Stock Doc: Don't Aim, Just Throw the Ball!

Solution: Avoid Pressing Too Hard

I have changed my coach's words to "Don't aim! Just throw the ball!" I now use this motivational catalyst statement with clients like John as a way to get them to clear the noise in their heads before they start work each day.

John was obsessed with the fact that he was stalled and not progressing in his business. He was hyperfocused on what may have been wrong with his sales pitch or his investment strategy. Like a pitcher who tries desperately to change his windup and mechanics after going through a bad pitching outing, he couldn't let it go at the end of the day and change his outlook the following day.

John wanted to change everything that made him successful in the first place. I taught him to get back out there every day and just do what he knew best. Shake hands with a lot of people, follow his long-term investment strategy, attend more network venues and stop pressing so hard.

Whether we are pitchers, financial advisers, traders or surgeons, we can only reach optimal performance when we let our minds go and allow our bodies to do the work that they are trained to do.

It's important to look at the selloff this week as just an aberration in a long season. Use it as a beacon to re-examine your investment strategy, and you will succeed.

John learned to remain patient during this very normal plateau in his business cycle. He remained positive and decided on an inspiring visual image to keep him focused on his new motivational catalyst and success formula. He chose the awe-inspiring image of his idol, Roger Clemens, going though a windup and doing what he does best -- just throwing the ball really hard!