It is hard to believe this year is almost over. It has been an incredible year. This will be my final blog of 2008. Why so early you ask? Well, I am leaving for Hawaii on Sunday, returning on Christmas Eve, and then spending the rest of the holidays and New Year with my family inSouth Carolina. This marks my much needed decompression period where I finally take a step back and take a few deep breaths!
I am heading to Hawaii as Montrose will be playing in the 25th annual Nike Iolani Classic in Honolulu. This year’s field is loaded with talent, including 6 teams ranked in the top 20 in the nation. Oak Hill, DeMatha, LeFlore, Whitney Young, and Fairfax will all be gunning for a championship this year. I truly believe whoever comes out on top will be ranked in the top three in the county. This will be my fifth trip to Hawaii and it is truly paradise. I am so thankful for the opportunity to go. In addition to being involved with one of the best high school basketball tournaments in the world, I always make sure to use my time in Hawaii in a very therapeutic and productive way.
I get up early every morning, go for a run on the beach, crank out some push-ups and pull-ups, eat a healthy breakfast and then just sit on the beach and either read or reflect. I use this time to reflect on the past year as well as plan for the year to come. I reflect and give thanks for the opportunities I had, players I worked with, and for the people I met. I also review and evaluate my own performance. Was this is a successful year? Why? Did I meet the goals I set at the beginning of the year? What did I do well? What do I need to work on? What do I plan to do differently this year? These are all important questions and I make sure to look myself in the mirror and answer them honestly. Like the players I work with, my goal is to get better every day, every week, every month, and every year. I take my personal and professionally development very seriously.
In addition to reflecting, I always read 3 or 4 books over the holidays to expand my horizons and learn something new (see below for the books I will be reading this year). Something that will make me a better trainer, a better motivator, a better business person, a better friend, and a better person in general. I take rigorous notes on each book I read and make sure to apply what I learn to my every day life. I also set goals for the coming year and put them on paper. I review my ever changing “to do” list and make sure I am on track and my goals are prioritized correctly.
I also make sure to eat well, work out as often as I can, and get plenty of sleep… something I can’t always do during my hectic times of year. I take full advantage of this time to get refocused, reenergized, and motivated to hit the ground running in the coming year. While I certainly stay a tune to what is going on in the news and around the world, I don’t let the media’s incessant negativity affect me or get me down. Regardless of the economy, the war, and everything else considered “breaking news” or a “major crisis,” I approach the New Year with optimism and a winning attitude.
The list of people I would like to thank for their help and support in 2008 is way too long to list in this blog, but please know it didn’t go unnoticed. I wish everyone out there a wonderful and healthy holiday season. If there is ever anything I can do to help, please email me atAlan@StrongerTeam.com. I will respond as quickly as possible!
Train hard. Train smart.
Alan Stein, CCS, CSCS
Below is a list of the the books I will be reading this year. I will summarize my notes and thoughts in my first blog of 2009!
Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellenceby Gary Mack
Little Black Book of Connections: For Networking Your Way to Rich Relationships by Jeffrey Gitomer
100 Ways to Motivate Yourself: Change Your Life Forever by Steve Chandler
No Limits: The Will To Succeed by Michael Phelps