I was afraid … not only of failure, but also of success. Yes, success! I didn’t fear the successful outcome itself, I was afraid of stepping out of my comfort zone that would lead me to the outcome. The unknown, even if potentially successful, was more frightening than sticking with what I knew … average and mediocre.

I was angry … not of negative outcomes, but more about not challenging myself, knowing it would lead me to growth. This anger affected all of my decisions, often becoming cycles of negativity, angering me even more. This cycle felt like a tornado, impossible to escape.

I was insecure … about what you thought, they thought, and what I thought of myself. I felt insecure about my physical and internal makeup. I knew that you were talking negatively about me the second I walked in the room, and would continue after I left. The mirror – oh that damn mirror! It made sure I never broke loose from my mental handcuffs.

I lacked confidence … not of what I knew, but of anything I didn’t specialize in. Good wasn’t good enough – great was the only answer. And because great is difficult to achieve, that lack of confidence was felt daily. Unfortunately, it affected all that i did, very often keeping me from experiencing necessary growth. I never understood confidence was a choice. I was a slave to it’s sense of humor.

I was selfish … I only cared about myself and what would further my specific situation. Your feelings didn’t matter, unless it helped my cause. Being a professional athlete is a selfish path, but I didn’t know (or cared to learn) how to turn off the switch at home. Self-absorbed was my way of thinking, speaking, and acting.

Good news: Who I was then doesn’t dictate who I am now, or who’ll I become tomorrow. I changed due to my unrelenting need for growth. I am 1%, in all sense of the meaning. You?

What’s going to get you out of bed at 5:30 to workout? What’s going to give you the power to keep kicking in doors that continuously slam in your face? How will you keep throwing punches when it seems hopeless?

When I was training full time to become a world ranked tennis player, and my alarm startled me at 5:00 am, I would repeatedly ask, “Why am I doing this? It’s 5:00 in the freakin morning.” The only thing that got me out of bed and into my cross-trainers was my motivation. After reaching the top step of the local junior college stadium at sunrise, my muscles would tell my mind they couldn’t take another step. My stomach would tell my mouth to get ready. Two legged squat jumps up countless number of concrete steps, sprint to the other side of the stadium, walk down, start over. 25 times up, over, and down. When that torture was done, I was still left with another 1 1/2 hours of a different, more difficult type of hell to live through. I was a professional athlete. Sacrifice, pain, and mental discipline was my reality. The only thing that kept me from quitting during these moments of fatigue and nausea was my motivation.

What kept me motivated was the opponent who was working harder than me, and who I would eventually have to compete against. I knew that if I quit, and he didn’t … I had no chance of winning. Every time I heard myself begging myself to stop, I visualized the 6’4″ German stud who was waiting for me in the final round of the US Open qualifier, ready to take my head off. If I stopped my workout early, he would destroy me. I became so detailed with this visual, I actually cut out a picture of a German athlete’s face, and taped it to my bathroom mirror. I had his sweaty mug burned into my memory. The fear of getting outworked at 5:30 in the morning was more motivating than the trophy and money that came from winning.

When I asked a student today what his motivation was, he couldn’t answer. We quickly realized that his commitment wasn’t taking shape because he hadn’t tapped into that thought, emotion, or dream that would keep him working. He knows that he “wants,” and “has to make it happen,” but he doesn’t know what drives him; what will allow him to kick the door open when it slams in his face. He hasn’t created a detailed, emotional visual that will be his fuel when the inevitable pain strikes. He has some soul searching to do.

Your motivation for attaining 1% success needs to be palpable. It needs to elicit real life emotion and adrenalin the second you focus your attention on it. Maybe it’s the frustration you felt growing up when THEY said you couldn’t ever reach the highest level. Maybe it’s the fear of failure. In an amazing interview Will Smith gave about the successful mindset (I posted it here http://CoachYourMind.com/2011/10/this-is-next-level-mindset.html), he talked about his fear of failing, and how this keeps him working harder each day. Motivation is different for everyone, but it’s the glue holding your wants and actions together, and is what will keep you on that long term quest for 1% success.

On the tennis court today with a student, I pushed her past her normal comfort zone.“You have to learn this shot if you want to play professionally.” Her response: “But it feels too uncomfortable. I can’t get used to it.”

On the golf course today with a different student, I was helping him on the greens.“Your visuals need to get much more detailed. You need to see and feel every ounce of these putts. Track each into the bottom of the cup.” His response: “You’re right. It feels uncomfortable, but that’s o.k. because I know it won’t last. I’ll get this.”

Between these two athletes, who’s more likely to reach the next level in their career? The tennis player knew she needed to change in order to play at the highest level, but resisted because of HOW IT FELT. The golfer also knew he needed to change, but he accepted it as part of his process, and embraced the challenge. Two exact same situations … two totally different choices of mindset.

“Uncomfortable” is a fact of life, when looking to attain more than average. Learning to be comfortable with being uncomfortable is crucial during these sometimes frustrating times. There isn’t an easy way to achieve greatness, which is exactly why 1% find that level. The one’s who do find it have learned to love, accept, and invite the uncomfortable. They actually need it in their life, because it’s the one aspect that will propel them past the 99% average who are afraid of it.

The way you view change, and the inevitable feeling of frustration, is a choice only you and the mirror can make. There are only two paths to walk: Denial or acceptance. Either continue with the excuses of why it’s too difficult, or invite uncomfortable to stay awhile.

Your choice of mindset will determine which level you reach.

I want to share an email that a student sent to me after Tiger Woods won this weekend. Feel the emotion in his writing. It’s this emotion that will allow his future to change. He’s finally hit a place where the pain of mediocrity is stronger than the pleasure of that specific comfort zone…

Coach,

The 1% Mindset is always earned, never deserved. Reaching the next level in sport or life means sacrificing along the way, specifically the way we “used” to think. Focusing on Realistic goals or Backup Plans will keep us from achieving what we want. Being realistic and creating a plan, “just in case we fail,” sounds smart, but is actually a killer of dreams.

1% is attained by risking what we’re most afraid to lose: Our comfort zones. We must be willing to risk utter failure and embarrassment. Our comfort zone is our worst enemy, and does the most damage to our future.

Make a habit of setting daily goals that stretch your comfort levels. Doing this will prove that you’re capable of much more than you realize. Self confidence will be enhanced, eventually establishing a deep hunger to continue leaping from that place of safety.

The 1% Mindset is created from our perception of situations. We’re constantly faced with a choice to keep stepping towards success or stop and wallow in our short term setbacks. The perceptions of our individual situations will test the commitment of those steps, often making us feel inadequate. Our priority should always be focused on what we’re thinking during these moments. Our thoughts propel the rest of the chain…

Thoughts > Emotions > Actions > Results

Every result is manifested through this link of events. The beauty of this equation is it never falls apart. It’s always in order, and works perfectly. Unfortunately, we often unknowingly skip around, hoping to create desired outcomes without following the proper steps. Everything attained begins with one single thought.

The 1% Mindset is a way of living – a total immersion in the every day process of separating from the majority.