Happy February! 

How to help your softball players take their mental game to the next level

I hope the first month of this new year exceeded your expectations in several different ways. And if it didn’t, I pray that you find February as a great starting point to do so. Maybe it requires you to take a leap of faith, maybe it requires you to do something bold that nobody would expect out of you. Either way, my goal for my softball families in February, is: bust out of that comfort zone you are so contently functioning in.

Busting out of your comfort zone while achieving your softball goals.

Maybe it is starting those mindset lessons you are nervous to start. Maybe it is finding a private softball coach that will help you advance your performance while playing softball. Or maybe it is just getting those extra workouts in to prepare you for high school softball.

I would go to say each one of us, as the new year approached, thought about what we wanted to change, what new goals we had for ourselves, and maybe even some milestone memories you hope to create in 2023. I know I sure did. My list was long enough to fill a 8X11 piece of paper. Thinking about these aspirations, I had an ah-ha moment.

“If I expect a different output, I have to put in a different input.”

Seems quite simple, I know, but it was profound for me. I then continued to add what it was going to take to achieve each one. This is where I really started to visualize these aspirations turn into a reality. Thinking to myself….

“Yeah, that’s totally doable, or hmm, that may be a stretch.”

I am sharing this experience with you because I want you to know that doubt creeps into my head too! It’s the comfort zone talking! Hence why I have made it this month’s topic. Let’s commit to busting out of our comfort zone . Commit to playing the best softball game yet. Commit to throwing that perfect pitch. Commit to growing into our best each and every day!

The feeling of achievement when you step outside your comfort zone.

You see, if you were to look at one of the things you are most proud of yourself for doing, I would be willing to bet that you HAD to step outside of your comfort to achieve said thing. So if you stepped outside your comfort zone and reached out to a private softball coach, or you put in those extra reps to  hit that home run, both resulting in performance advancements. Why wouldn’t we follow that recipe again to achieve more amazing things? Simple, right? It sure seems that way when I am typing it out. But I will tell you what, it is so hard because our feelings get in the way. Feelings flood our brain with fear, nerves, embarrassment, all the what if’s, and the reasons as to why it would be safer to not do it at all. 

For all my softball players out there that don’t study the brain (all of us) it’s important to know, our feelings are processed in the limbic system of our brain. And it turns out that the Limbic system is also the same place where decisions are made. Coincidence? Or curse?! Most of the time I call it a CURSE! 

Three tips to stretch you out of your comfort zone. 

So in hopes that not all my softball players will be cursed, here are three ways to stretch your decision maker out of the comfort zone.

Take action within 5 seconds

80% of a normal human’s thoughts are negative. Let’s say waking up 30 minutes earlier to establish a better morning routine. If we leave it up to our default (negative) decision maker, we will be exhausted when hearing the new alarm, think, “I probably should get up but I don’t feel like it” and lay there cozy in bed = You stayed in your comfort zone. 

In order to change for the better you have to take action within 5 seconds of your new alarm. You have to get out of bed and get started because then you are establishing a rewiring of your brain and a better decision to be made.

You will never feel like it, but in order to be a softball pro, you decide to make the sacrifices.

Write it down!

Write down how you will feel after accomplishing your goal and why you want to achieve it so bad. Let that be the glue to help you stick stretching out of your comfort zone.

Progress over perfection

Expecting to achieve the first time you try is setting yourself up for failure. Trust the process of just getting started and as you improve, intentionally push yourself more and more. 

Together let’s stretch to make our comfort zones bigger. Let’s meet new people, start a new softball strength and conditioning program, start a new morning routine to enhance my mental toughness, and make free time more intentional.

I wish you an uncomfortable February! 

“Get comfortable being uncomfortable.”

 “Growth is outside of your comfort zone”