Here at Positive Performance, our business circles around one big question:

"How do I perform better?"

The answer isn't so simple, involving a really broad set of answers that reach into various facets of athletic and mental training.

But, in the spirit of this season of giving thanks, I’d like to talk a bit about how thankfulness affects performance. Mostly, being grateful means you have to...

Think outside of "you"

Within our mental training program, we teach a principle called ‘Belief in a Purpose’. Essentially, this is about playing and living for something beyond the scoreboard.

For some people, this “something beyond the scoreboard” might be their religion, personal growth, or spirituality. For others, it might be about the pride of a job well done, the challenge of hard work, or the joy that comes from being a part of a group working towards a common goal.

It doesn’t matter WHAT the purpose is. It matters HOW that purpose...

Change happens on a cellular level. The gist is this: we all get hooked on hormones. For example, if you are used to being stressed all the time, your cells not only adjust to the high levels of cortisol (that’s the “stress hormone”) in your system, but you actually begin to like it, and then need it.

In short: you get “addicted”.

Ever feel weird while or shortly after relaxing, after experiencing a lot of stress? It’s because you’re on withdrawal; your downtime has literally become your rehab.

The same thing happens when you workout a lot: you get used to working out, your body produces and gets used to “consuming” dopamine and serotonin, and then proceeds to whine about not having those hormones when the workouts stop.

Personally, I've always had a hard time taking a real vacation (to the complaints of my wife). Going from high stress/high stimulation environment to peace and quiet was unsettling.

I was programmed for stress...

Fitness resolutions are some of the most common, and toughest, goals people create for themselves. Why is that? Well, likely because “fitness” doesn’t involve just one specific thing, but a whole slew of miniature commitments that all must be taken seriously for the ultimate goal to be achieved. And, when those smaller components aren’t taken seriously, that’s when excuses creep in to mess up those good intentions.

How many fitness resolutions are in your fitness resolution, exactly?

One of the main reasons why 92% of people fail to achieve their New Year’s fitness resolution is because they’ve improperly considered the actual goal they've set for themselves. In other words, the goal is too vague; the resolution is actually composed of several explicit goals rolled into one.

For instance, we all know “getting fit” doesn't happen by a flip of a switch! There are lots of factors and sub-factors to consider, like…

1. ...

With the switching of calendars comes the all too common New Year’s wish:

“I want to change me.”

Many people’s New Year’s Resolutions refer to weight loss, a career change, or a new outlook on life. But, for athletes and coaches, what does “change” really mean? Does it refer to something that can be seen or touched, like a different workout regimen, a new schedule, an alteration of pace or program? Or does it mean something less material, like a switching of attitude or perspective about the game overall?

Any of these things can affect an athlete’s performance for better or worse. But, without solid performance goals set in place, measuring those changes will be difficult and possibly even pointless.

Designed to create goals

Human beings are natural record keepers. We like to know where we’ve been so we can know where we’re going. From warfare to finances to relationships, recordkeeping, whether written down or merely kept...