The Secrets to Winning with Dr. Bhrett McCabe

We are not a patient society. We are plagued with entitled individuals who think that they deserve a position, role, roster spot, job opportunity, etc., without ever earning it. Those individuals feel like they should be handed the greatest of roles and responsibilities, yet they have no idea what the hell they are doing. They are embarrassed to start at the bottom, put in the work and time, and climb the ladder to get where they want to be. In both sports and life, we have too many people in this world who would rather complain about their circumstances and try to change them based on discontent instead of taking those circumstances and making them better. In this episode, I want to stress the importance of DOING YOUR JOB. It doesn't mean that you have to accept your circumstances, but it does mean that you need to do your job to the best of your ability, allowing your performance and your execution to change your circumstances. Not your complaining and moaning.

Recently, I was invited to sit on a panel with one of my great clients, Billy Horschel. Sitting on that panel, along with Billy and his swing coach Todd Anderson, allowed me to gain tremendous perspective. It reminded me of the way Billy feels about his team and the trust he has with every single member because of the experience, trust, and expertise they bring to the table. He listens to everyone in his circle, and he is incredibly loyal. Billy talked about how he was an active seeker of information and was constantly learning. He wanted to continuously add to his mental bookshelf so that he always had a way of improving as a person and player. In this episode, I want to take a deeper dive about how you can build your mental bookshelf and how it takes no talent to do so. It has nothing to do with talent; it has everything to do with a desire to learn, grow, and develop.

The many stresses and burdens the world has placed on us have taken their toll on so many people, and I want to make sure you are taking a moment to check in on your mental health. Believe it or not, our mental health is all we have. It takes care of you. It's not so much the major stresses that I am worried about. Whether it's a death in the family, the birth of a child, losing a job, etc. It's the minor ones; the ones you typically overlook or brush aside throughout the day but end up wearing on you as they build up. They are things like traffic, running late for an appointment, having too many items on a to-do list, etc. They slowly drain your energy. For the most part, the ways in which we cope with these stresses aren't great either. In this episode, I discuss different strategies you can utilize to overcome the stresses you are experiencing and some ways to neutralize them before they ever come about.

In today's world, communication is ever-changing and becoming increasingly difficult. I have spoken with a number of people, both in and out of the sports world, who tell me that they're overly cautious, if not somewhat scared, when communicating what they feel, and what they think. Why? Because they are afraid to cross a certain line. Honestly, it is a line that they don't even know that exists. They're afraid to share what they believe out of fear that someone will misinterpret their intentions or underlying belief systems. The question I want to answer in this episode is - how have we gotten to this point in our lives?

So many things are bombarding us for attention on a daily basis. There is so much noise in our lives and clutter in our heads. It's almost like we are standing in Times Square in NYC trying to focus on one small billboard. Surrounding us on all sides are loud noises, cars honking, bright lights, people shouting, etc. It becomes extremely difficult to focus our attention on that small billboard. In this episode, I want to focus on how and where to filter and direct our attention, energies, and effort so that we can stay focused on the things that matter and remove all the clutter and noise.

This week, I brought in a familiar voice to The Secrets to Winning. That person is none other than my Alabama Football colleague and fellow consultant, Ben Newman. Ben recently wrote a book titled, Uncommon Leadership where he takes you inside the minds and hearts of eleven exceptional individuals: athletes, coaches, CEOs, entrepreneurs, and others whose unrelentingly high performance has made them not only the best in their fields but also unquestioned leaders in sports, business, and life. In this episode, Ben and I break down the concept of uncommon leadership, honing in on the core qualities that drive these trailblazers to push for the best in themselves and others, every single day.

He was expected to die. Now he is teaching others how to truly live. In 1987, John O'Leary was a curious nine-year-old boy. Playing with fire and gasoline, John created a massive explosion in his home and was burned on 100% of his body. He was given less than a 1% chance to live. His epic story of survival has never felt more relevant, as we experience the coronavirus pandemic and its aftermath. John's story, perspective and inspiration have inspired millions of people and 2,000 clients over more than 12 years - and continue to today through virtual keynotes, workshops and experiences. John is also a two-time national bestselling author of ON FIRE and IN AWE.

With Simone Biles' withdrawal from the Tokyo Olympics due to mental health issues, the subject of the pressure, stress, and expectations placed upon high-profile athletes has been at the forefront of the conversation. There have been many athletes who came out in support of Biles, including tennis star Naomi Osaka and the most decorated Olympian of all time Michael Phelps, each of whom has dealt with mental health struggles. Mental health is a major issue in athletics for a lot of reasons: the amount of pressure placed on athletes to perform, the stress to constantly meet expectations, the sacrifice it takes to compete at the highest level, and the lack of coping away from the sport, just to name a few. In this episode, I hope to bring to light the many difficulties and challenges that these athletes struggle with.

One of the most consistent things I ask my clients is, "What disappoints you most about your performance? And, when those disappointments inevitably happen, what does it say about you?" At any given moment during the course of a competition, we have to be willing to put ourselves out there. We have to allow ourselves to be vulnerable because the closer we get to what we want, the riskier it is. There is a chance we could put in so much effort and be left with nothing to show for it. To add to it, the more success you tend to have, the harder it becomes. I know that's hard to understand, but in this episode, I want to take a deep dive into how you can overcome those disappointments in your performance so you can be ready to dominate the next one.

Today's podcast is about how to deal with struggle and all the stress we have in today's world. Look, people are experiencing more anxiety in today's world than we have ever seen. This was the case even before the COVID situation. We live in a world with constant uncertainty, threat, and challenge. There is not a day that goes by that we don't have something that is dominating our attention, taking over our responses, and making life really difficult. I am going to dive into the main factors that drive this anxiety and also give you some ways to help manage it so you can go about your life without being consumed by anxiety.