Recently on The School of Greatness podcast, I had the opportunity to interview Steve Weatherford, the former NFL Super Bowl champion who was one of the best punters in the world, about his secrets to success.
One of the most powerful things that entrepreneurs and success-seekers can take away from the world of sports and athletic achievement is the effectiveness of visualization and positive thinking. Study after study points to the power of this simple yet life-changing practice.
Related: 7 Practical Tips to Achieve a Positive Mindset
What most people don’t realize is that the people who are on the top of their success game already are constantly learning, feeding their souls and minds to continue to grow. One of my favorite things about Steve is that he is so successful, in the top 1 percent of the 1 percent in his niche, one of the best in the world at what he does, yet he is transitioning to the next thing in his life (entrepreneurship) and is still learning and growing.
“Visualize your day going perfect in detail. Commit to the habit for 30 days and your life will change.”
Steve’s key life hack is positive self-talk. He recommends that you “talk yourself through every day. In the morning say, ‘Today is going to be a great day and this is why’.… Visualize your day going perfect in detail. Commit to the habit for 30 days and your life will change.”
He doesn’t believe in realistic. He visualizes every single thing going perfectly. Does it? No. But having the vision that it will makes a big difference.
“You have to see things happen in your life before you can do it. It is visualization. I learned that as an athlete; don’t ever go out onto the field of competition thinking about what you don’t want to have happen, because once you let those negative thoughts into your mind, they can more easily manifest.
Related: 3 Things You Must Tell Yourself Today and Every Day
“If you are in a place of positivity, your percentage chance of hitting the perfect punt is higher, much higher, because you are thinking about what you want to do, not what you don’t want to do, or what you don’t want to happen.
“Your brain is the most powerful muscle you have.”
Monday Momentum
Steve says his approach to life is to envision, plan and take advantage of Monday’s momentum.
“I have been able to accomplish some amazing things because every Sunday I write down the goals that I want to accomplish in every aspect of my life. I map out my vision and accomplishments for the week and I break it into days. Monday is the day I attack the most. I get up early on Monday because it sets the tone for the rest of the week—my mindset, my productivity, my efficiency. Monday is the day I create momentum.”
Self-Scouting
Steve talks about the importance of “self-scouting,” or reflecting on your day to review just like athletes watching videos after a game. Identify what you did well and identify the things you did poorly to try to lock and load for the next day.
Formula for Prosperity
Steve says his formula for prosperity is identifying what your vision is, maintaining your focus, trusting your plan, working every day and being diligent, consistent and positive because you have your vision of where you want to be. Consistent work is the biggest piece of making your vision happen.
“Prosperity to me is a combination of health, wealth, gratitude and love, and I gravitate toward people like that because I want to create that in my life and I want to share that with other people as well.”
Daily Investment
Steve says there are dreamers everywhere, but how many dreamers are consistently making the daily investment, that daily sacrifice? It is going to require those daily decisions, that compound interest over time, to get just that much closer to your goal. People have a real problem choosing what they want 10 years from now over what they want today.
Make it a priority to surround yourself with positive people who encourage and also teach you.
Impact
Steve says he is most interested now in making an impact on people. “You are gonna die. But what are you going to do with your life? You can’t take it with you. What are you going to do between now and when you die that is going to impact people?”
Win or Learn
Every mistake that you make, every failure that you have, Steve’s mindset is this: “I am going to win or I am going to learn. I don’t think about failing, I just think about opportunities to grow. You are never going to lose… you are going to win or you are going to learn. Don’t let the fear of failure stop you from your greatness.”
You can hear the full interview with Steve and his two previous 5 Minute Fridays on The School of Greatness.
