card holders get a year of @calm free. I signed up and really enjoyed a session from @KingJames on Mental Fitness - like a mini @MasterClass. Here's what I took away from it.

For those interested: https://t.co/ImPHHbaz6h

Thread below...

To @KingJames, mentally fit means
Presence - intention is locked
Awareness - see surroundings and options with clarity.
Calm and composed when the pressure is on.
Resilience after a set back. Fresh for the next day, game, possession.
Being at ease. Prepared, relaxed, ready.
Regulating emotions is critical to getting and staying in the zone (or a flow state) - "Those big moments. You can either own them, or they own you." -@KingJames
How do you regulate emotions?

1/5 Take a deep breath to calm your body and mind. That deep breath tells your mind and body that everything is cool.
2/5 Put absolute focus on the goal in front of you. Put on blinders and tune out the chaos, like racehorses. LeBron's blinders let in his teammates, the ball, and the rim.
3/5 Tune out the noise and focus everything on the moment in front of you. Ignore the thousand other things fighting for your mind's attention - a business problem, an issue at your kid's school that you need to deal with.
4 / 5Don't take on other people's emotions. Let them slide off of you. Stay loose when everyone else is tense.
5/5 Treat every moment like a new moment. Don't let past moments and the emotions from them influence this one. You may have taken the same shot the night before, from the same spot on the same court - and missed. Doesn't matter. This is a new moment.
On Championship mindset:

Being a champion is a mindset. A way of thinking that affects how you approach work, games and life.

Achieving success was not guaranteed, it was a process of winning, losing and learning over the years.
The big lessons didn't come from winning, but from fighting through adversity: losing and having to regroup for the next game, working through differences and learning to mesh as a team, the less exciting parts - training and practicing.
You need a vision - he channels Muhammad Ali "A man who has no imagination has no wings"

Lessons learned on Championship Mindset?
1/3 Preparation matters more than competition. It's about the work you did that gets you there. It's about 5 years running sprints at 6am. I'm going to put in the work, winning is inevitable.

If I do everything I can to prepare, I can live with the results whether I win or lose
2/3 The cliché that it's about the team, not the individual is true. Teams build great things. Empower your teammates and let them empower you. Success comes when a group of people rise up together and support each other towards a common goal.
3/3 Focus completely on the present and live in the moment. When training, practicing, recovering, be there and not dreaming about the trophy. You can hold onto a vision of the future, but stay in the moment and trust that the work will take you there.
On pre-game prep: Think about the qualities you want to bring into every important experience and interaction. @KingJames carries these 7 from his high-school team:
- Humility
- Unity
- Discipline
- Thankfulness
- Servanthood
- Integrity
- Passion
Go inside yourself, prepare yourself mentally and emotionally and get your mindset right before connecting with the environment around you. Recommit to bringing your full self to the moment.
On sleep: Sleep is the most important thing for his health, happiness, career and body since he got older. If you could buy the benefits of sleep in a bottle it would be the most popular health supplement out there.
Sleep is protected at all costs - 8 hrs + a 2 hr nap - non-negotiable. @KingJames entire scheduled revolves around sleep. A great story was a 1pm game in NYC. What happens to the nap? After the game? No! Got to bed early, 6am wake up, travel, prep, nap before the game. 🏀
Bedtime routine: Create a pre-sleep ritual and bubble that nothing can penetrate. Keep sleep conditions stable. 68-70 degrees. Blackout curtains + towel over anything that emits light. Turn off all electronics 30-45 minutes before sleep. No social media.
This @calm session surprised me in a good way. If you want to check it out you can get a free year if you have an Amex - https://t.co/ImPHHbaz6h

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