3 Ingredients to every player's success

1. Self-Discipline
2. Competitive Fire
3. Self-Belief

Remove the clutter

From Darren Hardy of Success Magazine comes four suggestions to get in control of the information you allow into your head:


1: Cut the Cord.
Most of what passes for news is negative, sensational and appalling and has no contribution to your personal goals in life. Stop watching any broadcast TV, don't read the newspapers and don't listen to news radio.


2: Selective Listening.
Set up RSS feeds to pull information on specifically what you need/want to read about. Register for newsletters or blog updates on topics and subjects that are relevant to your objectives. Once they become unproductive then unsubscribe.

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3: Low-Information Diet.
If you aren't comfortable getting only the most productive and relevant information you need to be more successful, then at least put yourself on a low-information diet. Find 15 minutes a day to catch up with national and world news updates—whether through a favorite news aggregator online, newspaper or single radio program—then don't overconsume.

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4: Mind Your E2E Ratio.
What is the primary difference between the 5 percent who are wealthy and those who are not? The 95 percent focus their attention and extra time on entertainment while the 5 percent look to spend their extra time on education. Evaluate yourself: How much time do you spend on entertainment and how much on education? The imbalance of this equation could be the reason your life isn't where you want it to be.


Check out: www.SuccessMagazine.com
Post compliments of Bob Starkey / LSU

4 Tips to Career Perspective

Some great stuff from Stephanie Zonars on something that is very difficult for many of us in the coaching profession -- finding balance:



Leaders are overwhelmed with many roles and responsibilities. Making life work means figuring out how to integrate the various areas of life in a way that brings satisfaction and meaning.

We’re working our way through seven key life areas that impact your life balance. So far we’ve addressed faith, family and wellness. This month we’ll look at career.

Most of my clients don’t struggle with job satisfaction, but rather with keeping their career in perspective. Perhaps you can relate. Has your pursuit of professional excellence taken over your life, prohibiting you from giving attention to other areas?

Former Ball State Associate Head Coach, Lisa McDonald, loved being a Cardinal for the last 9 seasons. Though she developed better life balance habits in recent years, life as a college coach allowed her only about 3 weeks a year with her family in Arizona. She decided it was time for a change and recently left coaching to move back to Flagstaff to work with her brother's company as a personal trainer.

For Lisa, better life balance and living a values-driven life meant changing jobs. Better life balance for you may not require a job change, but it will likely require some change. If you have trouble:



• Turning off your cell phone, or not answering work calls/emails at home or after hours
• Being “all there” mentally and emotionally when you are with family/friends
• Leaving your office at a reasonable hour
• Relaxing and turning “work” off in your mind
• Making time to exercise, recreate and eat right
• Getting through a day without caffeine
• Saying no
then it’s time to evaluate your career and make some adjustments to live a healthier life.

You want to know the truth? Are you ready? Ok, here you go— you will never get it all done! No matter how long you work, there will always be more to do. And yet, we weren’t created to work 24/7/365. Stress, burnout and health issues besiege those who try.

Your work is part of your life—and a good part. But it’s not meant to be your life. Here are a few ideas to help create more separation between your career and the rest of your life:

Take a vacation: Americans earn the least amount of vacation days in the world, and still 35% of employed US adults don’t use their vacation days. Make a commitment to take all your vacation days…every year.

Go unplugged: Decide to spend daily, uninterrupted time with your family, a friend or even by yourself and refuse to answer work calls or emails. Put it in your schedule and tell your co-workers.

Leave the office: Schedule appointments that will force you to leave the office at a reasonable time. Agree to pick up the kids three days/week or to meet someone for dinner.

Be accountable: If you know that changing a particular habit will give you better balance but you can’t seem to change it on your own, agree to pay a friend $10 for every time you don’t follow through. It’s amazing how a little cold, hard cash motivates!


Life Beyond Sport Bottom Line: you were not meant to work all the time. Losing perspective on your career and believing that you're indispensable at work leads to unhealthy habits, sending the others areas of your life into a tailspin. Get perspective on your career, set some limits around it, and become more productive and happy.


Visit Stephanie's website: http://www.lifebeyondsport.com/
Compliments of Bob Starkey / LSU Hoops

The Enemy we Face

Courtesy of the book, "Make the Big Time Where You Are" by Frosty Westering.

The enemy I had, I didn't even know.
He followed me unseen, wherever I would go.

He blocked my plans, he blocked my way,
He countered me, even before I could say.

Each time I would make the effort to try,
He made me afraid, so I'd let things pass by.

One night I caught him and grabbed for his mask;
I wanted to see, I wanted to ask.

But to my amazement as I looked at his face,
It was me that I saw, and I prayed for GOD'S GRACE.

The enemy who had been hiding inside,
I finally let go of, and the enemy died.

My new friend inside shares an exciting new way.
He says "YES WE CAN" as we start out each day.

Our SPIRIT in life is the KEY TO IT ALL.
Our BELIEF deep inside picks us up when we fall.

I can run LIFE'S RACE with a CALM INNER PEACE.
I GO FOR IT NOW WITH TOTAL RELEASE.

3's from Coach Allen Osborne

This is from Coach Bob Starkey at LSU. He got it from his middle school Coach Allen Osborne via email. Allen has built an elite program at Poca High School in West Virginia.



Three things in life that, once gone, never come back:
1. Time
2. Words
3. Opportunity


Three things in life that can destroy a person:
1. Anger
2. Pride
3. Unforgiveness


Three things in life that you should never lose:
1. Hope
2. Peace
3. Honesty


Three things in life that are most valuable:
1. Love
2. Family
3. Kindness


Three things in life that are never certain:
1. Fortune
2. Success
3. Dreams


Three things that make a person
1. Commitment
2. Sincerity
3. Hard work

Promise Yourself

A Motivational Poem
Promise Yourself
By Christian D. Larson

Promise yourself….

To be so strong that nothing
can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity
to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel
that there is something in them
To look at the sunny side of everything
and make your optimism come true.

To think only the best, to work only for the best,
and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others
as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past
and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times
and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself
that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear,
and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world,
not in loud words but great deeds.
To live in faith that the whole world is on your side
so long as you are true to the best that is in you.