Performance Coaching Systems
“Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true.” - Leon Suenens
I’m trying something a bit different in an effort to bring you some key points of success coaching via the technnology available. Video has taken the internet by storm. I have added YouTube to the arsenel of coaching tools so here we go:
And remember, the best is yet to come!
David Martin
“When a man feels throbbing within him the power to do what he undertakes as well as it can possibly be done, this is happiness, this is success.” - Orison Swett Marden
I am LOVING the new technology. I haven’t quite figured out how to load the video here yet, hoewver it’s only a matter of time. If you want to see what I’m up to with the video camera, click on the link below:
David Martin’s first online videos can be seen here
Meanwhile, put everything you have into everything you do!
The best is yet to come,
David Martin
info at empowermax.com
“We derive more benefit from the actions we take than the results we seek.” - David Martin
Chances are you have been in “the Zone.” You know, that place where you played your absolute best, everything just flowed, you felt confident, you were focused, and everything around you was easy.
Chances are you felt calm and quiet inside, you had no worries, and you felt no pressure.
In “the Zone” you were focused, confident, calm, and in control. You moved easily and effortlessly. You were totally tuned into what you were doing, you were unaware of external distractions, you experienced a sensation of elation, joy and fluidity that was unexplainable.
It is that place where your mind, your emotions, and your body were totally connected. Would you like to get there more often?
What is “the Zone”?
The Zone is a state of consciousness where all of the body’s senses and functions (sight, hearing, taste, smell, emotions, thoughts, and muscular reaction) act in harmony with each other to achieve some specific task.
When you reach this state of consciousness, you experience a sense of “Flow.”
You lose conscious control of your senses and functions and perform from a deeper more subconscious level of control. This is the ultimate place; it’s where you want to be to achieve peak performance on a consistent basis.
“Why can’t I get there?”
Most people are not able to get into the zone because of mental, emotional or physical distractions.
Mental distractions occur when you’re unable to block out external distractions like noise, weather conditions, crowd behavior, over-analysis, or just plain thinking too much.
Emotional distractions are feelings like doubt, fear, anger, frustration, lack of confidence or over confidence. Physical distractions include fatigue, lack of conditioning, injury, or soreness.
Many of these distractions can lead to unforced errors which contributes to pressure and can rob you of your confidence. Playing under these conditions will keep the door to “the Zone” shut tightly.
However, the biggest reason people fail to get into the zone is because they refuse to let go of conscious control of their performance. Conscious control is how they learn and it is the only way they know how to perform.
The only way to get into “the Zone” is to let go of conscious control and let the instincts take over. Essentially, you’ll be getting out of your own way!
It’s time to get ready for the next level!
David Martin
“Even a mistake may turn out to be the one thing necessary to a worthwhile achievement.” - Henry Ford
There are many people that subscribe to the old adage, “Knowledge is Power.” Too bad. They’re missing the boat on this one.
At times, I receive emails that make “suggestions” about my grammar or phrase-ology, spelling and otherwise freewheeling use of the English language. They should see what I do to Spanish!
Filled with academic prowess and perceiving themselves as intellectually superior, they feel compelled to inform me of any one of my numerous gaffs. As if to save me from being seen by people as less than perfect.
So what? I ain’t perfect and I don’t do well with rules. As Thomas Edison once said, “There ain’t no rules around here. We’re trying to accomplish something.”
Here’s my point. Knowledge must be applied to have any value.
Now, I am not stating that formal education is to be discounted. The point I want to illustrate to you is that there is knowledge that will better serve each of us as we strive to reach higher levels in our lives.
Take a look at what you know. Ask yourself, “Is this serving me to my greater good?” If the answer is “Yes”, keep it. If the answer is “No”, drop it and move on.
To establish what knowledge is beneficial and what knowledge will assist us in pursuit of our goals, we must first determine what those goals are. In relation to the definition of “direct and clear awareness”, by determining clearly what you want, you can now begin to discover the knowledge that will guide you toward success.
Education comes from the Latin educare – to draw from. There is much to draw from in our life and when you continue to draw from life you continue to grow. Stop the education, you stop the growth, stop the growth and you stop the progress.
The knowledge you require for success in your chosen endeavor is out there. It’s in books, CD’s, seminars, coaching, web sites, as well as in other programs and opportunities.
The “21 Steps to Peak Performance” Audio series as well as the Wednesday Performance Zone Training call, one on one coaching, the Performance Education™ TeleSeries, are extraordinary tools to assist you in pursuit of your dreams and goals.
Until then, shape it in your mind and find it in your life.
The best is yet to come!
David Martin
“Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are.” - Malcolm Forbes
The main theme this week both in blog posts and in the newsletter has been of the “Give your all no matter what” variety - today is no different. However this time it was inspired by a movie and not a sporting event.
Last night I was watching the movie “the 300.” I enjoy history, I enjoy the style of the movie and my friend Tim Connolly was the stunt double for the lead actor Gerard Butler, in addition to playing an extra (including the father of King Leonidis in the beginning of the movie). I always enjoy seeing a movie knowing that Tim had a role in it.
In the movie there was a scene where one of the representatives of Xerxes army was attempting to persuade a few of the Spartans via fear. He said, “Our archers will darken the sky with arrows.”
“Then we’ll fight in the dark.” was the Spartan’s response.
Ok, before a rash of emails come in informing me of the Hollywood script, the the sensationalism and the historical accuracy of the comment….I mean how could we know if a Spartan soldier actually said this, right? Yeah, I know - but that’s not my point.
It’s the mindset - “Then we’ll fight in the dark.” It’s like he was saying, “So what? Like that’s gonna make a difference it what we do?”
I love it.
What if you applied that mindset to everything you do?
What if no matter what the politicians did or the sports teams or how much the media tried to tell you how bad things are….you just kept on going for it?
What if it just didn’t matter what went on around you?
What if when things got difficult (as they sometimes will) you just “fought in the dark“?
Try it sometime. You may just surprise yourself.
The best is yet to come!
David Martin
info@empowermax.com
“Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” - Lou Holtz
Wow! Last night I allowed myself a few minutes of television viewing pleasure - mainly US Open Tennis and College Football. It was an excellent night to check in on two of my favorite sports.
In tennis, I saw the highlights of Rafael Nadal’s match and even better was the match between a young woman from Denmark and I believe a Russian woman. These two champions left it all on the court in a 3-set match that went something like 7 - 5. An awesome display of giving it your all.
However the game of the day was in another of my favorite sports - Football, of the college version. One of the better known rivalries in NCAA Football is an in-state match-up between Florida State University (FSU) and the University of Miami.
While these two universities were perennial front runners in the National Championship hunt for many years, both programs have been lagging the past few years (for a variety of reasons I won’t go into). That didn’t matter last night, this game could have been mistaken for the Intergalactic All Cosmos Championship.
There were numerous lead changes, big plays, penalties, mucho DRAMA! Each time it looked like one team was pulling away the other would claw back into the game. It was flippin’ incredible!
So here’s the point, last night’s game went down to the last play of the game, the final four seconds. FSU had the ball near the goal line and was unable to score. That left the Miami Hurricanes victorious.
And why did they win? In my opinion, because where many teams have given up after a few set backs - the Miami Hurricanes played all out for the entire 60 minutes of the game. Nothing against FSU, they gave it their all too. Miami just had better luk last night.
So with September underway and the end of 2009 fast approaching, are you planning on playing all out? Champions do, and if you’re reading this then my hallucination is that you’re a champion - Remember…..
Show Up, Suit Up & Step UP!
David Martin
info@empowermax.com
“Circumstances are beyond human control, but our conduct is in our own power.” - Benjamin Disraeli
Earlier today I was recounting the story of an interesting experience I had in Mexico City some time ago. It certainly reconfirmed the necessity of patience in all aspects of our lives.
Whilst I was out and about I stopped for a quick shinning of the shoes. It’s one of the things I enjoy when in Mexico City. You can get an incredible luster to your footwear for less than US$2 and that’s including tip.
That particular morning there was a fellow Yankee waiting in line behind me. Don’t know the man and don’t believe that I want to after his display that morning.
I was sitting in the chair; the young man offered me a newspaper to read (i.e. customer service), I declined and he proceeded to work on my shoes. He was very thorough in cleaning and then setting up for the shine.
Then the guy waiting started critiquing the shine. “Hey buddy, he’s not using the right colors,” “that’s the wrong wax,” “he’s gonna ruin your shoes,” “you better stop him before he messes up your shoes.” And he continued on.
My response was, “We’ll see.”
He was actually getting antsy about my shoe shine. It was physically bothersome to him.
The colors did seem to be off a bit. The wax, well, I simply don’t know enough about wax. After countless shoe shines in Mexico, I figured the kid knew what he was doing, so I simply waited.
In the mean time, the young man stayed on task. Washing, waxing, brushing on the colors, buffing and bringing the color out in my shoes. My patience paid off. By the time he finished, my shoes had a brilliant shine and the color was as it was supposed to be.
Now, my fellow American was a bit surprised. How could this happen? How could this be? The kid must have been lucky.
First I’ll say this; for someone to his panties in a bunch over someone else’s shoe shine is absolutely fascinating. Next and more importantly, have patience in pursuit of your goals. You require time to create momentum and begin to see measurable results.
WARNING: being patient DOES NOT mean hanging out and simply waiting for your goals to break down your door. Just as my young friend shining my shoes continued on, even when it appeared that things may be going awry, you must focus your efforts toward your goals consistently.
Remember that the process for success in life or in competition is identical: strategy, training, commitment, execution. Know what it is you want, prepare with that end in mind, commit to the goal and take action.
And remember, be actively patient.
The time is now to Show Up, Suit Up & Step Up!
David Martin
info@empowermax.com
“Prosperity belongs to those who learn new things the fastest.” - Paul Zane Pilzer
Recently I changed up my workouts. Nothing major, just some minor adjustments that are bringing some major results.
I incorporated running back into my workout routine. There has never in my life been a time that I “loved” to go running like some teammates of mine, but it’s a nice way to change up the training and keep the body guessing about what comes next.
Yoga is the other new “thing” that I’m having some fun with. And not just any yoga, “Bikram’s Yoga” - the hot one. If you don’t know about it here’s how it works. You go into a room that is maintained at 105 F (that’s 105 degrees Fahrenheit to you Virginia). It’s hot, there is a lot of sweating and twisting, stretching etc. All starting at 6:00 AM.
Then of course I continue with the bodyweight workouts and the martial arts training. I do my basic kicking and am learning some new stuff as well along the way. Lots ‘o fun! Of course my health is being affected greatly by all this however more importantly my mind is being affected. My discipline is being affected.
You see I made a commitment to move my body everyday in a way that creates movement and or stress of some kind with the intention of becoming more fit. I knew it would help my mindset also but I guess I forgot how much.
My Taekwondo instructor Master Sang Lee told me many years ago, “Train the mind and the body will follow. Train the body and the mind will follow. It’s very simple.”
I thought it was just one of those mystical Martial Arts Master thingies that he (Master Lee) would say to mess with my head. It did do that but it was more than just a head game. Later on it made sense and it’s making sense again.
In the last month or so I’ve noticed the positive benefits of staying disciplined in my fitness plan and those benefits are showing up elsewhere. In my business, in my communications, in working on setting my own goals and visions - everywhere.
So 2 key points here team -
#1 - discipline is a powerful ally in pursuit of your dreams, and lack of discipline is an equally powerful opponent. It is necessary for any one of use to get the process started. There is more, but without the first step of returning to discipline, the rest is just commentary.
#2 - revisiting the fundamental principles of success. It doesn’t matter if it’s from “Think & Grow Rich” or Tony Robbins, NLP, Denis Waitley, Stephen Covey and his “7 Secrets…”, Zig Ziglar, Og Mandino or my “Getting Out of Your Own Way” & “21 Steps to Peak Performance”.
Stay in the GAME! Study, listen to audio, watch video, read newsletters, subscribe to websites, read books, listen to teleconferences, got to seminars - personal achievement is an evolutionary process. Not to think so is naive.
Until then, put everything you have into everything you do.
The best is yet to come!
David Martin
info@empowermax.com
“To spend time is to pass it in a specified manner. To waste time is to expend it thoughtlessly or carelessly. We all have time to either spend or waste, and it is our decision what to do with it. But once passed, it is gone forever.” - Bruce Lee
Recently in pursuit of my fitness goals (or as one friend suggested to recapture my youth) I began taking Yoga classes. Specifically “hot yoga” or “Bikrams Yoga” - named after the originator.
Imagine this, I live in the high desert of New Mexico. It’s summer and temperatures approach 100 degrees Fahrenheit (but it’s a dry heat). Now before the sun rises I am out of bed and on my way to the yoga studio, I enter, the room is heated to 105 degrees and we begin strecthing in directions I didn’t know my body was supposed to stretch. And I think sometimes my body doesn’t know it’s supposed to strecth that way.
The heated room helps, but there are still some moments when I hear small *snap* or the occaisional *crackle*. The *POPS* are what give some cause for concern. However nothing moer than sore muscles and some minor low back pain. Most likely from not having been stretched to this extreme level for a long time (ever).
Hmmm, so let’s see. I am making myself healthier however I may have to go through some discomfort to get there. I may have to have some unpleasant experiences in order to get to the pleasant experiences. There could possibly be things that make me uncomfortable in order that I can be more comfortable.
That’s life. That’s the way “the Game” was set up. I didn’t have a say in the rules, and I don’t have input on changing the rules.
What I can do is provide some guidance to the tools, techniques and strategies that will assit you in navigating the “Snap, Crackle & POP!” of creating lasting change in your life.
What you do with those tools, techniques and strategies us uniquely up to you.
The bes is yet to come!
David Martin
info@empowermax.com
“There’s no reward in life without risk.” — Barry J. Farber
This weekend I was invited to watch UFC 100. It doesn’t matter if you’re into Mixed Martial Arts, MMA or not. This was a classic event with some really fantastic concepts presented through the vehicle of two guys lining up and beating the living snot out of each other…with technique of course.
Montreal Canada’s Georges St. Piere, aka GSP, was there to defend his Welterweight Championship against Thiago Alves of Brazil. It was promoted as a possible great fight - the boys did not disappoint.
Ok, so is this where I describe the entire match blow by blow to illustrate a point? Nope, that would be to easy and even more so probably be so incredibly boring that I decided to go with something else. It’s actually more appropriate I think.
It’s about “mindset“. You remember -
mind•set
1. A fixed mental attitude or disposition that predetermines a person’s
responses to and interpretations of situations.
2. An inclination or a habit.
In athletics or sport, as in life, your mindset will go a long way in determining your results. Saturday’s championship bout in the Welterweight category was a prime example.
Although GSP dominated the match there were some, many actually that thought he was an underdog against the more powerful, explosive Brazilian. By executing a solid game plan, GSP shut down Alves strengths and used his own to win every round. However during the third round, something happened to Georges groin. He was limping back to his corner and in between rounds he told his corner, his “team” that he had injured his groin.
Greg Jackson, from right here in Albuquerque, New Mexico was acting as coach for GSP in this match and he simply said, “Then hit him with your groin……” He went on to direct GSP’s mindset back into the match and away from the injury. This also exemplifies the concept of the “Circle of Excellence,” surrounding yourself with the right team to be successful in pursuit of your goals.
That’s all, these are principles that you can utilize each and everyday. It’s up to YOU to condition your mindset and to surround yourself with the right team.
All else is commentary.
The best is yet to come!
David Martin
info@empowermax.com
