10-Minute Toughness: The Mental Training Program for Winning Before the Game Begins

10-Minute Toughness by Jason Selk ( http://www.enhancedperformanceinc.com/)

10-Minute Toughness: The Mental Training Program for Winning Before the Game Begins 

This is one of those books that you really debate whether to buy, but after reading it, and making a lot of notes and highlights, I will simply say buy it.

I find myself using the breathing technique all the time, and I found the exercises to be worth thinking about and doing.There are some parts that are a little simple, and there is some repetition but over all this is a good solid book.


I have noticed that one trait that truly successful people have in common is that they have developed and maintained a solution-focused approach in their careers and in life. 

You need to always ask yourself, every time you encounter each opportunity - What is one thing I can do that could make this better? Always have a solution on the board: A results-driven model that identifies the biological and environmental obstacles to achieving greatness. What is one thing I can do that could make this better?: A concrete method of overcoming all obstacles and making success a permanent state.

An effective way to control heart rate is to use a "centering breath" before and during competition. The centering breath, often referred to as a "diaphragm breath," is a long, deep inhalation of air into the diaphragm. Inhaling air into the diaphragm is a biological tool that helps control the heart rate. Taking a deep, centering breath allows individuals to keep their heart rate under control and perform at a more effective pace.

I have tried to simplify diaphragm breathing by qualifying a good centering breath as one that lasts fifteen seconds. The formula is 6-2-7: breathe in for six seconds, hold for two, and breathe out for seven seconds.

The heart rate is a primary control of a person’s arousal state. It is important to control heart rate because using the mind effectively becomes increasingly more difficult as the heart rate rises. Once the rate gets to 120 beats per minute, the mind will not be nearly as sharp (unless proper conditioning and mental training has occurred), and at about 150 beats per minute, the mind will essentially shut down and go into survival mode.

Do not focus on results but stay in the moment and execute one skill at a time, one routine at a time.

 If we do not choose our thoughts carefully, they can (and many times do) have a negative impact on performance.

"One skill at a time, one routine at a time."

When athletes keep their minds focused on positive performance cues, they are more likely to experience success.

10-Minute Toughness: The Mental Training Program for Winning Before the Game Begins 

A performance statement is a type of self-talk designed to help athletes zoom in on one specific thought to enhance performance consistency. It is a simple, yet concrete, thought that specifically identifies the process of success, or what it takes to perform at your best. The key is to identify the single most fundamental idea of what it takes for you to be successful to allow you to simplify the game.

For the majority of athletes, mental clutter usually occurs because individuals do not know what they should be thinking.

Mental toughness is abnormal, just as physical strength is abnormal. We are born without much muscle development. As we grow, if we don’t emphasize physical fitness, we will not develop appreciable strength. In that sense, it is somewhat abnormal to be physically strong. The same is true for mental toughness: most people don’t commit to replacing their negative thoughts with positive thinking.

In my opinion, the essence of mental toughness is the ability to replace negative thinking with thoughts that are centered on performance cues or that contribute to improved self-confidence.

The most helpful method to stop self-doubt and negative thinking is thought replacement. Effective thought replacement occurs when you decide what you want to have happen and then think more often about what it will take to make it happen.

Replace all thoughts of self-doubt or negativity with thoughts of what it is that you want, and you will be much more likely to have those things occur.

If you determine what you want to accomplish in any given situation and then lock your mind on what it takes to achieve that goal, you will have a much better chance of reaping the rewards.

As often as possible, choose to think about the path to success rather than the obstacles in your way. You have to decide what you want and then put your energy into acquiring it.

Cognitive psychology has taught us that the mind can fully focus on only one item at a time.

In short, if you are thinking about what is going wrong in your life, you cannot be thinking about what it takes to make it right. The most effective way to avoid self-doubt and mental clutter is to replace the negative thoughts with specific positive thoughts.

Listen first; then decide; be swift and confident.


10-Minute Toughness: The Mental Training Program for Winning Before the Game Begins 

Note: see yourself as a advisor to yourself. what would you say to someone else in your position. in my case I would say be what you want to be not what someone wants you to be

Self-image is internally constructed: we can decide how we view ourselves. The experience I had with Jenny taught me very early the powerful impact of maintaining a positive self-image. Each of us chooses how we see ourselves. Creating and using a positive identity statement will help you choose a powerful self-image. Largely what determines people’s self-image is the things they continually say to themselves,

Simply put, the individual who steps up to the starting line with a true belief in his or her ability to do well has a much greater likelihood of success than those who don’t have that mind-set.

In a revised version of Dr. Maxwell Maltz’s work Psycho-Cybernetics, testimonies from top athletes such as Jack Nicklaus and Payne Stewart and coaches such as Pat Riley and Phil Jackson support Maltz’s position regarding the powerful impact that self-image has on athletic performance. Self-image is not mental trickery; it is a scientifically proven agent of control.

The key is to create the self-image desired—decide who you want to be and how you want to live—and then continuously tell yourself that you have what it takes to be that person. The self-image will guide and direct actions and behaviors until the self-image becomes the reality.

In the words of Maxwell Maltz, "You will act like the sort of person you conceive yourself to be. More important, you literally cannot act otherwise, in spite of all your conscious efforts or willpower. This is why trying to achieve something difficult with teeth gritted is a losing battle. Willpower is not the answer. Self-image management is.

Stop thinking about what you can’t do and start thinking about you want to do.

Remember: the centering breath is a deep breath used to physiologically control heart rate and arousal. Taking a centering breath at the end of the mental workout is necessary for athletes because completing the personal highlight reel may cause the heart rate and arousal state to elevate. You always want to feel calm, confident, and relaxed up to the point of competition.

it is possible to overdue mental work. I tell athletes that doing the mental workout one time a day is great. Some clients prefer to do it a couple of times a day, and that is OK, but there is no need to do it more than twice a day.

Let’s take this opportunity to review the five tools in the mental workout before we move forward. First is the centering breath, which will take you fifteen seconds. Then you recite to yourself your performance statement, a self-statement designed to improve your focus on what it takes (process of success) to be successful; this should take about five seconds. In the third step, you run through your personal highlight reel, comprising three sixty-second clips of visualizations, for three minutes total. When your personal highlight reel is over, you deliver to yourself your identity statement, a self-statement to help you focus on developing the self-image you desire; as with the performance statement, this will take five seconds. You finish the mental workout with another fifteen-second centering breath.

The three concepts that turn ordinary goal setting into effective goal setting are these: 
Process goals produce results 
No excuses; go public 
Keep goals alive, and live the dream

The three levels, or types, of goals that I discuss with clients are ultimate goals, product goals, and process goals

Ultimate goals are the culmination of what you want to accomplish and how you want to accomplish it. When identifying your ultimate goals, imagine being able to look into the future and witness your retirement dinner.

Product goals are result-oriented goals. They are clearly measurable and usually are most effective if they emphasize accomplishments in the next twelve months.

Process goals are the "what it takes" to achieve the product goals you set. Process goals also must be specific enough to be measurable.

It is important to write your goals down and let others know of your intentions. The act of writing down as well as talking about your goals makes them more a part of your reality. The more you can see and recite your goals, the more steadily they move from your subconscious into your awareness.

"Never make excuses. Your friends won’t need them, and your foes won’t believe them.

Excuses promote underachieving.

For goals to work, they must become a part of daily training.

The 10-MT goal-setting plan is a three-step process: 1. Further on in this book, you will take a few minutes to write down your ultimate goals. Remember that ultimate goals are the summary accomplishments you want from your sport and how you want to be remembered as going about achieving those accomplishments. Additionally, you will set two product goals for the upcoming season, including three process goals needed to help achieve each of the product goals. 2. After practices and games, you will take about three to four minutes to fill out a Success Log. The Success Logs ask athletes to answer the following questions:      What three things did I do well today?      Based on today’s performance, what do I want to improve?      What is one thing I can do differently that could lead to the desired improvement? 3. Just before doing your mental workout, you will take one minute to review your Success Log entries from the previous day. Looking over your log just before going through your mental work will steer you to emphasize your improvement goals in your mental workout. Hence, the power of goals will be more alive in each and every practice and competition.

There are four steps you will need to take to personally tailor your 10-MT goal-setting program: Identify what your ultimate accomplishment would be. Determine the specific accomplishments (product goals) necessary to achieve your ultimate goal. For each accomplishment, identify what it will take on your part (process goals) to achieve the goal. Determine the personal sacrifices and character strengths required to live out your dream.

Defining your personal vision is essential to selecting the right goals. If you do not invest a little time to figure out with some precision who you want to be and how you want to live, you may well select goals to which you will not stay committed.

Consider using a methodology for choosing goals that Tal Ben-Shahar endorses. Dr. Ben-Shahar’s course on positive psychology has become one of Harvard’s most popular courses. In his book Happier, he outlines a process of selecting goals that produce happiness: First, make a list of all the activities that you know you are good at. Second, of all the activities you are good at, make note of those activities that you enjoy doing. Then go even further by selecting the activities from that list that you really like to do. Once you have that list, go one step further and note the activities that you really, really like to do. Those are the activities on which you should focus.

The 10-MT personal rewards program allows individuals to identify the specific type of motivation needed for optimal personal success. Distinguishing between material rewards and experiential rewards helps determine what combination balance works best. Additionally, it is helpful to be able to call on a supporting mentor, coach, or parent as you strive toward your ultimate goal.

Set goals that will lead to greatness, and you will maximize your athletic potential. It is also important to set new goals once a goal is achieved.

College basketball coach Rick Pitino noted that the difference between dreams and goals is that dreams are where we want to end up and goals are how we get there.

This doesn’t mean you train during every waking hour, day in and day out. For one thing, it is necessary to incorporate rest into training cycles. What it does mean is that if you know of something that would help your training and competitive performance, you owe it to yourself to at least test it

The two keys to being fully prepared and having unwavering confidence in yourself are, first, to put the time and energy into doing everything you know you need to do to be prepared and, second, to be aware that you are fully prepared.

I am a firm believer in the precept that winning versus losing is determined more on training days than on game days.

I think the person or team who prepares more fully in training wins more often.

From a training standpoint, I use the MP100 + 20 approach for work ethic and training. "MP100" means following 100 percent of your mental-training program and 100 percent of your physical-training regimen, and the "+ 20" symbolizes an additional 20 percent of energy put forth to make sure you are more prepared than the competition.

Lanny Bassham, an Olympic gold medal shooter, says that 5 percent of the people do 95 percent of the winning.

In addition to adhering to 100 percent of the physical-and mental-training plans, root out a way to personally contribute 20 percent more effort. 

10-MT program asks you to undertake three steps that will take you no more than ten minutes per day in all: Fill out the Goal Setting for Greatness Work Sheet once a year. Place it somewhere you will see it on a regular basis. Perform your mental workout before practices and competitions. Complete your Success Log after every practice and competition; review it just prior to completing your mental workout before the next day’s practice or competition.

Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz expound on the power of goals and rituals in their groundbreaking book The Power of Full Engagement. Rituals are the act of creating positive habits.

The 10-MT goal-setting program relies on seven principles for optimal effectiveness. Here’s a recap: Process over product. Each day, focus on your process goals, or "what it takes" to achieve your product goals. No excuses. Take full accountability for growth by not offering excuses for underachieving. Go public. Write your goals down, and tell others what they are, to increase your consciousness of your goals and your accountability for reaching them. Keep goals alive. On a daily basis, fill out your Success Log to enhance motivation and results in practices and competitions. Vision integrity. Choose goals aligned with who you want to be and how you want to live. Personal reward preference. Attach rewards to your goals to burnish motivation and commitment. MP100 + 20. Let goals embellish and control your work ethic by aspiring to follow 100 percent of training plans and committing a further 20 percent of your energy into outworking the competition.

Mental and physical training is all about putting yourself in the ideal position to succeed.

Excellence is achieved through a solution-focused mind.

Being solution focused means keeping your thoughts centered on what you want from life and what it takes to achieve what you want, as opposed to allowing thoughts of self-doubt and concern to occupy the mind. The difference between a solution focus and a relentless solution focus is how often you commit to replacing negative thinking with solutions.

Consider the following diagram: Let’s assume the chart represents the chalkboard of your life. On which side of the board have you spent the most time making entries? If you are like most people, you have spent most of your time operating from the "Problems" side. The human mind, as we know, is biologically pre-disposed to be more sensitive to problems, and because of this, we are likely to be problem focused. Whenever people get together, a logical topic of discussion is problems. We all have problems. It is natural to focus on problems, and that is what we talk about with each other.

An Olympic gold medal wrestling coach once told me that there are two principal types of athletes, those with talent and those with work ethic, and the greatest athletes possess both.

While you may not be able to control talent, you can always control work ethic.

When we think about problems, our problems grow. When we think about solutions, our solutions grow.

I needed to remind him of the difference between a relentless solution focus and a solution focus, which is the ultimate measurement of mental toughness.

People have a tendency to become so overwhelmed with life and all of the things that need to be done that it becomes increasingly difficult to accomplish anything at all.

Important concept: The idea that success can be achieved by meeting a string of basic, incremental goals in the present that will ultimately lead to excellence in the future. Use the concept to begin chipping away at your problems and even the biggest issues will become manageable before long.

Believe in yourself and your ability to make gradual improvements, and the results will follow. Gradual improvement over time brings about vibrant and sustainable growth.

You do not need to arrive at perfection; you need to slowly but surely make things better.

.10-Minute Toughness: The Mental Training Program for Winning Before the Game Begins 

Lanny Bassham, the Olympic gold medal shooter mentioned in Chapter 8, calls this handy precept the "ready, fire, aim" principle. Lanny claims that in sports and in life, people spend too much time aiming at the bull’s-eye and not enough time shooting at it. Rather than placing so much emphasis on getting ready and aiming, go ahead and take a shot. Taking the shot gets you started and also lets you gauge how far off the mark you are. Make adjustments, but keep shooting until you get closer and closer, and eventually you will hit the bull’s-eye.

Remind yourself that your body listens to what your brain tells it. If you tell yourself you don’t know, you’re right; by the same token, if you start telling yourself there is a solution, you will also be correct. From now on, when you ask the question, you must come up with an answer. Act as though your life depends on your contributing some form of answer. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the right one, but you have to get going on the process, and nothing clogs the process more than the "I don’t know" excuse.

This scenario raises another fundamental concept: anytime a person feels uncomfortable, it is a direct response to the perception of a problem. Use this natural alarm system to jump-start the solution-focus process. Anytime you feel angry, sad, stressed, frustrated, or just generally uncomfortable, seek out and define the underlying problem. Keep it simple, spending as little time and energy as necessary on this step. Once you nail down what is causing you to feel uncomfortable, immediately make the shift to the solution side of the board by asking yourself what one thing you could do differently that could make things better.

When a problem comes your way that you need to fix, make sure it does cross your mind to take action. Stay solution oriented, and narrow your focus to the present and what you can do now

A three-step process carries you to experiencing success as a permanent state and failure as only temporary: Decide what you want to accomplish and what it takes to get there (product and process goals). Choose to act on the physical and mental plans needed to accomplish your goals (MP100 + 20). One of two things happens—either you achieve your goals or you make adjustments to step one (relentless solution focus).

when members of a group are solution focused, they will be more successful as individuals.

Until there is a solution on the board, continue to ask, "What is one thing we can do that would make this better?"

I consider an individual to be mentally tough when the mind is in control of thoughts that help the body accomplish what is wanted

When problems knock you for a loop, don’t feel sorry for yourself or make excuses. Get your mind tuned to what you want to accomplish, get a firm handle on what it will take to achieve your goals, and then get busy. Begin the physical and mental work needed to get yourself past obstacles you encounter.

If you want to rise higher in sports and in life, it is your responsibility to do what it takes to make it happen. Do not waste your breath or brain cells on cursing the unfairness and difficulty of your plight. Appoint goals, equip yourself with a mental workout that emphasizes what it takes to achieve those goals, and then don’t let anyone or anything stop you.

I believe that if you feel the need to announce that you are trying, you probably need to find a way to try harder. "I am trying" is what folks say when they are not accomplishing what they set out to do. Telling yourself and others that you are trying distracts you from thinking about what you need to do differently. Next time, instead of falling back on "I am trying," ask yourself, "What is one thing I can do that could make this better?

When you know what you want to accomplish, write it down, and spread the word. Talking about your goals will spring them from your subconscious into your consciousness. It will also add to your accountability. It is harder to call it quits if you have publicly declared that nothing will stop you. Become a "no-excuses" athlete. If you come up short on your goals, avoid giving the reasons why. Simply tell yourself and anyone else who is interested that you missed the mark and you will work on improving and doing better next time. Accountability is a tremendously powerful tool for growth—and excuses are the number one obstacle to accountability.

Anytime you are in the presence of adversity, ask yourself, "What is one thing I can do that could make this better?" Force yourself to give a substantive answer. ("I don’t know" is not an answer that will help.) You do not need perfection; all you need is improvement.

Decide what you want to accomplish and what it takes to get there (product and process goals). Choose to act on the physical and mental plans needed to accomplish your goals (MP100 + 20). One of two things happens—either you achieve your product goals or you make adjustment to your process goals (relentless solution focus).

.10-Minute Toughness: The Mental Training Program for Winning Before the Game Begins