The Obsession for Perfection. Become a sport legend ebook

Dawid Piątkowski

THE OBSESSION FOR PERFECTION

BECOME A SPORT LEGEND

Publisher: Dawid Piątkowski

Original title:

Obsesja doskonałości 

Edited by:

Gosha Wolińska

Wojciech Andrzejczuk 

Translated by:

Anna Godlewska-Wieczorek 

Author’s photo made by:

toinspire.pl 

Graphic design:

Łukasz Ociepka 

 ISBN 978-83-65590-10-7

© Dawid Piątkowski, ul. 3-go Maja 48, 41-800 Zabrze

Front cover photograph by virtue of copyright by Shutterstock.com

All rights reserved. www.dawidpiatkowski.com

Acknowledgements

To my coaches – Kazimierz and Jacek Listek, Beniamin Budziak and to my mentor the late PhD. Jerzy Wielkoszyński

Mission statement 

My goal is to set free your underlying potential so that you can achieve spectacular success. My dream is to see athletes who are awakened. I cherish the moment when the impossible becomes possible. When low self-esteem turns into gigantic self-confidence. When lack of self-belief is replaced with unswerving faith. When mediocrity is transformed into excellence. When our conscious and premeditated actions result in dreams changing into reality. I believe this book will change you, and then it will go on to change the face of sport all over the world.

— Dawid Piątkowski

To fighters

What is this book about? 

Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.

— Pele 

It is the first book in the world devoted to personal growth of athletes, their parents and coaches, whose foundations are purely spiritual. The author unveils the secrets of the mind that have not been described until now; those that have a direct influence on the effectiveness of training programs and results achieved in sport. Success relies directly on the athlete’s mind – the ability to control thoughts, emotions, habits and the strength of character. He also proves that the most important qualities of distinguished athletes are hard work, willpower, fighting spirit and the desire that is driven by the overriding goal – dreams coming true. Only such approach will produce world’s greatest athletes. This book outlines how to change an athlete’s personality in a simple manner so that they can achieve results unattainable to them so far. What will you learn and what will you achieve if you take over the control of your mind? You will: 

The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person’s determination.

— Tommy Lasorda 

Welcome to the sport of the future, where self-control and self-development set new standards. It is now faith, vision, desire, willpower and pursuit of perfection that set out new boundaries. Welcome to my world, where the impossible does not exist.

Foreword – genesis 

What to do with a mistake: recognize it, admit it, learn from it, forget it.

— Dean Smith  

My adventure with sports began in 1994. The origins of my career resembled those of many other athletes. My elder sister played tennis and suggested I sign up for it as it was a fun leisure activity. And so it began, quite by accident. I played sporadically the first couple of years, only an hour, twice or three times weekly. No one would predict that I would become a professional player at that point. It wasn’t until my first coach said to my father that I was talented and we should give it a go in a local competition that my father got the tennis bug and I followed suit.

My trophy collection includes more than 20 medals from national championships in all age categories. I had taken the podium 150 or so times in national and international tournaments. I gave up on professional practice at the age of 19 due to financial and family reasons. I went on to win a couple of more medals and took part in various tournaments, but I would treat it as a hobby from then on.

Itook stock of my life once my career was over. I would look for reasons why I had failed to achieve more and had not conquered the world. I had made so many mistakes. I would never work hard enough nor would I give my all. The absence of a goal, vision or a dream for which I would be willing to die for was the reason why I had been so inefficient during my tennis practice. I remember the time when I attended trainings, played a little, then went back home. No heart pounding, no fighting spirit, no quest for perfection, I might as well have gone shopping for groceries. Even though I loved playing tennis, my practice was downright monotonous.

At the age of 16, I got to know my mentor, the late PhD Jerzy Wiekoszyński. He showed me what self-development and professionalism meant. He opened my eyes to the world which I had failed to see before. During our meetings he would explain to me what physical practice and rehabilitation for athletes was about, and how I should go about analyzing footage so that I could brush up on my technique. He would also tell me about his life; what mistakes he had made himself and what he had learnt from them. These few hours with him had taught me more about training and life than I had learned in my entire life. He made clear to me the importance of self-development. It may sound trivial but it really is not. By posing the right questions, you find ways to improve your technique or fitness. Questions are powerful tools as long as they are backed by determination and strong will to find the answers. Unfortunately, I met him too late in my life to learn to play tennis to the best of my potential.

Back in the days when I was still a sportsman, the doctor would repeatedly invite athletes with their parents to involve them in a conversation about sport, trainings and how to make it together. These lectures normally lasted about 2 hours and he would willingly share his experiences with us. I was 17 at that time. After one such lecture he asked my mom Alina to talk to him in private and said: Your son is going to make a good coach in the future. He is gifted. You tell him that from me when you think he is ready. And my mom kept the promise. When I was 20, I started my first coaching job. I would still visit my mentor every now and again. Time went by. Then one day I got a phone call that the doctor, my mentor, had died at the age of 80. At his funeral, which naturally was a miserable event, for the very first time in my life I cried tears of joy. I realized that he had left a part of him in me; the knowledge, the values and the ability to develop as a person was his entire legacy. I reflected on many things that day reminiscing about all the good and valuable things that the doctor had introduced into my life. I came to a decision that I would become a coach and make sport a priority in my life. I wanted to pursue the knowledge and values that I had learnt from my mentor. I came home to join my parents for dinner that evening and we looked back on all the good things he had brought under our roof. I told my parents that I had decided to become a coach and that I could not imagine doing anything else in life. Then my mom recalled the doctor’s words. I felt this warm and pleasant sensation in my heart but I also felt massively motivated by his words. I did not want to let him down.

Ever since I got to know my mentor I have developed an interest in the workings of a man’s mind. Self-development has become my second most important passion. When I was through with my tennis career, I set out on a journey to explore the depths of my own mind. I would devour knowledge incessantly day in day out. I got addicted to self-deve-lopment and self-control. 10 year after, I finally have learnt to truly control my emotions. I have not had a negative thought running through my head nor have I had a bad day for years now. I have no idea what lack of motivation or dispiritedness mean. Not a day goes by without me realizing my dreams.

Iam currently helping athletes to unveil their underlying potential. Almost 20 years of experience as a professional athlete myself, backed by the 10 years I spent developing as a person, not only lets me solve athletes’ problems with ease but also lets me fill them with hope, self-confidence and determination so that they can go places. After only 2 hours in a meeting with me they will do things that are theoretically impossible. I light up fire in their hearts and feed their minds on knowledge and experience. They take control of their own emotions and start shaping their future single-handedly. They come to realize that everything is up to them. I am about to share my secrets with you. So keep on reading, analyze and draw conclusions while you are filled with an inner desire to strive for self-perfection.

AN UNCONSCIOUS WARRIOR

1. Warrior’s self-esteem 

What are you doing today to become a champion?

— Drayton McLane  

Many athletes reckon that they train hard and wise. Everybody has one goal or another, which they ostensibly pursue. Ostensibly they “give their all” during every practice. Well… almost every practice. Generally speaking, many sportsmen are convinced that they have got it right. Athletes, their parents and coaches are oblivious to the fact that they are making mistakes that lead to mediocrity rather than excellence.

Every time an athlete comes up to me I start a conversation by asking him or her a simple question: Why are you here? Whether they are Olympians, world famous athletes or those taking part in local competitions only, the answers are always similar. Most likely they have issues with motivation, self-confidence, stress, concentration, etc. (Iam seldom approached by athletes who are driven by sheer self-development, not struggling with any other issues). I then ask further questions: Why do you want to change that? Why do you want to be self-confident? There is a moment of hesitation on their side. They start to talk about situations when these issues trouble them. I ask them again: But why would you change that? Do you want to be second to none? Then comes the smirk. I know right away that the athlete lacks self-confidence and has no ambitious goal to aspire to. My next question follows: What would you like to achieve? What is your aim?Think long and hard before you tell me what your dreams are because I am about to explain to you why you haven’t got there yet. Then I will go on to teach you how to make those dreams come true. Once imagination starts to run wild, they will come up with a whole bunch of ambitious answers such as winning Olympic gold, being a member of German Bundesliga or securing a top 10 position in the world’s tennis rankings. Admittedly, all expressed with a subtle smirk indicating disbelief: This can’t be possible anyway! It is only now that I get down to the nitty-gritty. I will refer back to a conversation which is recurrent, regardless of the sport in question. This one I had with a football player who happened to be a national team member in juniors.

All players think they train sufficiently hard. Neither too much nor too little. I ask the player: How much effort do you put in daily to make your dreams come true? The answers are invariably the same as they oscillate around 2 to 4 hours daily. The player answers that he practices 2 hours daily in high season. Do you honestly think that by practicing 2 hours daily you will be able to play for Bayern Munich? He answers: No… I ask: Then why would take the trouble and learn to control your emotions if 2 hours daily isn’t going to take you anywhere? It now starts to dawn on him that the problem lies elsewhere. I start to dig deeper. So, tell me now, how much time the ball is right there at your foot during every training? Take away the time when you pass the ball to the other player and wait for him to return it. How much time is the ball at your foot during the 2 hour practice? Having mulled it over, he says: From 3 to 10 minutes. Sometimes up to 15 minutes, but that would be rare. I suddenly see a sparkle in his eye. He realizes that he barely has contact with the ball throughout a day. What does 15 minutes mean against 16 hours a day, assuming we sleep 8 hours? Then I go on to explain to him what a professional practice is like. I tell him about diligence, determination and the number of hours world’s best football players spend in the gym and on the pitch and the privilege I had working with Kuba Błaszczykowski and many other European football stars under the watchful eye of my mentor Dr. Wielkoszyński. It becomes clear that my partner in conversation has not trained hard enough in his entire life, has had no concrete goal which he aspires to and which would boost his motivation; he thought he got it right but, in fact, he didn’t! Sport takes precedence over everything else in world’s best athletes’ lives. 2 hours’ work out in the gym in the morning, 3-4 hours of football practice, 1 hour of physiotherapy and 2 hours’ mental training account for 7-8 hours daily devoted to training and development. Having brought this fact home to him I then go on to the motivational aspect. Do you realize how talented you are? Having trained so little you have become a national team player! Now imagine where it’ll take you if you train harder. Only the best players in the best clubs will train 7-8 hours daily. The majority of athletes spend 1.5 hours up to 4 hours practicing daily. There are no competitors for you out there. It is bound to bring a sparkle in his eye. He begins to understand that by committing he can make his Bundesliga dream come true. But how can you not believe it if 95% of world’s footballers practice 2 hours daily thinking it will improve their game? It is sheer ignorance, and it is their coaches’ fault. Such is the story in many other sports.

During my sessions with athletes of all sports I came to realize that the biggest problem was not lack of self-confidence, pre-match stress or family issues, but a total ignorance regarding a few basic facts and the inability to answer a few basic questions: 

Iexplore causes rather than effects of issues affecting low self-esteem and shaky motivation. The root cause of the vast majority of inner problems in athletes is the absence of aim, vision or dream for which they would be willing to sacrifice their time and their lives. How can you possibly make sacrifices on a daily basis if you are not fighting for your dreams? What is the point of being self-confident if you don’t aspire to be the world’s best? Why come up against adversities if there is no overriding goal? Many athletes fall prey to mental- and practice-related monotony. They get up in the morning, do this or that, go practice, do this or that again, and go to sleep. And enter competitions every so often. Sometimes they do well, sometimes they do badly. But there is no heart, no vision, and no dreams to it.

Think about it: if you devote an additional 2 hours daily to eliminate your greatest weaknesses, it’ll make you better, won’t it? Now, I can almost hear the voice of rest advocates: Well, yes, but you mustn’t overdo it! Stay away from people who think you are working too hard. Don’t get into this debate, just get on with it! Most athletes live a normal life and happen to practice sport for the sake of it. Most likely, a thought has run through your head right now: But how awful this must be – so many sacrifices, so much drudge-ry… Some drudgery! To be responsible for your health, your body and your mind. To visit spa for physiotherapy, to go to the gym to strengthen your body and to read wise books to acquire knowledge on diet, training and emotional, personal and spiritual development. To constantly strive for perfection with a view to seeing your dreams come true. Can you actually picture a better life than one where you try to realize your ambitions while developing your inner self?

One of the best examples to support the theory that hard work will yield results is that of Kobe Bryant. He is claimed to be one of the most outstanding players in the history of NBA, next to the likes of Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal or LeBron James. There are legends circulating of his out-of-this-world diligence. Rumor has it that he would turn up for practice at 5 a.m. and finish at 7 p.m. when he was in high school. I will re-tell a story about Kobe Bryant and his work ethics, which was told by one of the LA Lakers coaches.

During pre-Olympic preparatory period in London in July 2012 team USA took part in an exhibition match. One of the coaches offered Kobe his assistance if he was up for an additional practice. At 4.15 in the morning Kobe called the coach asking if he was still ready to help him. Of course he was, even though he was rather taken aback by the ungodly hour. After about 20 minutes he was in the gym, while Kobe had already been sweating it out. Apparently, he had been there for more than 15 minutes. They stayed in the gym until 6.00, and then worked out for another hour. After two trainings at around 7 a.m. the coach got back to the hotel to take a nap before the next practice with the national team, which was due at 11.00. He showed up on the dot after he had had breakfast and his three-hour sleep. He started to talk to the players whilst Kobe was throwing in the distance. He came up to him to discuss their morning practice:  

Coach:You did a hell of a good job this morning.

Kobe:Hm?

Coach:You know, our practice…

Kobe:Oh, that… thanks. I appreciate it.

Coach:When did you finish?

Kobe:Finish what?

Coach: You know, throwing. What time did you leave the gym?

Kobe:I am almost done. I aimed at 800 throws and I am about to call it a day.  

The coach’s jaw dropped. It was then that he realized the legends circulating of Kobe’s unparalleled diligence were real and it suddenly became clear why he was one of the best basketball players in all of NBA history. There are legends going around of long and strenuous trainings of other athletes such as Muhammad Ali, Tiger Woods, Rafa Nadal, David Beckham, Michael Phelps, Michael Schumacher, Michael Jordan or Bruce Lee. Every distinguished athlete would put in a lot of sweat, regardless of the sport they practiced. Take it from me, overdoing it was the very last thing on their minds.  

Self-esteem 

We will begin mental training with self-esteem in order for you to be able to understand why you are where you are, not elsewhere. It is important that you pinpoint the causes of why you have not achieved what you aspire to so far. Almost every athlete knows what his / her weaknesses are. However, a very scrupulous and insightful analysis on all grounds is rare.  

Evaluate yourself on a scale from 1 to 10. Mind you, 10 is typical of the world’s best athletes in a given sport – compare yourself with them.

Outside sport:

What are you like in your private life – what aims, dreams have you realized? ......

Are you happy every single day? ......

Do you have control over your negative emotions? ......

Do you get on well with people around you? ......

Are you generally pleased with your life? ...... 

Your personal life has a direct impact on your emotions, your mood and willingness to do things. You may struggle with problems or you may be happy in life; whichever is true – it will all affect the quality of your practice as well as your results during competitions. An athlete who struggles with a myriad of problems is doomed to lose concentration, high level of motivation, self-confidence and will never work as hard as the one who has no issues and is essentially a happy person in life.

Ihave cooperated with many athletes who have been successful nationally and globally. If you have coached someone for a long period of time you can tell at first sight if everything is okay. Still, I ask them before every practice how they are feeling. In my experience, the mood we are in at the moment directly influences the quality of our practice. Head down, sluggish footwork and distraction are all signs of low spirits.

You