Mind Gym An Athlete Guide to Inner Excellence eBook Gary Mack David Casstevens Reviews
I bought this on the recommendation of another mom at my 13 yo daughter’s gymnastics center. My daughter was always such a Nervous Nelly before each meet. As much as we tried to get her to stop, her pre-meet mantra was “what if I fall...what if I fall...†After the season ended we got this book for her. Mind you, she does not like to read. Once she got into the book, she started taking notes and would talk to us at night about at least one tip or lesson she learned. As she was reading this book, we saw a huge change in her approach and attitude towards her summer practices. She started challenging herself in practice and was achieving new skills more quickly. I also did not see the fear and nervousness from before. The event that gave her the most fear (balance beam) soon became her favorite. Rather than fear it, she looked forward to the challenge of conquering it. We can’t wait to see how the competition season will be for her!
I think there are some great nuggets of wisdom with this book, but also a disappointing lack of application. It was recommended to me by two different people, so I thought i'd give it a try. It is mostly anecdotes and stories about famous people, which is completely fine, but I was hoping for a few more actual processes on how to think like these pros and how to get into the head spaces that work for these people. Still, I do think the book contains a decent amount of groundwork and it did help me, even if it was a little less than Id have liked.
“Studies have proven that mental training will not only enhance performance and improve productivity but also add to your enjoyment. Whatever your age, whatever your game, you can learn how to stay focused. You can learn to deal with adversity. Stay motivated during difficult times. Avoid fatal distractions. You can learn how to follow your dreams and live your life on purpose.
Achieving inner excellence is a process. Building mental muscle, like building physical muscle, requires time and effort. The more you work on the inside, the more it will show on the outside...
Think of this book as your mind gym. Read the lessons, do the exercises, and answer the questions. If you do, you will acquire the skills needed to create the ideal mental state that will allow you to rise to the next level and perform at your best by choice rather than chance.â€
~ Gary Mack from Mind Gym
We go the gym to get our bodies strong.
Gary Mack tells us we need to go to the mind gym to get our minds strong.
I like it!
Gary is a leading sports psychologist and this book unpacks “an athlete’s guide to inner excellence.†If you’re into sports (like me!) you’ll enjoy all the great quotes from recognizable athletes plus the sports stories that bring Gary’s stories to life.
Either way, these ideas are absolutely applicable to whatever game we’re playing. Whether we’re creating a new business, a piece of art or raising a family, we need to get our minds right.
Let's explore some of my favorite Big Ideas
1. A.C.T. Backward - To move forward. 2. The Goal Straircase - Step by step by step. 3. Limits - Begin where vision ends. 4. Breathe and Focus - #1 way to deal with stress. 5. Confidence - It's the bottom line.
Here’s to living in integrity w/our highest ideals as we hit the mind gym and optimize our lives,
More goodness— including PhilosophersNotes on 300+ books in our ​*OPTIMIZE*​ membership program. Find out more at brianjohnson . me.
This has some good stuff in it but it is very redundant in its content. The first couple of chapters cover what you need to hear IMHO.
I appreciated the emphasis on psychology in sports that Mack had. Unfortunately in 2015 many of the positive examples he draws upon (Tiger Woods, Mark McGwire, Lance Armstrong, Alex Rodriguez) have destroyed their reputations and I found myself second guessing how well these people really did handle themselves psychologically.
the book re-introduced a number of talking points to fill the mind during the training for whatever goal you.are pursuing. Bromides like you have to train your mind like you train your body, the only discipline that lasts is self discipline are surrounded by tales and antidotes of athletes who have achieved in their respective fields. A good read to keep handy along your own journey.
I've always believed in the strength of the mind over the body. I love how this book goes in to details and examples of exactly that. Even my 15-yr old son is excited to read this one. Great for everyone, athletes, employees, managers, and anyone and everyone else.
Good read! Quick read for an adult. This book is good for teenagers, say 14 and up. I bought a book for each one of my basketball players as their "homework".
