“Don’t tell me, show me...I want to see you do it on the field, do it consistently, and I want to see you rally your teammates around you because of what you do, not because of what you say.”

You can't wait for external pressure to push you. You have to create your own urgency.

Marcus Freeman made this point to his Notre Dame team before a game - and it's one of the clearest explanations of urgency I've heard from a coach.

"Urgency dictates what you're willing to tolerate. So we got to have that same like, what are we willing to tolerate? Are we okay with mistakes? Are we really willing to tolerate those things? Or do we have a sense of urgency to be perfect, to reach our full potential?"

Then he wrote something on a piece of paper and shared it with the team: What we've done won't be good enough.

Not as criticism. As clarity.

"What we've done won't be good enough to reach our full potential, to accomplish the goals that we have. But what we're willing to do - it will be. If we put the work in, we'll be able to reach our full potential and reach those goals. But we got to make sure we understand it. What we did last week ain't good enough. We got to be consistent and consistently do it better."

Here's where it landed for me: Freeman pointed to his seniors. It's senior day. They have urgency because they know their time is running out. Every rep matters because the clock is visible.

Then he challenged everyone else: "Every person in this program has to have that same sense of urgency you guys have. We have to if we wanna reach our full potential."

Most people wait for the deadline, the pressure, the external force to create urgency. The best don't wait. They manufacture it. They operate like their time is running out - because it is.

This week's question: What would change if you operated with the urgency that you only have the next 3 months? What would you stop tolerating?

Clark Lea just took over at Vanderbilt for the second time. In his opening press conference, he didn't talk about schemes or recruiting rankings. He talked about two things: habits and heartbeat. You can listen right here…

"We're gonna begin our journey focused on habits and heartbeat. Every single day from the moment our players enter McGugin, they're gonna know that they're gonna be built into and grown as people, as players. And as they leave, they know they'll be one day closer to their long-term goals. And though the work will be relentless, the journey within the program is gonna be fun."

Two words. That's the foundation.

Most programs emphasize one or the other. They're either all habits - discipline, structure, accountability - but the environment feels cold. Or they're all heartbeat - energy, culture, relationships - but the daily standards slip.

Lea is saying you need both. Relentless work AND a journey that's fun. Daily investment AND long-term hope.

The line that stands out: "They know they'll be one day closer to their long-term goals."

People don't just want to work hard. They want to know the work is taking them somewhere. They want development. They want hope. When people believe they're getting closer to where they want to be, they'll run through walls for you.

This week's question: What do your team’s habits and heartbeats look like? Which one needs more attention right now?

Jim Harbaugh was on the Glue Guys podcast and shared how he gets his teams to play hard without worrying (You can read the full post HERE). He says this one line:

"Play as hard as you can. Play as fast as you can. For as long as you can. Keep your wits about you. And don't worry."

I keep coming back to those last two lines.

Keep your wits about you. Stay present. Stay aware. Don't lose yourself in the chaos.

And don't worry. Play free. Don't let anxiety about outcomes hijack your performance.

This is how you prime yourself for competition. Hard. Fast. Long. Present. Free.

Most people get the first three. Effort, speed, endurance - those are coachable. Those are measurable. But keeping your wits and not worrying? That's the mental game. That's what separates tight performers from free ones.

When you worry, you hesitate. You second-guess. You play not to lose instead of playing to win. The body follows the mind - and a worried mind creates a tight body.

Harbaugh's formula is simple: Give everything you have, stay mentally present, and release the anxiety about what might happen.

It's not about not caring. It's about caring deeply AND competing freely. That's the balance.

This week's question: When you compete - in sports, in work, in life - are you playing free? Or is worry making you tight?

For coaches and leaders:

For athletes and performers:

All of these posts and more are in the Coaching Vault.

What I am reading and listening to:

📚 Book: Heads-Up Baseball : Playing the Game One Pitch at a Time by Ken Ravizza

🎥 Video: Inside the Headset | Curt Cignetti, Head Coach - Indiana

🎧Podcast: Dr. Jim Loehr on Mental Toughness, Energy Management, and More | The Tim Ferriss Show

Want More?