The following post is an excerpt from Blunders and Cures. Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo
BLUNDER: Focusing Only on Aptitude and Overlooking Attitude
The two sides that dictate your development are nature (your genetic predisposition or brain type) and nurture.
Let’s talk about the nurturing side. The way your family views the world greatly influences your personal view of the world. Positive minded people share a “can do” attitude.
On the other side, pessimistic people often nurture the blame game and take on the victim role. I’ve discovered most negative people don’t see themselves as pessimistic, negative, or jaded. Instead, they see themselves as being unlucky or “in touch with reality” while they consider optimistic folks as being “out of touch.”
FUN FACT: Wyland, the Laguna Beach artist, puts it this way, “There are two types of people: anchors and motors.” There’s some good news here! The first thing is that pessimistic attitudes can be unlearned. Anchors can become motors! The second is that you can choose to avoid the poison.
CURE: If a member of your team is weakening your confidence, ask them to hold a secondary role in your tennis career. A secondary role may include: travel agent, tournament scheduling manager, racket stringer, nutrition, equipment manager, etc. These are very important “behind the scenes” jobs.
Ask Yourself:
Do you consider yourself optimism or pessimism? How about those closest to you? Are there any friends or family member’s that are toxic to your tennis development? Can you organize a plan to cut them out? Do you need to adjust a pessimistic attitude more than a topspin backhand?
Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
MaximizingTennisPotential.com
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