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Re-setting Your Limits

Comfort is the enemy of growth. Navy SEALS know that, and they’re teaching it to U.S. Olympians.
“We’re going to re-set your baseline today,” a SEAL tells a group of athletes as they embark on a grueling session to test and expand their limits.
Olympians and SEALS are just like the rest of us. They have limits [...]

Do You Talk Too Much?

Today marks the birthday of William Henry Harrison, ninth president of the United States. He came into this world in 1773, the last president to be born before the Declaration of Independence.
Few things about Harrison’s life can rival the facts about his death. He served only 32 days, the shortest tenure of any president. He [...]

How J.J. Watt Did It

Not long ago, J.J. Watt was delivering pizzas for a living. Yesterday he delivered one of the biggest plays of Wild Card Saturday.
Watt intercepted an Andy Dalton pass and returned it for a touchdown, leading the Houston Texans past the Cincinnati Bengals in the first game of the NFL playolffs.
Watt’s, play according to Houston defensive [...]

Preparing for a Great 2012

“Only you can control your future.” — Dr. Seuss
Last night we went to a Japanese restaurant, the kind where the chef puts on a show while cooking your dinner right in front of you.
His showmanship was one thing, but what really impressed me was the preparation. Great care had gone into cutting the vegetables and [...]

How to Create a Great 2012

What can you do to make 2012 your best year yet?
It all begins in the few precious hours before Dick Clark comes on TV and the ball comes down in Times Square. With one fun exercise you can create a year to remember.
Just use the Banquet Technique. It comes in three steps.
First, imagine that this [...]

The Courage to Try Again

Something about this quote really touches me:
“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.’”
Those words resonate because a friend of mine is going through a hard time right now. Or, to be precise, one of my friends has confided in me [...]

Language and Coaching

The other day on a cooking show, the host said she was making a classic French dish.
“Classic French dish,” she said, “is code for lots and lots of butter.”
Wow! That really made me think. I’ve heard the phrase “classic French dish” many times, but I never attached the same meaning to it [...]

Before Drills

I just attended the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches’ annual clinic in San Antonio. Sue Semrau, coach of the women’s team at Florida State, gave a knockout talk on “Building a Program.”
She relayed one of the best quotes I’ve ever heard.
“If you’re going to build ships, don’t hand out wood and nails, or divide up [...]

Why People Succeed/Fail

No subject interests me as much as how and why people improve.
Just now on TV, hockey expert Stan Fischler did a piece on “Diamonds in the Rough,” a look at the top five players who reached the National Hockey League despite not being drafted.
Each player represents a story that is hard to believe. NHL teams [...]

Where Do Unlikely Heroes Come From?

Beware the player who performs best when either far behind or far ahead.
Someone gave me that advice years ago, and it comes to mind as the season unfolds for New Jersey Devils forward Ilya Kovalchuk.
A high-scoring winger acquired last year, Kovalchuk thrived when his team seemed to be out of contention. Then, with his help, [...]