Lessons from The Last Dance
An excellent 10-part documentary, The Last Dance, on Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls finished up this past weekend. There were a few quotes in the final episode that are very much worth noting. They are…
“Most people struggle to be present…Most people live in fear because we project the past into the future. Michael’s a mystic. He was never anywhere else. His gift was not that he could jump high, run fast, shoot a basketball. His gift was that he was completely present and that was the separator.” - Mark Vancil, Author, Rare Air: Michael on Michael
“The big downfall to a lot of other players who are otherwise gifted is thinking about failure. Michael didn’t allow what he couldn’t control to get inside his head. He would say, why would I think about missing a shot I haven’t taken yet.” - Mark Vancil, Author, Rare Air : Michael on Michael
“Remember what we talked about with your breathing and your centering and getting yourself focused to the court.” Phil Jackson, in the locker room prior to the start of the 1998 NBA finals game 1
“’98 was much better than any other years because I was able to use my mind as well as my body.” – Michael Jordan
Our current environment, where physical practice with teammates might not be possible, is the ideal time to develop the mental performance skills critical to performing at your best. To learn to stay in the present moment. To develop your ability to focus, your ability to not allow what you can’t control to get inside your head.
There are many ways to do this. Perhaps start out with some simple breathing techniques? These allow you to train your brain to be present by focusing on your breath. One such technique is the 4-7-8 technique in which you…
Inhale for the count of 4
Hold your breath for the count of 7
Exhale completely for the count of 8
Then begin again and continue this for several minutes
Play around with the counts until you find a pattern that you are most comfortable with (3-5-6, 4-4-4, etc.)
A simple technique like this, practiced once or twice a day, will build that mental muscle you need to stay focused and in the present moment when it’s crunch time.
If you found this tip valuable and are looking for further options to enhance your mental performance, or that of the athletes you work with, please consider one of our Mind of a Champion programs. We can bring these programs directly to your teams - or individual athletes can attend one of our public programs in Naperville, IL or via Zoom videoconference.