once one reaches a certain level of competency, the level he achieves in performance will be determined by how well he learns to utilize his mind. With this, the author takes us on a fascinating tour of the minds of some of the world’s greatest coaches and athletes; their successes, their challenges, and the mental tools they employed to succeed. To borrow a line from the book, “it takes years of hard work to become an overnight success”, Mind Gym is an excellent coach along the way.

Notes and quotes:

• Focus on the task – do not let negative thoughts intrude.
• State goals in positive terms – “don’t look where you don’t want to go”.
• Create your own mind gym visualizing yourself overcoming mistakes and doing things well.
• Mental toughness = competitiveness, confidence, control, commitment, composure, courage and consistency.
• It’s not the situation but how you respond to it that makes the difference; it is within your control.
• “I may win and I may lose, but I will never be defeated” – Emmitt Smith
• “Gremlins” get in the way of success: fear, anger, anxiety, self-consciousness, perfectionism, stubbornness, lack of motivation, distraction, and lack of persistence.
• “Your mind is like a parachute – it only works when it’s open. What did you learn today and how will it make you better tomorrow?
• “Each of us has a fire in our hearts for something. It’s our goal in life to find it and keep it lit.” – Mary Lou Retton
• ACT:
  - Accept the present state
  - Create your desired state
  - Take action to get there
• “It’s all about the journey, not the outcome.” – Carl Lewis
• Seek progress rather than perfection.
• SMART Goal Setting:
  - Specific
  - Measurable
  - Achievable
  - Realistic
  - Time-bound
• Fear of failure makes failure more likely: “you can’t steal second with your foot on first”.
• “Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off your goal” – Jim Lefebvre.
• You have to learn how to get comfortable with being uncomfortable” – Lou Piniella
• Changing pessimism to optimism, the 3 P’s:
  - Permanence – optimists believe setbacks are temporary, not permanent.
  - Pervasiveness – optimists do not let troubles affect other areas of their lives.
  - Personalization – optimists internalize victories and externalize defeats.
• “Just as you learn not to swing at bad pitches, you must learn not to chase bad thoughts. Learn to turn your negative critic into a positive coach.”
• “Pace instead of race” – learn to slow down and focus when you feel rushed.
• “Try easier….The less tension and effort, the faster and more powerful you will be” – Bruce Lee
• “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail” – Wayne Gretzky
• “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence” – Vince Lombardi