Over the past few months, I’ve made it a habit to listen to at least two short, mental game podcasts per day. I’ve been able to learn about new concepts, listen to other’s experiences and find different ways that the podcast’s message could be utilized. Recently, a concept came up in two different podcasts that I’ve never heard before, but it just made sense to me. It’s called the MOOMBA Disease, which stands for “My Only Obstacle May Be Attitude.”
The biggest obstacle for yourself may be your attitude…what does that even mean? Your attitude is an active decision you make, no matter how unruly or tough of a circumstance. If you have a game in February when it’s 35 degrees with 20 mph winds, it’s really easy to let the cold weather get the best of your attitude. Thinking about how cold it is only magnifies the discomfort and negative thoughts, letting the environment take control of your attitude.
If you are somebody whose attitude is easily affected or if you are unaware when you have a bad attitude, you are putting yourself at a massive disadvantage. A bad attitude negatively affects your effort, emotion and minimizes your potential output. It doesn’t allow you to think clearly, and defaults you to making decisions and taking actions out of frustration.
Having a bad attitude is also contagious. You know what it’s like being around somebody who sulks for multiple innings after making an error or striking out. You don’t want to be near that person because their energy just drags you down with them. Instead, you want to be around people that are uplifting, that will push you to be your best and not pull you back. So why would you want to be that person with a bad attitude?
Your potential is truly only as strong as your attitude. Zig Ziglar, famous author and motivational speaker, once said, “your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.” Your abilities (aptitude) could be second to none, but that is not the determining factor of your success. Strong aptitude combined with a poor attitude hinders how far and high you are able to go. It’s not until you remove that obstacle that you will be able to unlock your potential.
The key to maximizing your attitude is being able to hold yourself accountable and have the self awareness to know when you are losing control. Knowing that obstacle is there is a huge part of the battle, as many players need to have it pointed out to them. Once you have self awareness, you need to hold yourself accountable and take the actions to bring your attitude back within your control.
There are times where it is tough to have a great attitude. So imagine how hard it is to compete against somebody that does have a great attitude. Going back to our cold weather scenario, it’s already tough to play when it’s 35 degrees and windy. It’s even harder to play in those conditions if your opponent is excited to compete and confident in their abilities. Your opponent has now removed that obstacle and has a clearer lane to success. Again, your attitude is something you can control and have a direct impact over, so why forfeit its effectiveness to a force out of your control.
MOOMBA…My Only Obstacle May Be Attitude. There are already so many obstacles along the path to success. To battle the dreaded MOOMBA disease, realize the obstacles you are imposing on yourself and find ways to actively remove them. I challenge every player who’s reading this to buy into your attitude and practice building awareness so when the pressure is high, you are ready to bring your best self!
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If you’re interested in listening to short (2-4 minute), daily, mental conditioning podcasts, here are the three I highly recommend:
- Increase Your Impact with Justin Su’a | A Podcast for Leaders
- Success Hotline with Dr. Rob Gilbert
- Mental Performance Daily with Brian Cain
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