Winning makes it ALL worth it!

This is why you do it....

Any athlete knows the hard work, the long hours, the time, the money, the preparation, the sacrifices, the dedication, the practice, and what it takes to win....

But any athlete also knows that it is all worth it when you get to feel the thrill of the competition, the adrenaline rush, the teamwork, the passion, the joy, the sense of accomplishment, and the ecstasy of a WIN!

The www.tuffpaw.com ~ www.thinktuff.com ~ www.mckendree.edu dragster was in the winner's circle for the past two weekends! One win is wonderful, but two wins is simply amazing. We feel really proud, really grateful, and really lucky!

Mike's driving was really good for the past two weekends, the dragster was running great, and we got a little luck just when we needed it! Winning in any sport is tough, winning in drag racing is tough when the majority of the people we race with can win at any given point. So we are going to appreciate these wins and when the going gets tough in the future, and we know it will, we can rely on these moments in the winner's circle to keep us going!

My sport psychology advice to you all is to keep your eye on the prize. And when you do win, savor the victory, be grateful for the win, and keep those trophies, plaques, and other mementos of the win in plain sight to remind you that this makes everything else worth it!

TOP 10 Things for a NEW YEAR & NEW YOU!

It is a New Year so that means it is a whole new season.

TOP 10 Things for a NEW YEAR and a NEW YOU!

#10--Take a look back at what went well last year and what things need to be improved. Be honest with your successes and challenges.

#9--Set some BIG GOALS--What do you want to achieve this year?

#8--Now set some small goals--what do you have to do today, next week, next month to achieve your big goals? Break your big goals into small parts. Every day complete something to get you closer to your big goals.

#7--GET ORGANIZED! To achieve your long term and short term goals, you need to get organized. Simple things like cleaning your shop or garage or getting a racing calendar to layout your schedule help organize your life. Make To Do Lists to get ready. And of course I would suggest organizing your shop or trailer with great quality aluminum products from www.tuffpaw.com!

#6--What do you need? As you set goals and get organized, figure out what resources you need? How can you budget your financial resources and your time to achieve your goals? Do you need help from others? Do you need to learn new things? Figure out what you need to achieve your goals.

#5--PRIORITIZE...whenever you shoot for goals, some things are going to stay on your TO DO list and some things are really just not that important. Start to think about things that you have to do, things you want to do, things you need to do, and things you would like to do but really are not helping you reach your goals.

#4--Stay POSITIVE--a lot of goal setting and reaching your goals is just plain hard work, determination, and sacrifice. It won't be easy. So stay positive, remind yourself why you are doing the things you are, be your best coach, and surround yourself with positive people who are helping you reach your goals.

#3--SEE IT and BELIEVE IT--a lot of sport psychologists emphasize visualization and imagery--use these skills to visualize yourself achieving your goals, working toward your goals, and succeeding.

#2--RELAX--we can't achieve our goals or enjoy achieving them if we are too stressed out. Learn how to breathe, keep things in perspective, and focus on what we can control to keep a calm and steady approach to achieving our goals.

#1--Have FUN and be Thankful! It is always easy to look at other people and think they have life easier or things just come to them, but for most successful people they are also working hard, sacrificing, and doing what it takes to reach their goals. Focus on your own journey by being thankful for what you have, optimistic about your future, and have as much fun as you can as you work on your goals.

BEST WISHES on your exciting Journey!

Racing...Sometimes it is all fun and games

Have you heard the saying, "All work and no play....."? Well all work and no play isn't good for people in their lives or in their racing. Sure racing is intense, when you are on the line you better be ready. The competition is tough and most of us are spending a great deal of time, money, and effort to race, so yes racing is serious business. However, sometimes a little fun is jut what you need to remember why you love the sport. We raced a Big Buck race July 4th weekend at Byron Illinois (aka, the Playground of Power!). On Saturday rain came in to eliminate the racing for the race cars, but when the weather cleared up Byron let us race our golf carts. Golf carts are SLOW and you can have a passenger (s) ride along. Believe it or not, 90 golf carts entered the race! Mike and I had a GREAT time. It was really fun driving the finish line and the trash talking that went on at the starting line and finish line was pretty hilarious. We were very happy to make it down to six carts. Sometimes a little fun and games with your friends reminds you why you work so hard to race. Now go have a little fun!

I get knocked down, but I get up again!

It has been a cold and snowy week in St. Louis and I am more ready for spring and the start of race season than ever! I know in the middle of July I will complain about the heat, but right now a 90 degree day at Gateway International Raceway with the smell of race fuel and the sound of thunder seems like a wonderful escape from winter. Of course race season will be here before we know it and it a good chance to start over again. One of the other things I love about sports is there is always another week and there is always another season and there is always another chance. As I write this blog, the Super Bowl is just a few hours away. There are always so many wonderful stories of sacrifice, courage, and resilience in the super bowl. For most people, you either love him or "not quite so much" when you think of Kurt Warner. But whatever you think of Kurt, his story of determination and faith is pretty amazing. He played at the University of Northern Iowa (near my childhood hometown) and then he started his interesting NFL career (after a little work in a grocery store, Arena football, etc.). He had a successful career with the St. Louis Rams (near my current hometown) from 1998-2003. And then because of some injuries, etc. Warner left St. Louis and I think most people thought that was it for Kurt Warner. He went to the New York Giants and then on to the Arizona Cardinals and everyone thought that was about it. But Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals surprised everyone this year with an amazing year and Kurt definitely keeps getting knocked down but gets up again (both literally and figuratively!). No matter what happens at the Super Bowl, the Warner story is a great story of determination and resilience.

Chumbawamba said it best with:

We'll be singing

When we're winning

We'll be singing

I get knocked down

But I get up again

You're never going to keep me down

How Bad Do You Want It?

I think all of us love sports because you just never know who is going to win until the game is over. Sports are exciting because it is not always the best team, the fastest car, or the team or person that is "supposed" to win that wins. Of course I love drag racing the best, but I have enjoyed watching the football playoffs because I love watching the psychology of the games. Teams that were supposedly "unbeatable" get beat and teams that were not supposed to even get to the playoffs can go all the way! And I think what it all comes down to is "How Bad Do You Want It?" The teams and the players that really dig deep and keep playing hard, practice hard, and never give up do end up coming out on top. You can see it in these players and the teams, they have that walk, they have the drive, they practice hard, they play hard, they get knocked down and get back up, and they really want it. The drag racers who race year after year know how hard it is to keep the motivation to work on the car, sacrifice other things so you can go racing, and keep trying over the years. It is always fun when everything is working great and winning, but when you have a few problems and get beat a few weeks in a row, you have dig down deep to keep trying and you have to answer the question, How Bad Do You Want It? There is a great song by Tim McGraw called "How Bad Do You Want It?" and I encourage you to buy this CD or download the song for your MP3 player, it is a great motivational song. And take a minute to really think about "How Bad Do You Want It?" What are you willing to do, what are you willing to sacrifice, how hard are you willing to work, are you willing to lay it all out on the line, and is it really something that burns you up inside? I know for sure that the winners out there want it really bad.

A few lyrics from Tim McGraw's How Bad Do You Want It:

"Been out here on this highway

Breathing diesel smoke

Driving hard for hours

Trying to make that Memphis show

People always ask me"Son what does it take

To reach out and touch your dreams?"

To them I always say

Are you hungry?

Are you thirsty?

Is it a fire that burns you up inside?

How bad do you want it?

How bad do you need it?

Are you eating, sleeping, dreaming

With that one thing on your mind?

How bad do you want it?

How bad do you need it?

Cause if you want it all

You've got to lay it all out on the line....

There's always a price you pay no matter what you do

If you're gonna climb that mountain to the top

It always comes down to

How bad do you want it??"