REGION I

RANDY MARTIN

PO Box 334 • Vega, Texas 79092 806-670-2113 • randyleemartin@hotmail.com

JERAD STOKER

PO Box 1693 • Canyon, Texas 79015 806-676-6969 • jared_stoker@cargill.com

STUDENT OFFICERS PRESIDENT - RIDLEY TIMBERLAKE VICE PRESIDENT- AVERY ARMSTRONG SECRETARY/HISTORIAN - ABBY MCCREARY

PRESIDENT - JERAD STOKER

PO Box 1693 • Canyon, Texas 79015 806-676-6969 • jared_stoker@cargill.com

SECRETARY - MARCY SESSIONS

1611 El Paso • Wellington, Texas 79095 806.205.0350 • thsra1@yahoo.com

STATE DIRECTORS / REGION OFFICERS KEVIN MCCREARY

6101 CR 298 • Canyon, Texas 79015 806.674.5601 • kevin@mccrearysales.com

PERFORMANCE REPORT Doing vs. Trying

By Donene Taylor, Author and Mental Performance Coach

As you head into a new rodeo season, I bet you have been practicing to get your horse “right,” but have you worked on getting your mind “right?”

Yoda’s quote from “Stars Wars–The Empire Strikes Back” is powerfully empowering. He said, “Do or do not. There is no try.”

Here are a couple roping examples to explain that quote: · Regarding the start at the barrier: You either “get out,” or you “don’t get out.”

You either do it, or you don’t do it. There is no trying to “get out.” · Regarding riding your horse correctly to the calf: You either “ride correctly,” or you “don’t ride correctly.” You either do it, or you don’t do it. There is no trying to “ride correctly.”

Having a TRYING mindset gives you permission to “half-bake” your potential for success. Before I knew better, I used the word “TRY” which gave me permission not to give an honest effort. I knew I could always say, “Well, I tried.” At times, I knew in my heart I did not give it my best or put in the time necessary to succeed. All that “TRYING” allowed me to stop or quit and look for the next new coach, school, drill, or strategy. When I was not getting the results I thought I deserved on my timeline, I could say, “Well, I tried,” and I would be on to the next, new thing.

When you include the word “TRY” in your vocabulary, you are headed down a slippery slope that is hard to navigate, all the while “trying” to run down you Bold Goals. This is not the direction nor the type of momentum you want to catch when performing. Here is why:

TRYING can lead to Thinking.

THINKING can lead to Being Tight.

BEING TIGHT can lead to Holding Back.

HOLDING BACK can lead to Worry/Doubt/Fear/ Anxiety.

WORRY/DOUBT/FEAR/ANXIETY can lead to Being Timid. BEING TIMID can lead to Feeling Intimidated.

ALL OF THE ABOVE leads to an inability to perform your best when it matters the most.

Having a DOING mindset will give you permission to Hang On, Until You Catch On. I still have a timeline, but I understand that Bold Goals will almost always take longer, cost more resources, and grow me inside out, before I see significant results. Here are some examples of how a DOING mindset helps me run down my Bold Goals:

DOING keeps me honest with myself. Either I did it, or I did not do it.

DOING keeps me giving full effort, willing to fall short and do it again.

DOING keeps me hooked to Do Whatever It Takes for As Long As It Takes, No Matter What.

DOING keeps me from half-baking my potential.

DOING keeps me from Blaming, Complaining and Being Defensive.

DOING keeps me collecting data, staying excited in the process, and committing to figuring it out.

Using positive words is another powerful strategy to add to your arsenal. I want to encourage you to take inventory of the words you are using throughout your day. A small shift in your word choice will be transformational in your life. Once I became aware of the words I used, I doubled down on using positive, productive, process-based words, and it helped in transforming my life. If I can do it, you can do it too! I absolutely, positively, 100% guarantee it!

Running Down Bold Goals is a WILD ADVENTURE! I have never regretted digging deeper and Doing the Work. Once you commit to digging deeper and Doing the Work, your life will never be the same.

If you are in a place in your life where you are ready to work on your mental game, check out my newest book Master the Art of Winning, A Championship Playbook to Optimize Mental Performance available now on Amazon. Or learn more about me at DoneneTaylor.com.