#mtin60sec

What is the ideal body? If you go to the Hall of Fame in ANY sport, you will not find an exact body type or weight that is “perfect” for the sport or position. Of course someone built like a sumo wrestler will have difficulty with gymnastics, but I know a lot of 6 foot plus people that can’t play basketball to save their life! Deliberate practice, your heart, attitude, your mental game and how you handle adversity are all more predictive of your success than your body shape and size. Look at what you are (or are not) putting not your body to achieve an “ideal body type.” If it involves excessive restricting or performance enhancing drugs, you are likely doing more harm than good. For example, trying to get more thin to run faster by restricting calories deprives your body of the energy it needs to train and increases your risk of injury. Talk to a trusted sport nutritionist like @nutrition_with_wendi for scientific guidance on how to best fuel the body you have. @runninginsilence is an excellent resource for education and awareness about eating disorders. And if you are insecure about the body you have, and want help maximizing your performance, I’d love to support you with individual mental training at https://dreddieoconnor.com/telehealth-services Check out “The Psychology of Performance: How to Be Your Best in Life” at www.thegreatcourses.com/dreddieoconnor for the 19th lesson, “The Dangerous Pursuit of the Ideal Body” and 23 other sport psychology topics that will make you better at what you do! #mtin60sec https://www.instagram.com/p/CPTYgrNDdkW/?utm_medium=tumblr

At Thanksgiving we talk a lot about gratitude. You already know it improves positivity and performance, but I’d like to share a benefit that doesn’t get talked about enough. Gratitude as a discipline, when you don’t feel it. When you intentionally practice gratitude without the feeling you reinforce how you can act independent of what you think or feel. You become less reactive to thoughts and feelings and more intentional with your behaviors based on your values. The practice of discipline in one area of life enhances discipline in others. #mtin60sec https://www.instagram.com/p/B5ZH1MbgKMy/?igshid=4kq9jryvguds

Great start to #AASP2019 with the ethics and #mediainsport workshop. Connecting with other leaders in the field for the next four days. Can’t wait to bring the latest and greatest back to you in #mtin60sec (at Pioneer Courthouse Square) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3-QpViApa6/?igshid=psqhcj0qvavs

Many thanks for the invitation to present at BCBS of Michigan on “How to Succeed. No. Matter. What.” A fantastic turnout and great participation, teaching the willingness to feel and do what it takes to be your best. Note: positive thinking and confidence are helpful, but not required. This is good news because anger, sadness, and anxiety are part of the human experience and we need to learn to perform WITH them. #mtin60sec (at Blue Care Network) https://www.instagram.com/p/B24SVdEgA0s/?igshid=1tk2epcjukw4d

In this guest speaker edition of Mental Toughness in 60 Seconds, I asked NFL QB Kurt Benkert of the Atlanta Falcons what his most anxious moment was and how he got through it. He said it was his first college game and the key was to focus on what he had to do, not on his feelings. Nervousness is normal, and the best performers learn how to play with discomfort rather than get distracted by it. ... Kurt is an avid Fortnite player. Who does he think is better - Julio Jones at football or Ninja in Fortnite? Watch to find out and do you agree with his answer? #MTin60sec https://www.instagram.com/p/B1ZZCMBgqx3/?igshid=4918wvwdcwv1

While there is plenty to complain about - and you aren't wrong for being upset - what is the true value of complaining? Aside from a momentary relief of distress by venting, the damage far outweighs the benefit. Complaints have you focus on what is wrong, not what you may be empowered to do about it. Complaints keep you passive and distracted, focused on things you cannot control (e.g., behavior of others, weather, fatigue, etc.). They ruin your mood and motivation ... Instead, lean into your complaints. Identify the problem and change what you can, accepting what you can't. In this way you will have all your energy moving in a more positive and productive direction. And don't forget that you are in this situation often by choice! You CHOOSE to have that job, play that sport, be in that relationship. That means you also choose the adversity that goes along with the blessings of that experience. So be thankful for the opportunity to be a part of what you are complaining about, willing to experience what you must as part of the whole package. #mtin60sec (at Mary Free Bed YMCA) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0XLenqgFJp/?igshid=1rladg13t6nxh

Positive and Negative Thinking - and the Worm ?!?!? Positive thinking can actually hurt you if it takes the edge off or leaves you unprepared for the task. Overconfidence is a killer. Negative thinking, on the other hand, can motivate you to act on the perceived threat and do something about it. Make a change. So it isn't about always being positive. And negative thinking isn't always bad. It is about what you do in reaction to those words that matters ... and then I do the worm. Wait for it :-) #mtin60sec (at MYLead) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzKAC88AYB-/?igshid=l5tkdfqrg74b