MNMR- Mindset

This past Saturday at UFC 206 two up and coming fighters named Mickey Gall (age 24) and Sage Northcutt (age 20) and an impressive fight in which Mickey won by submission (Northcutt tapping out) in the second round. Not only was I happy for a fellow NJ native, but impressed in how well Mickey has been handling the pressure of the UFC at such a young age. Check out the video below (starting at :37) for his response.

"I just gotta go in there and beat up one guy."

Perfect example of taking one thing at a time. Don't get overwhelmed by the enormity of a situation (easier said then done!). Instead of thinking of the pressures of his supporters, the hate from the neigh-sayers, , the possible ramifications of a win and his position in the UFC, winning the belt down the line, etc., Mickey took the fight for what it was- a fight with one guy.

We can all practice the same in everyday life. For example, we have a huge report due for work- how to we break that down into managable pieces? What needs to be done about it today? This hour? Right now? Then take one step forward at a time. All the sudden a few days later we look back and see how much we've done and actually got the report into the boss on time!

"I enjoy what I do."

Self-explanatory. If we aren't doing what we love on a deep, meaningful level- we'll never truly succeed at what we're doing. Don't get me wrong- sometimes reality sets in and the bills have to get paid and food put on the table, but within what you really enjoy doing try to find a way to make that work.

The reason this is so important is that one the days you're sick, tired, hungry, don't feel like it, get kicked around by life a little- is your motivation to get up and get out going to be strong enough to overcome all those aspects of life and get you to your job or practice or whatever it is you "love" to do?

"I feel the nerves, but I won't let that take away my dreams."

Let me let Nelon Madela take this one...

Like Mandela said- no one goes without fear. It is apart of the human experience! Even tops in their respective field get nerves. This is what keeps us sharp, on edge, working hard. However, top performers don't let fear dictate theirs lives or performance. The accept the fear, acknowledge it, then settle their minds and go forward to do what they have to do. Many times our fear or our interpretation of our fear is the biggest hurdle. Most of the time- our fears and worries aren't as big as we make them out to be.

So next time your fear is holding you back from something- acknowledge it is there (don't try to dismiss it), take a deep breathe, and push forward!

Practical Applications:

1. Break things down into manageable pieces.

2. Find the passion and love in what you do. It doesn't have to be a perfect situation- but find the things that'll keep you moving forward.

3. Acknowledge your fear- but don't break! Everyone gets scared and nervous, but try to push forward anyway!