27I hit the first and only home run I ever hit after one
of Rett’s sessions. It was off a left-hander whose pitch
seemed to hang in the air forever before I creamed it.
The lesson Rett taught me was one I’ve never for-
gotten. Whenever I’m afraid of something coming up, I
will find a way to do something that’s even harder or
scarier. Once I do the harder thing, the real thing be-
comes fun.
The great boxer Muhammad Ali used to use this prin-
ciple in choosing his sparring partners. He’d make sure
that the sparring partners he worked with before a fight
werebetterthan the boxer he was going up against in
the real fight. They might not always be better all-
around, but he found sparring partners who were each
better in one certain way or another than his upcoming
opponent. After facing them, he knew going into each
fight that he had already fought those skills and won.
You can always “stage” a bigger battle than the one
you have to face. If you have to make a presentation in
front of someone who scares you, you can always re-
hearse it first in front of someone who scares you more.
If you’ve got something hard to do and you’re hesitant
to do it, pick out something even harder and do that
first.
Watch what it does to your motivation going into
the “real” challenge.
6. Simplify your life
The great Green Bay Packer’s football coach Vince
Lombardi was once asked why his world championship
team, which had so many multi-talented players, ran
such a simple set of plays. “It’s hard to be aggressive
when you’re confused,” he said.
Simplify your life