OBVIOUS THINGS with a little and big „BUT…”

As a mental trainer, I have heard very often and will likely hear it again: „but it is so obvious that everyone has resources”, “surely it is obvious that awareness is very important”, “it is so obvious, but it is not as easy as it sounds”. Over the last 10 years I have spent thousands of hours on individual conversations with people of various professions, including four years with athletes and my own internal monologue; constantly learning about them; learning how they think, as well as observing and judging the effectiveness of their behaviors.

The frequency of the phrase „It is so obvious…” being said by my clients could be counted in the hundreds. The most popular were: it is so obvious that:

■ you must be determined
■ you can’t give up
■ you must be positive
■ learning foreign languages is important
■ proper nutrition also
■ hobbies are an important part of life

One of my clients is the Polish National Soccer Team coach – Mr. Adam Nawalka. We have more than 70 meetings behind us, thanks to which I can continue being close to the development of the Polish national soccer team. The current recruiter did not contemplate, if the high frequency of interviews with the players in the national team or in its wide sphere of influence is comprised of “obvious evidence”, he simply conducted them.  He did not debate, if the players were treating their participation on the field as part of the national team as a great honor (which should also probably be “obvious”), but instead undertook several measures to ensure that was the case. For many coaches (managers) there is just too much of these “obvious” things, and too little real action to ensure they are transformed into facts and not just obvious.
Everyday life in sports (life) and the facts Whether it is soccer or volleyball, it is not just about kicking or bouncing a ball; but the continuous coping with difficult situations and your own inner thoughts, as well as optimal management of your strengths and weaknesses. What else can be perceived as failure, other than sadness, disappointment and stress? They can and even should be a way of teaching ourselves how to think, as well as an information bank.  The effective use of this information will occur when we hold on to two important rules; “pit-stop” and “change of current modus operandi”.
In Formula 1 racing, a „pit-stop” is what allows the drivers to achieve incredible speeds and extremely high mileages. A “pit-stop” in F1 racing is an everyday necessity or “obvious occurrence”.  The difference between being a master of theory  or a master in practice is one of an abyss.  In practice, we all have had a chance to experience our “pit-stops” in life, be it during the routine car inspection or a doctor’s visit.  I recommend that everyone take the time at least every 6 months to choose an important aspect of our lives and to stop in for a “pit-stop”.  Why? To verify that our way of thinking is correct, and if we can continue to follow the current path or if it is time for a change.
Thinking inside the box is a very natural mechanism that is required in our everyday life. On the other hand, on the path to the top of business, sport, or your personal life; it is very important to think outside the box, and at the very least verify the efficiency of the tactics we are currently using.  So long as what we are doing is effective, we can continue to use those methods; but the second we begin to accept a consecutive failure, it is time to think of a new approach.
We are strong, we are weak, and we are very funny (including myself, of course) A certain fragment of Paulo Coelho’s “Like the Flowing River” speaks to me in a very big way and is one of my mandatory pit-stops: “A man asked my good friend Jamie Cohen: – Can you please tell me, what is the funniest thing about people. Cohen replied – They always think the opposite; first they want to grow up and then they complain they miss their childhood. They jeopardize their health to gain wealth, then they spend their wealth to regain their health. Constantly thinking about the future, they forget to live in the present, and so they neither live their future or their present. They live as if they were immortal, and die as if they never lived.”
Apparently for many of us these are „obvious things”, and yet very often we fall prey to this very way of thinking and acting in our everyday lives.

Mr. Janus Gajos, one of the five stars of the documentary film “The Path to Greatness”, said behind the scenes, that according to him one  of the most valuable things in life is awareness.  In both athletics and business, the most important aspects are awareness and the ability to be consistent. Therefore, I encourage everyone to look at areas of our lives that are “obvious” to us, yet are not habits; areas that are present in our consciousness, yet very rarely put into action: resting, relaxation, additional work, additional training and so on. We really must be careful of thinking in terms of; “it is so obvious”.

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