Coaches Toolbox

Inspiration for Athletes

by

Here are some inspirational thoughts that I have used with our teams from time to time.

WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM A MULE

In 1885 the world champion mule team competition was held in Chicago. The winning team managed to pull a load of 9,000 pounds. The second place team pulled slightly less. After the competition, someone came up with the question-What if both teams were put together in a collective effort, how much could they pull? To everyone’s amazement, the two teams together pulled 30,000 pounds!! There is something that is created when individuals work together as a team that is greater than the sum of the individual parts.

EVERYBODY, SOMEBODY, ANYBODY, AND NOBODY

Whose Job is It? This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it. Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

“I will persist ’til I succeed”

by Og Mandino

I will not allow yesterday’s success to lull me into today’s complacency,
for this is the great foundation of failure.

I will forget the happenings of the day that is gone, Whether they were good or bad,
And greet the new sun with confidence that this will be the best day of my life.

So long as there is breath in me, that long will I persist.
For now I know one of the greatest principles of success;
If I persist long enough I will win.

I will persist.
I will win.”

An IDEAL Athlete has:

I = Intelligence
D = Dedication
E= Enthusiasm
A= Ability
L = Loyalty

Don’t Quit

Written by Edgar A. Guest

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressuring you down a bit,
Rest, if you must—but don’t you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up, though the pace seems slow–
­You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man.
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor’s cup.
And he learned too late, when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out—
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt.
And you can never tell how close you are;
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit—
It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit.

The Value of One Day

Imagine there is a bank account that credits your account each morning with $86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day.

Every evening the bank deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day. What would you do? Draw out every cent, of course?

Each of us has such a bank. It’s name is TIME.

Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds.

Every night it writes off as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to a good purpose.

It carries over no balance. It allows no over draft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day.

If you fail to use the day’s deposits, the loss is yours. There is no drawing against “tomorrow.”

You must live in the present on today’s deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health,

happiness and success!

The clock is running!! Make the most of today.

To realize the value of ONE YEAR. ask a student who failed a grade.

To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby.

To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.

To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who just missed a train.

To realize the value of ONE SECOND. ask someone who just avoided an accident.

To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND, ask the person who won a silver medal at the Olympics.

Treasure every moment that you have! And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time with. And remember time waits for no one.

Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That’s why its called the present.

From Marc Levy’s debut book, “If Only It Were True!”

 


Controlling the Controllable

by

The following article was written by Juan Pablo Favero, Head Women’s Soccer Coach at Oakland University.  It was originally published in The NSCAA Soccer Journal

The hope is that these ideas can be used for any sport, modified to the needs of your program, and shared with your athletes. I hope it stimulates thought and discussion among your coaching staff as to how you can create your own list of and examples of “Controllables” to help your athletes improve their performance.

Controlling the “Controllables”

Every sport has specific demands that must be mastered in order to successfully play and excel as an athlete.

Physical, Technical, Tactical, and Psychological attributes serve as building blocks for success. In soccer, physical qualities like strength, speed and agility ale critical. Technical skills such as passing, receiving and heading are important abilities that must be mastered. Tactical intelligence includes vision awareness and decision-making on and off the bail. Other sports have similarly important elements In each of these areas. Some of the key mental skills in all sports are focus, optimism, and self-confidence and all these skills can be developed and strengthened.

One of the Mental Toughness principles I teach our players is controlling the “controllables’. Athletes have limited physical and emotional energy so wasting time and energy on things you have no control over and can’t do anything about, not only can empty your energy tank but also lead to frustration and decreased performance. Examples of things you cannot control: are the weather, field conditions, the crowd, and the referee to name a few.

Instead, make, the conscious effort to focus on the things you can do something about and have control over. Here is the Top Ten list I have encouraged our Aztecs to focus on controlling.

1. ATTITUDE – Everything starts and ends with attitude and if you get it right, all else will fall in line with it. A positive, winning attitude helps you succeed and impact those around you. One of my favorite quotes on attitude is by Tony DiCicco, World Cup champion coach in 1999. “Attitude is a choice that can color any situation and it is contagious. You must act as the player you ware to become. Confident players focus on what they can do and don’t worry about what they can’t.”

2. EFFORT – How hard you work is up to you and no one else. If you give up that control, you are giving away one of the main things that sets you apart from the rest. Your effort must also be smart and reflected in your work rate in practice and games. Anson Dorrance who has won 21 National Championships puts it this way: “Winning is not something built in a day; it is constructed year-round. As always, it comes down to progressive, consistent effort, with a view toward a long-range goal.”

3. FOCUS – I define focus as relaxed concentration; it becomes especially important in games where outside distractions can keep you from performing at your best. Your focus must be on the here and now, on each play, one at a time. NBA coach Phil Jackson says, “The key is seeing and doing. If you’re focusing on anything other than reading the court and doing what needs to be done, the moment will pass you by.”

4. FITNESS – The work you put into your physical conditioning will directly affect your ability to play while making a positive impact for your team. Two-time World Cup champion Michelle Akers gives the following advice: “Be committed to the one thing you can control – your fitness. Be smart and be aware that your decisions and actions on and off the field affect the team.”

5. PREPARATION – Bobby Knight says t all: The will to win is overrated in athletics, because everyone wants to win. It’s the will to prepare to win that makes the difference. A side benefit of proper preparation is that it also helps you feel more confident.

REST AND NUTRITION – Your performance is directly impacted by your food and hydration choices as well as the amount of rest and seep you get. Some research on your part will help you make better choices in this area.

COACHABILITY – This has to do with your ability to receive, accept, and apply the coaching points from your coach. The smartest players not only learn from the coach, but also from their teammates.

EMOTIONS – You must act your way into Feeling and not feeling a certain way before you act. Former University of North Carolina basketball coach, Dean Smith said: You can act yourself into a new way of thinking more easily than you can think yourself into a new way of acting.

COMMUNICATION – Positive, assertive, and clear communication is not only something you can control, hut will also give you and your team an edge. Megan Jurado a 2012 NSCAA All-American for us at San Diego State said, ‘The sports psychology exercises really help our communication and how we work together. I think it has brought us together as a team.’

BODY LANGUAGE – While this is a part of communication, it is actually the most visible and easiest thing you can change. If you walk out with confident body language and remain that way under pressure situations, it will send a clear and powerful message to your teammates, your coach, and your opponents.

So I encourage you to concentrate on the controllables. Start with attitude and pick one other quality at a time to work on with your players. You and your team will start to think more effectively and steadily perform at a higher level.


Before You Give Up…

by

I found this on Lynne Terry’s ClickNewz blog. She had seen it several places before posting it. Starting today…

1. Give up trying to be perfect. – The real world doesn’t reward perfectionists, it rewards people who get things done.

2. Give up comparing yourself to others. – The only person you are competing against is yourself.

3. Give up dwelling on the past or worrying too much about the future.– Right now is the only moment guaranteed to you. Right now is life. Don’t miss it.

4. Give up complaining. – Do something about it.

5. Give up holding grudges. – Grudges are a waste of perfect happiness.

6. Give up waiting. – What we don’t start today won’t be finished by tomorrow. Knowledge and intelligence are both useless without action.

7. Give up lying. – In the long-run the truth always reveals itself. Either you own up to your actions or your actions will ultimately own you.

8. Give up trying to avoid mistakes. – The only mistake that can truly hurt you is choosing to do nothing simply because you’re too scared to make a mistake.

9. Give up saying, “I can’t.” – As Henry Ford put it, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right.”

10. Give up trying to be everything to everyone. – Making one person smile can change the world. Maybe not the whole world, but their world. Start small. Start now.

11. Give up thinking you’re not ready. – Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises. Because most great opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zones, which means we won’t feel totally comfortable at first.

12. Give up setting small goals for yourself. – Many people set small goals because they’re afraid to fail. Ironically, setting these small goals is what makes them fail.

13. Give up trying to do everything by yourself. – You are the sum of the people you spend the most time with. If you work together, you will be far more capable and powerful than you ever could have been alone.

14. Give up buying things you don’t need. – Manage your money wisely so your money does not manage you. Do not spend to impress others. Do not live life trying to fool yourself into thinking wealth is measured in material objects.

15. Give up blaming others for your troubles. – The extent to which you can live your dream life depends on the extent to which you take responsibility for your life. When you blame others for what you’re going through, you deny responsibility – you give others power over that part of your life.

16. Give up making mountains out of molehills. – One way to check if something is worth mulling over is to ask yourself this question: “Will this matter in one year’s time? Three years? Five years? If not, then it’s not worth worrying about.

17. Give up trying to live up to the expectations of others. – Work on it for real and exceed your own expectations. Everything else will fall into place.

18. Give up the ‘easy street’ mentality. – There is too much emphasis on finding a ‘quick fix’ in today’s society. For example taking diet pills to lose weight instead of exercising and eating well. No amount of magic fairy dust replaces diligent, focused, hard work.

19. Give up making promises you can’t keep. – Don’t over-promise. Over-deliver on everything you do.

20. Give up letting your thoughts and feelings bottle up inside. – People are not mind readers. They will never know how you feel unless you tell them.

21. Give up beating around the bush. – Say what you mean and mean what you say. Communicate effectively.

22. Give up avoiding change. – However good or bad a situation is now, it will change. That’s the one thing you can count on. So embrace change and realize that change happens for a reason. It won’t always be easy or obvious at first, but in the end it will be worth it.

23. Give up your sense of entitlement. – Nobody is entitled to anything in this world. We are all equal. We breathe the same air. We get what we give. We get what we earn.

24. Give up waiting until the last minute. – Those who fail to plan, plan to fail.

25. Give up being dramatic. – Stay out of other people’s drama and don’t needlessly create your own.

26. Give up being anti-athletic. – Get your body moving! Simply take a long, relaxing walk.

27. Give up junk food. – You are what you eat.

28. Give up eating as a means of entertainment. – Don’t eat when you’re bored. Eat when you’re hungry.

29. Give up foolish habits that you know are foolish. – Don’t text and drive. Don’t drink and drive. Don’t smoke. Etc.

30. Give up relationships with people who bring you down. – Saying “no” to right people gives you the time and resources required to say “yes” to right opportunities. Spend time with nice people who are smart, driven and likeminded.

31. Give up being shy. – Network with people. Meet new people. Ask questions. Introduce yourself.

32. Give up worrying about what others think of you. – Unless you’re trying to make a great first impression (job interview, first date, etc.), don’t let the opinions of others stand in your way. What they think and say about you isn’t important. What is important is how you feel about yourself.

33. Give up trying to control everything. – Life is an unpredictable phenomenon. No matter how good or bad things seem right now, we can never be 100% certain what will happen next. So do you best with what’s in front of you and leave the rest to the powers above you.

34. Give up doing the same thing over and over again. – In order to grow, you must expand your horizons and break free of your comfort zone. If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.

35. Give up following the path of least resistance. – Life is not easy, especially when you plan on achieving something worthwhile. Don’t find the easy way out. Do something extraordinary.

36. Give up persistent multi-tasking. – Do one thing at a time and do it right.

37. Give up thinking others are luckier than you. – The harder you work, the luckier you will become.

38. Give up filling every waking moment with commitments and activities. – It’s okay to be alone. It’s okay to do nothing sometimes. Think. Relax. Breathe. Be.

39. Give up making emotional decisions. – Don’t let your emotions trump your intelligence. Slow down and think things through before you make any life-changing decisions.

40. Give up doing the wrong things just because you can get away with it. – Just because you can get away with something doesn’t mean you should do it. Think bigger. Keep the end in mind. Do what you know in your heart is right.

41. Give up focusing on what you don’t want to happen. – Focus on what you do want to happen. Positive thinking is at the forefront of every great success story. If you awake every morning with the thought that something wonderful will happen in your life today, and you pay close attention, you’ll often find that you’re right.

42. Give up taking yourself so seriously. – Few others do anyway. So enjoy yourself and have a little fun while you can.

43. Give up spending your life working in a career field you’re not passionate about. – Life is too short for such nonsense. The right career choice is based on one key point: Finding hard work you love doing. So if you catch yourself working hard and loving every minute of it, don’t stop. You’re on to something big. Because hard work ain’t hard when you concentrate on your passions.

44. Give up thinking about the things you don’t have. – Appreciate everything you do have. Many people aren’t so lucky.

45. Give up doubting others. – People who are determined do remarkable things. Remember, the one who says it can’t be done should never interrupt the one doing it.

46. Give up trying to fit in. – Don’t mold yourself into someone you’re not. Be yourself. Oftentimes, the only reason they want you to fit in is that once you do they can ignore you and go about their business.

47. Give up trying to be different for the sake of being different. – Nonconformity for the sake of nonconformity is conformity. When people try too hard to be different, they usually end up being just like everyone else who is trying to be different. Once again, be yourself.

48. Give up trying to avoid risk. – There’s no such thing as ‘risk free.’ Everything you do or don’t do has an inherent risk.

49. Give up putting your own needs on the back burner. – Yes, help others, but help yourself too. If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now.


Coach Always Said…

by

This post was written by Eric Musselman.

IMO, it is a great reminder that our words as coaches can last a lifetime with the athletes that we coach, so it is imperative that we choose them wisely and intentionally.

I hope there are a few thoughts contained herein that you can edit so that they are meaningful to your athletes.

Here is what Coach Musselman has to say about the post.

Over the last 10 years, I’ve tried to make a note of every time a player said, “Coach always says…”. I’d see an article, highlight it, and toss it in a file.

During that time, I’ve come across hundreds of examples across every sport. It’s a simple reminder of what messages players retain and recall, sometimes years after they’ve left the field or the gym.

Here’s a selection of them.

I hope that some of them strike a chord with you and that they help you with the messages that you craft for your team.

“Enthusiasm is like rippling water; it spreads.”

“Make the easy play.”

“Don’t let your mind convince you that you can’t do something.”

“Play with your heart on defense and your head on offense.”

“The next play is the biggest play.”

“The pain of regret is worse than the pain of disappointment.”

“Let the mistakes go because if you hold on to them you’re going to keep making mistakes.”

“Practice is not about punishment, it’s about improvement.”

“How do you want to be remembered?”

“In 10, 15, 20 years, we won’t remember the scores but will remember the times we had.”

“Something that is moving tends to keep moving, and things that are stopped tend to stay stopped.”

“Don’t fear who you play, even if you know they have an advantage over you.”

“If you can’t be on time, be early.”

“Stay calm and play your game.”

“Every play matters.”

“Things in the past don’t matter, it’s what’s going on now that counts.”

“Don’t take anyone for granted.”

“Keep a cool head in a hot situation.”

“Not to think about ourselves; think about your teammates.”

“There are only two directions we can go — up or down.”

“Don’t let the day go by.”

“A game is just a practice with more people.”

“Play with poise.”

“Being a member of a team is a privilege, not a right.”

“Nobody is going to outwork us, but nobody will have more fun either.”

“You have to go out and find the best competition to compete against if you want to get better.”

“If you are not doing it the right way, why are you doing it? Learn how to do it the right way and practice it the right way.”

“If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.”

“You’ll be remembered by your last performance.”

“Toughness is a skill.”

“Don’t let anyone know that you’re frustrated.”

“You can’t think you’re good enough. If you think you’re good enough, you’re never going to get better.”

“If you do the little things right you’ll have a much better chance to win.”

“What you put in is what you get out.”

“You’re six inches away from success.” [Six inches is the distance between your ears.]

“Winning isn’t like a light bulb. You can’t just switch it on when you need it.”

“You don’t improve during the playoffs. You improve at practice.”

“If you want to be a champ, you have to surround yourself with champs.”

“The season is a marathon not a sprint. What matters is that our team gets better with each game and practice.”

“Fix the small problems and most of the big problems correct themselves.”

“Life is a journey, not a destination.”

“We either get better or we get worse. We never stay the same.”

“Hesitate and you’re dead.”

“You have to go hard on every play because it could be the difference in the game.”

“An excuse is the easiest thing in the world to make.”

“I don’t want excuses. I want results.”

“In every crisis lies opportunity.”

“The game doesn’t teach character, it reveals it.”

“Games typically come down to five plays. You either make those plays or you don’t.”

“Keep your mouth shut and keep working.”

“You have to rise to the occasion.”

“The mental is to the physical as 4 is to 1.”

“Just get better every game (and practice).”

“You never have a rebuilding year, you rebuild within yourselves.”

“Concentrate on effort; the results will take care of themselves.”

“Stop talking about doing it and do it.”

“Good things happen to good people who work hard.”

“Life is about relationships.”

Turn the page. Good stuff, bad stuff, just turn the page.”

“Effort is good, but intelligent effort is what we want.”

“Action is quicker than a reaction.”

‘We’re not playing our opponent. We’re trying to beat the game. The opponent is just another hurdle.”

“Have your teammates’ back.”

“Process.”

“Do your job and half of somebody else’s.”

“The person on top of the mountain didn’t fall there.”

“It’s not the quantity of practice, it’s the quality.”

“The advantage goes to the aggressor.”

“The people who move ahead are the ones who are ready when their opportunity comes.”

“Two or three bad things happen to you every game. You just have to come back and make another play.”

“It’s like a bundle of sticks. If you are one stick alone, it’s easy to break, but if it’s 11 sticks all together it’s hard to break.”

“Come back harder after you’re hurt.”

“No negative body language.”

“Hard work doesn’t guarantee success.”

“Your job is to find a way to turn the bad into good.”

“Take advantage of every opportunity that comes along. You may only have one chance.”

“The way you play in the game is a reflection of how you practice.”

“Forget about the last play. Think about the next play.”

“There is no such thing as a comfortable lead.”

“If you make a mistake, make an aggressive mistake.”

“The game starts in warm up.”

“If you have a passion for something, then do it as hard as you can — and as well as you can — every time.”

“Finish.”

“‘Potential’ is a scary word. It takes work to be good.”

“The team that makes the most plays and wins the turnover battle is going to win the game.”

“Don’t put your head down if you miss a shot.”

“Emotion comes and goes; passion is forever.”


10 Strategies to Help Coaches And Athletes Defeat Adversity

by

By Juan Pablo Favero, Associate Head Coach San Diego State University Women’s Soccer.

Originally published on the Coach and Athletic Director site and republished with permission of both parties.

It’s frustrating for athletes when they’re running on fumes, feeling like they have nothing more to give and that no matter what they do there is nothing left to push past a seemingly insurmountable wall. They can feel hopelessness, discouragement and defeat knocking at their door.

Whether the exhaustion is physical, emotional, mental or a combination of the three, we have all experienced what it’s like to “hit the wall.” While the wall is definitely not a good state to be in, there are two important facts we must remember for our own sake as well as that of the groups or teams we lead or coach.

First, athletes must understand that these moments can be overcome. They do have more in the tank if they grind it out. Second, when we don’t quit and we overcome these walls, they serve as a catalyst for growth and potentiate future success in a way that we, and our teams, would otherwise never experience.

In overcoming personal and professional walls, as well as helping athletes and teams overcome their walls, I have developed a very practical list of strategies over the years that I trust can assist both you and your teams to overcome obstacles.

Here are 10 ideas you can use with your own programs.

1 One step at a time. A popular sports cliché is “one game at a time.” This mentality is imperative for individuals and teams to succeed. When we hit walls, the finish line can seem very distant and the goal, which started out as a motivating force, can instantly become overwhelming and even demotivating.

We must remember that the emotional and physical tank is already running low when the wall comes into the forefront, so the time to focus on the big picture is not now. For this reason, it is imperative to just take the next small step, whichever it may be.

One more action stripped down to the most simple of levels allows us to regain momentum toward the direction we set out when we began. Once you complete that next step, the focus can move to the following step and so forth. Before you know it, you have overcome the wall by taking several small steps forward.

2 Positive self talk. The power of our internal dialogue is well researched and documented. There is no other moment as important as this to use this cognitive skill.

When you or your team struggles, the battle has to be waged and won inside the mind. The cognitive-behavioral cycle above helps explain how our thoughts give birth to every result we experience.

Every thought is a seed that grows into an attitude or mindset. Our attitudes in turn guide our actions or behaviors, which then yield consequences or results. Our results reaffirm and strengthen our thoughts and the cycle goes on.

If we want to have a different outcome, we must first change our “mental playlist” from negative, defeatist thoughts to positive, conquering ones. The use of cue words and affirmations both silently (internally) and out loud (externally) does indeed begin to energize us towards overcoming the wall and allow us to push past it, thus creating a different result.

The key is to remain positive, even in the midst of difficulties and challenges. This is the choice we, and our teams, must make.

3 Help one another. The beauty of being part of a team is critically important during the difficult moments. The accountability, encouragement and synergy that come from others pushing you forward should never be underestimated.

A relevant metaphor is “iron sharpening iron.” The positive voice of someone with whom you have a good relationship can be an energizing force to propel you past the wall. We must teach and encourage our teams to do this for each other. When you combine the use of positive self-talk and encouraging, uplifting communication, you create a contagious force that builds positive momentum.

4 Visualization. This is another very effective technique. At its most foundational level, visualizing simply means seeing yourself in the place you want to be. It is taking our positive thoughts and using our imagination to paint powerful pictures in our mind’s eye. By imagining ourselves successfully overcoming the challenge and believing that we can do it, we unleash the inner power inside our minds to fill our bodies with the belief necessary to continue our climb.

A quote I heard in grad school is, “Belief is the mother of all reality.” I would add that belief followed by action leads to the new reality we are seeking. Visualizing oneself and our teams being successful sets the stage for the materialization of success. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true.

5 Mental strength. There is no substitute to sheer will power, desire and the determination to see things through to their completion. Whether this is innate doesn’t really matter as much as the fact that any person can indeed develop and strengthen this kind of grit.

As leaders, we must assist our teams in the development of this skill by setting up challenging tasks for them to overcome. Mental strength, like a muscle, must be exercised and built little by little. It is forged only when we come face to face with walls — maybe small ones at first — and successfully overcome them.

The more we and our teams will ourselves to not give up and quit, the more mental strength we develop, allowing us to take on steeper challenges.

6 Past achievements. Whenever doubt kicks in and thoughts of quitting start to circle our heads, one quick way to evict these is to recall and focus on instances where we have successfully overcome past challenges. It may be the same or a similar experience, but focusing on previous successes and the positive feelings and emotions associated with them gives an instant boost of confidence, energy and motivation to keep going. Because the wall is a place of doubt, we must help our teams remember triumphs of the past in order to regain the confidence needed to experience success in the present.

7 Minor victories. This goes hand-in-hand with the first strategy of taking one step at a time, but the emphasis here is on the importance of celebrating a successful step in the right direction or an approximation to the desired outcome.

There is much research on the power of positive reinforcement and rewards, but the most practical concept I have seen and used on the matter is “catch them being good,” as explained in the book with the same title by Dr. Colleen Hacker and Tony DiCicco.

Simple yet very specific and genuine reinforcement related to an athlete’s effort and achievements goes a long way and helps build momentum.

8 Push past the pain. When we reach that point of wanting to give up or surrendering to the obstacle, we must push ourselves past our discomfort and pain. Much like a runner’s high produces instant gratification and a release of endorphins, pushing past the pain barrier creates the same kind of euphoric high, which serves as fuel. This mindset also propels our teams from bad to better, from good to great, and most of all, into their personal and collective best.

9 Focus on the why. The “what” is the goal, the “how” is the process, but the “why” is where the secrets lie. It’s important to distinguish that the “why” is not the goal itself but the reasons why we pursue a goal to begin with.

We must help our teams find and define their “why” long before the moment when the wall stops our forward momentum. The “why” gives purpose, and it’s the reasons behind the mission and the vision. Therefore, our job as leaders is to help define the team’s joint “why.” If the “why” is not clear, people won’t fight, won’t push and won’t persevere.

When the “why” is clearly communicated and defined, it serves as a force that pulls our teams toward the goal and past the walls they face.

10 Reward yourself and the team. The final step is to simply stop and smell the roses when the goal is achieved. I discovered that when this is done in a tangible and meaningful way, it serves to recharge both emotional and physical energy needed for the next challenge.

One suggestion here is to find ways to commemorate and symbolize big achievements. Whether it’s an autographed ball, a photograph or something more intricate, memorializing a triumph has a way of both acknowledging past victories and motivating for success over future walls.

A final thought to leave with you has to do with attitude. We, and our teams, must not allow for an outlook of fear and trepidation toward facing walls and obstacles. We must instead develop a mindset and culture where walls are looked at as not only opportunities but embraced as a blessing, as something meant to be overcome, and to bring out the best in us.

In the short film “The Butterfly Circus,” featuring Nick Vujicic, a quote that resonated deeply within me envelops what our mindset ought to be toward any wall we may face: “The greater the struggle, the more glorious the triumph.”

I wish you and your teams the struggles necessary to bring forth the memorable triumphs.