Character & Mental Toughness- Four Foundations of Success

Four Foundations of Success

by @coachbillmoore

Read Coach Moore’s new book “On Character and Mental Toughness” available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon and Kindle (just click your preferred link link!)

1. Do what you are coached to do.

-Listen when you are being taught something. Be able to repeat what you have been taught both now and in the future.  Be able to teach someone what you are taught.

-You will be given a role and coached to do things that are good for the team.

– You will not be asked to do anything that’s not in your best interests in regards to the team. You may not like it, but think of the team first.

-You will be asked to work extremely hard in trying to improve on a daily basis.

-You will be given an assignment (block a defender, force the ball inside, hang clean, arrival time, etc.).

– You will be taught how to do your assignment (technique).

– You will execute your assignment, and if you mess  it up, you will be corrected and if need be you will be told how your failing to do what is asked hurts you as well as your teammates.  If you fail at an opportunity, keep working and don’t quit. Another one will present itself, and hopefully you will be prepared.

-You will be taught what it takes to win, much of which will be difficult and inconvenient,  winners do it, it either gets done or we lose, the reason it does not get done does not matter, get it done, learning to win in football is learning to win in life.

2. Have good character on and off the field

Care– care about yourself, care about your effort and behavior, care about your teammates and their effort and behavior, care about the people who support you, care about your family, your coaches, your school, and your community that you represent (football players are always in uniform, year round), follow the golden rule, care when things are not going well for you or the team.

Have humility-be aware of your weaknesses (athletic, football, personal), never be too good to do the grunt work (carry a water bottle, rack the weights, clean up the field, film a game, put your trash in the garbage) or offer your help, accept your coaching, recognize that you can always get better in some way, work on your weaknesses, someone near or far is always better than you…..for now.

Own your attitude– you control it, you are responsible for it, you can change it at will, don’t feel sorry for yourself or point fingers, don’t wish things were easier wish you were better, smile, clap your hands, clench your fist, fire up your will not your won’t, fake it til you make it, attitudes are contagious, know where your @titude is @, change the station if need be, keep good company, make the best of it.

Accept accountability–  what you do or don’t do effects not just you but the team, we win or lose based on how hard you work today, how much you hustle, and how much you are willing to sacrifice to get your job done, if it’s gonna be it start’s with me, don’t fear being held responsible, crave the opportunity to be the rare man who can always be counted on.

Be a good teammate– be on time, be where you are expected, be someone they can count on, listen to the guys who are more experienced and trying to help you out, help out the less experienced, give up being selfish, always look for ways to get closer and strengthen your bonds, inspire with your effort, motivate with your words, make things fun with humor, energy and enthusiasm, get better together, we win and lose together, you are always in uniform, your teammates will  be  your teammates in the off-season and for the rest of your life, they are always watching you and evaluating you, make them proud, give the team your best self.

Take initiative– when you see something needs to be done, do it, without being told, look for opportunities both big and small that will help you achieve team and individual goals, get in the boat and pick up an oar, get after it, always learning.

Be Aware– Constantly survey and recognize the factors that will help you be successful, notice how others feel and act, know the environment you are in and the people you are sharing it with, keep your head on a swivel, Neo became aware…see the 1’s and 0’s.

3. Give a great effort to get better on and off the field

Quick to Improve-Winners win because they improve faster than average people do. Teams are the same. That’s it. When average people are busy being average,winners are getting a little better; all that little adds up to the difference between success and failure.

Appreciate the magnitude of your seemingly small actions and inactions– every day matters, every rep matters, you matter, Doing small unimportant things the right way will lead you to doing large important things successfully.

Get in the ’Get Better‘ habit– seeking to constantly improve in all  you do will help you get better in what you want to do.

4. Be consistent

Exhibit Mental toughness  in doing the right things all of the time, no matter how you feel or what the conditions or circumstances are.  Endure pain, discomfort, injustice, and inconvenience.  Winners accept the difficult. Winners expect the difficult.

Start and finish.  Be persistent, be relentless, forward to the goal no matter the difficulty or challenge you must overcome to complete the task, keep swinging, get back up, next play, you are going to get over it sooner or later so get over it now.

Discipline– stay focused on what you should be doing, not on what you want to do, maintain self-control, follow through on your intentions, make sure those around you are doing the same

Challenge yourself– seek out challenges small and large, when offered a challenge think of the reward, risk to grow,take on challenges big and small. Compete!

Right. Now. -never accept losing, never give less than your best, never put things off, do it right, do it now. Right. Now.

It’s possible– If something is important to you, you will find a way; if it’s not, you will find an excuse. Impossible is an excuse.

Read Coach Moore’s new book “On Character and Mental Toughness” available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon and Kindle.