Next

Jim Fannin has written another good book. Like the book S.C.O.R.E. Fannin keeps it simple and straight to the point. In his new book The Pebble in the Shoe he uses the metaphor of a foot race and how a small seemingly insignificant thing, such as a very small pebble, can make all the difference between success and coming up short.

After the short story he says there are five things that will help all of us when it comes to being ready to do and then actually doing our best.

1 – Think of the palm tree. There are no big strong impressive oak trees on the beach. Only the palm tree is capable of withstanding hurricane force winds because it yields to the force of the wind rather than trying to resist it.

2 – Think about the regular old light switch. When it is in the up position, it is on and light floods the room. When it is down, darkness prevails. Your head is like that switch. Lift yours up and the world looks a lot different than when you look downward.

3 – Reboot; learn how to reboot and life’s curveballs are a lot easier to hit. There is a saying in Major League Baseball: “if you want to play in the “bigs” (the Majors, not the Minors) you must be able to hit a curve ball.” Fannin has a quick “reboot” exercise that takes 90-120 seconds that enables you to clear out the “junk”.

4 – Have a mentor image ready to view in your minds’ eye when things get tough; a teacher, coach, parent, teammate or loved one to whom you look for guidance or inspiration.

5 – And always remember the single most powerful word when it comes to current performance. It is a simple four letter word. It is the key to success in all endeavors, large and small. It forms the cornerstone thought for overcoming disappointment. That word is NEXT. For swimmers, when you have a great race or workout, smile, be grateful and say to yourself, “next.” When your race is ugly or your workout bombs, “next.”

We love the simplicity. Remember, “next”.