Day 1: Unlocking Your True Potential

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Give yourself permission to fail and not be perfect all the time.A champion wins in his mind first, then he plays the game. Not the other way around. Remember, as Yogi Berra once said, ““90% of the game is half mental.” Last year, how many ABs did you throw away? Where the pitcher didn’t beat you but you beat yourself. What if we could cut that in half?

Day 2: Be Fearless!

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Fear creates tension, doubts, anxiety, pressure, and even panic. Fear makes you contract and play small. You’re focused on the negative and worried about making mistakes. Fear is natural. You should accept fear and recognize that the reason it is there is because you have a desire to perform well! That’s a good thing.

FEAR = False Evidence Appearing Real

Fear of Failure + Fear of Success

Day 3: For The Love Of The Game

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Humans are motivated in one of two ways. Either moving towards pleasure or away from pain, the desire to succeed or the fear of failure. Your desire to succeed needs to be stronger than your fear of failure. One of the ways I thrive best is thinking about the doubts that others have in me, whether that be teammates, friends, or even coaches.

Stop playing for someone else, like Dad. You have to play for YOU!

What is your mission? What motivates you? Why do you play this game? Why do you want to play well? Why do you want to play at the next level?

Day 4: The Glass Is Always Half-Full

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Be optimistic.

We all have two voices inside our head. One is positive and one is negative. Always choose to listen to the positive voice. If you step in the box thinking, “Man, this pitcher has great stuff. He throws really hard. I can’t catch up to his fastball. I hope I don’t strike out…” Guess what’s going to happen? Instead, choose to think a different way. “This guy is pretty good, but so am I. He throws hard, but the harder he throws, the further it goes! I’m gonna time the fastball and crush his mistake!” Two totally different ways to think about the exact same situation. It’s easy to see which one will lead to better results. Choose to be positive! Always and every time. Go a complete day without complaining. You’ll notice this lack of negativity will lead to more success on the baseball field and in life. Choose to be Mr. Positive and good things will come your way!

Day 5: Rejection Challenge

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Ozzie Smith – “Show me a guy who’s afraid of looking bad and I can beat him every time.”

This week we talked about fear of failure, fear of success, being optimistic… this task is going to challenge you!

The first step to success is getting out of your own way. Give yourself permission to fail and not be perfect all the time.

Day 6: The Hourglass Effect

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Your hourglass is quickly running out of sand! Your athletic career will be OVER in the blink of an eye. How do you want to be remembered?

What goals do you want to achieve?

Remember – NOW is the time to completely dedicate yourself to your craft. You can watch TV, play video games, and go party once your career is over.

Day 7: Over-Try and Under-Perform

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Over-trying leads to underperforming. When we over-try, our muscles tense up. Tight muscles are slow muscles, which is why when we try to give 110% we end up throwing the ball slower, swinging slower, running slower, etc.

Day 8: Don’t Ride The Rollercoaster

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Every player is different. Every role on the team is different. Everyone has a different attitude, different composure levels, etc. Some players play best when they are fired up and full of energy, others play best when they stay mellow, calm, cool, collected, relaxed.

Every role is different – a starting pitcher has to have more of a “marathon mentality” than a closer who simply needs to slam the door and get 3 outs.

Again, go back to when you are at your best. Are you wound tight? Are you calm and relaxed? Between 1 and 10 – where do you fall on the spectrum when you play your absolute best?

What worked best for me is never getting too high and never getting too low. I liked to have a happy medium. Energized and ready to play, but not with a crazy football attitude. If you feel yourself getting too high or too low, you can make changes with your breathing, thoughts, music, etc.

Day 9: Trust The Process And Aim For Progress

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Performance goals (4 QABs) + outcome goals

SMART goals

Seek progress, not perfection. Goals are dreams with a timeline.

Discipline – Doing what needs to be done, regardless of whether you feel like doing it or not.

So many players around the world have a similar skill set and talent level. Attitude is what makes all the difference. Be optimistic! Not just in baseball, but in life! You’ll perform better and you’ll even live a longer life. Ever get caught saying, “I hate hitting against lefties?” It’s no wonder why you don’t have success against them. You’re already beat before you even step in the box!

Day 10: Reverse Engineering Challenge

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You need to have a clear vision of what you want the future to look like. Close your eyes and plan it out. Think of exactly where you want to be in 5 years. No dream is too big. Don’t let people sway you into the idea that your dream isn’t reachable. Once you have your dream (your ultimate goal), then all there is left to do is reverse-engineer your dream into monthly, weekly, and daily goals. The simplest but most difficult part – then you gotta work your plan!

Day 11: How To Create Confidence Out Of Thin Air

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Remember what Carl Yastrzemski said – “The night before a game, I visualize the pitcher and the pitches I’m going to see the next day. I hit the ball right on the button. I know what it’s going to feel like. I hit the pitches where I want to.”

Another great example is with the soccer legend, Pele, who’s routine was something like this – sit somewhere quiet with a towel over your face. Recall your childhood. Go deep! What are your best baseball memories? Who were you playing with? Where were you playing? What were the sights, the sounds, the smells.

Fast forward to the present moment. What are your greatest games you’ve played over the past few years? What are some of the best moments? (Homeruns, shutouts, walk-off hits, crazy plays in the field.

Finally – start mentally rehearsing for today’s game. Picture your opponents. Picture yourself in the batter’s box, on the mound, in the field. Picture the ball being hit your way and you making the play. Or you crushing that mistake the pitcher left right over the plate.

Day 12: Find A Focal Point

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When the crap hits the fan and things don’t go according to plan, the focal point will help you re-center your thoughts and energy.

Try to find a focal point that you can rely on every time you step on the field. That’s why I like to use the left field foul pole. I know that no matter where I play, home or away, there’s always going to be a left field foul pole.

Day 13: Take A Chill Pill!

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Everyone on the planet gets nervous or suffers from anxiety. You must be willing to learn how to get comfortable being uncomfortable.. Use your breathing. FOCUS.

Play the game one pitch at a time. Win this pitch, then do it again. Pressure is created when you worry about failures that happened in the past or you get anxiety about the future.

Day 14: Avoiding “Don’t” Like The Plague!

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The mind can only concentrate on one task at a time. This is why when you think negative thoughts like, “Don’t strike out!” or “Don’t bobble this ball,” you actually attract yourself into doing just the thing you’re trying to avoid! Your brain doesn’t register the word don’t. Saying, “I hope I don’t strike out” will directly lead to, “I hope I strike out.” This is called the Law of Dominant Thought. Your actions always follow your thoughts. So, rather than tell your mind things you don’t want to have happen, try telling your mind what you DO want to have happen! Instead of “Don’t strikeout here” say “See it and hit it” or “Hammer the ball.” Get a notecard and write your performance keys to success. What are you doing when you’re really on your game?

Day 15: Routine Crafting Challenge

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Routines are one of the most important things to have, especially in a game like baseball. How can you expect consistent results without a consistent routine?

This worksheet will help you develop your game-day routine. You’ll know how early to wake up, when to start getting ready, etc.

Day 16: Body Language

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Body language, or nonverbal communication, play a huge role in your success, not only on the baseball field but in life.

“Your body language shapes who you are.”

You are often judged by others before you ever say a single word, including judged by scouts and coaches! It’s how you walk up to the plate. It’s how you react after something goes wrong, like a strikeout or an error. It’s how you react to events both good and bad!

There’s nothing that will get you written off by coaches and scouts more than showing bad body language!

Day 17: Eat The Elephant One Bite At A Time!

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Instead of focusing on getting 3 hits today, why don’t you focus on winning this particular pitch that’s coming to you right now? Be in the moment, the here and now. If you’re pitching with runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs, don’t worry about how you’re going to get out of the inning. Worry about making a good pitch right here, right now. Focus on the glove and throw through your target. It comes down to breaking your goals down into bite sized chunks, or eating the elephant one bite at a time!

Day 18: Pressure Makes Diamonds

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Pressure – most of it comes from within. We’ve all felt it before. Your heart beats quicker. Your breathing quickens. Your hands get sweaty. Pressure, butterflies, and anxiety are all good things! It means you care about the end result. It means you want to play to your full potential. Always remember, pressure exists for everyone – and pressure is what turns rock into diamonds!

The best way I’ve found to cope with pressure is to imagine the absolute worst case scenario. Let’s say you go 0 for 4 with 4 strikeouts. Are you not going to eat that night or have a roof over your head? Always remember that the worst thing that could happen really isn’t even that bad. Keep things in perspective!

Day 19: Control The Controllables

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Tough things are going to happen in baseball and in life. Calls aren’t going to go your way. You’re not going to do as well as you’d hoped on an exam. You’re going to get dumped. It’s not about the event, it’s about how you respond to it. The good news is that its completely up to YOU. You control your own destiny.

You can’t control whether the umpire calls a borderline pitch a ball or a strike. So forget about that! But you can control your approach at the plate. You’re the one with the bat in your hand. Don’t leave a close call up to the umpire. Take matters into your own hands!

Day 20: Honest Coach Evaluation Challenge

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This is one of the most powerful challenges contained in the Diamond Mindset. Find a coach you respect who is going to give you honest answers. Have him fill out the worksheet.

Remember – EVERYONE has room for improvement. You’re only as strong as your weakest link, so this is a great opportunity to improve on your weaknesses!

Be sure to email me with how you liked the Diamond Mindset. What breakthroughs have you had? Would you recommend it to others?

Whether you have a question or need assistance, you may contact us anytime…

Customer Support Email: support@ultimatebaseballtraining.com

Resources

Downloads

Rejection Challenge Worksheet
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Reverse Engineering Challenge Worksheet
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Routine Crafting Challenge Worksheet
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Honest Coach Evaluation Worksheet
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BONUS: Pre-Game Confidence Booster