“Act in accordance with your vision, not your feelings.”
Coach Mike Tully

Whenever I need an inspirational boost or advice on peak performance, I turn to TotalGamePlan.com, a motivational web site created by my friend and mentor, Coach Mike Tully. Every day, it offers insights into the tools and techniques that world-class athletes use to achieve outstanding success.

Coach Tully knows the territory: He’s studied peak performance for three decades. As a sportswriter, he covered the Olympics and more than 100 consecutive World Series games. He’s also a gifted coach: I’ve seen him in action! He has a real flair for getting to the heart of what it takes to be a champion.

Strange as it may sound, I’ve always seen a big connection between excelling in sports and in writing. As writers, our field is the page — and we need to bring to it the same dedication and discipline that world-class athletes demonstrate. That’s why I love Coach Tully’s take on sports. He zeros in on the dynamics of peak performance and on the importance of deliberate practice in creating sustained, intentional improvement.

Just recently, he discussed the value of “previewing success” and the way in which athletes use visualization as a mental technique. He also cited the findings of Charles Garfield. In his “Peak Performance” Trilogy, Garfield observed that many outstanding performers “use the skill of mental rehearsal” to run through upcoming events and visualize desired outcomes. Sounds like a tool we can use as well. What about starting our writing day by visualizing words flowing onto the page and experiencing in advance the satisfied feeling of completing a great work session?

Discipline, self-motivation, and deliberate practice are tools of the trade we need to excel. Coach Tully covers them all at TotalGamePlan.com: visit and be inspired!