IMPOSSIBLE ImPOSSIBLE ImP Attitude

When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at Change

What is ImP Attitude

ImP Attitude is a lifestyle philosophy that is changing the state of mind. ImP Attitude is set of habits that gives you an opportunity to develop yourself and live with a Growth Mindset. ImP Attitude reminds us to see Problems as Opportunity and every Failure as a Learning Moment. ImP Attitude is a personal choice to look at things differently, to know where you are going and be excited about challenges, because it is only when we face adversity that we can truly improve. When we have ImP Attitude, Life is not anymore happening to us, but rather for us.

ImP Attitude Story

All my life I wondered why some people are more successful than others, even when presented with the same opportunities.

Sitting in a room in Istanbul back in 2014 I was thinking about my tennis plans for the following day when I suddenly envisioned the idea. IMPOSSIBLE to ImPOSSIBLE. When I did its power completely blew my mind. This concept has been around for eons and I take no credit for its creation, but what was a game changer for me was when I realized the concept of the Change. This single word that has been created with the sole purpose of inferring that something is unable to become or exist is also one of the most powerful sayings. From the very moment we understand the significant of ImPOSSIBLE everything changes. This ‘lightbulb’ moment made me think, it made me review my life and ask myself, how many things in my life did I see as misfortune or bad luck when in reality they were blessings. Opportunities for growth. Self-Reflection. And, had I maintained the right attitude, equipped myself with the necessary skills, then I could have used that misfortune as an opportunity to improve.

Since that day I decided to work on myself, learn new skills, adopt new habits and change the way of thinking in order to become the greatest version of myself I possibly can. The Only person that you can actually change is yourself and everybody else you can only inspire by the example you set.

In her bestselling book ‘The growth mindset’ Carol Dweck outlines 2 distinguishable mindsets that most people have. The ‘Fixed Mindset’ and the ‘Growth Mindset’. People with a ‘Fixed Mindset’ believe that intelligence and skills are permanent, unalterable and innate, ultimately meaning they cannot be developed or grown. People with a ‘growth mindset’ however, believe that most human skills are learned and thus can be improved

What I have found during my journey is that successful people see world DIFFERENTLY. They look at everyday situations and act upon them differently than everybody else and simply because of that they get different results. During my research I discovered 4 habits that are prevalent among successful people. I truly believe that we all can use these habits in our daily lives, acquire ImP Attitude and create a Growth Mind Set.

Goals

Clarity is Power

Have a strong Why

Start from End Goal to First Step

Those who encompass the ImP Attitude have clearly defined goals that give them direction and power. Tools that are critical when encountering the everyday chaos that life brings. They plan their day towards their Ultimate Goal and they know what to get from each situation they face. It is important to have a strong why because we need to know why we are pursuing a particular goal and why it is important for us to achieve this. If we do not have strong why’s, I promise you we will fail as soon as we hit the first obstacle. Once we have set Goals that inspire us, that make us excited, we need to develop our Goals from “Top to Bottom”. That means we need to clarify the steps that we need to take, and the way to do that is to go from our 5 year Goal, to 1 Year Goal, 6 Month Goal, 3 Months Goal, Monthly goal , Weekly Goals and then Daily goals. Once we have this written down we can start with the next step.

Action

Take Massive Action

Someday is Now

Try, Fail, Learn, Try, Succeed

After setting their goals, ImP Attitude People know what their first step is and take immediate Action, because they know the only way to see any progress is if we give our best. There is no holding back, or calculating, it is about giving our best at every moment whilst pursuing our goals. The Biggest killer of our own success is procrastination, which is always telling us, maybe we can do it tomorrow or maybe it is ok to not go all in. But, we need to do it today and we need to give our best, because it is our duty towards ourselves and the people who care about us to ensure that we become our Greatest Version of ourselves. The golden rule of Improving is Try, Fail, Learn, Try Fail, Succeed, and we need to realize there is no magic formula in becoming great. It is simply about our ability to go after our goals, take immediate action and learn from the outcomes. No matter what it is. Once we take care of this step during our everyday lives we are ready for Step 3.

Choice

We choose how we react

Problem is Opportunity

Failing is Learning

ImP Attitude people have a great ability to control their own perceptions which is similar to what Stephen Covey conveys in his must read book “The 7 Habits of Highly effective People” and how people have a direct influence of outcomes through the power of choice. Between Stimulus and Response, we have the Freedom to choose how we are going to react to any given situation. Many people with a ‘Fixed Mindset’ are reactive. Essentially this means they are often affected by their environment. On the contrary, ‘growth mindset’ people are more Proactive, which means they still feel environment stimuli, but they are driven buy their Purpose and Goals. As the aforementioned Stephen Covey stated, “It is our willing permission , our consent to what happens to us, that hurt us far more than what happens to us in the first place. “ ImP Attitude people believe that every Problem is an opportunity for them to grow. It is an opportunity to grow into the person that is needed to solve the problem. They see obstacles as blessings, because without the obstacle they would not be able to grow and get out of the comfort zone. ImP Attitude people are excited to try and fail, because they know that failing is a key component of learning and learning is a stepping stone towards Success. ImP Attitude people choose what they see and they decide what meaning to attribute to the situations that happens to them.

Willpower

Small Daily Disciplines

Win The Morning

Meditation

ImP Attitude people know the importance of Willpower and they are super aware that willpower is as any other muscle, and it needs to be trained and grown. Willpower is the ability to do the things that are needed to be done even if we do not feel like doing them. Willpower is practiced throughout small daily disciplines that you set for yourself. Small Daily Disciplines need to be connected towards the growth of our skillsets that in turn need to be connected to our goals. A simple example could be drinking more water instead of soda or other ‘high–sugar’ drinks, so we can hydrate our body more efficiently and be in a physically better condition to face each day fresh and therefore make better decisions, especially when faced with adversity. We all need to grow willpower daily, otherwise, it weakens and in the crucial moments where when we need it the most, and do not have it, we will fail. Some scientifically proved practices that are useful when attempting to improve willpower include; Meditation, self-Affirmation, visualization, proper sleep (circadian rhythms), regular daily exercise, breathing, proper Nutrition etc. It is important to build your morning ritual, so you can set yourself up for a great day. Willpower is not genetic. It requires the will to resist, and the power of a peaceful mind.

About me

I am Professional Tennis coach with a passion for Personal Development. I have been working on the WTA Tour for the last 5 years and have been part of the Professional Star River Tennis team for the last 3. My preoccupation is the study of successful people across a wide range of fields with the primary focus of learning what makes them ‘tick’. Success leaves trails, and if we can map it out we may just be able to learn from it, save time and implement it. We can learn from everybody, so it is my joy to meet new people and share ideas. I honestly believe that our Mindset is a key component into making ours decisions and our decisions shape our life.

  • Working with WTA player Magda Linette
  • Member of a coaching staff at Star River Professional Team
  • Worked with WTA player Tereza Mrdeza
  • Worked with WTA player Ani Mijacika
  • Bachelor of Business Administration, Graceland University
  • Masters in Sports Management, Lindenwood University

ImP Podcast:

I want to interview WTA and ATP players, former players, coaches and their entourage and hear their stories, get a glimpse in to their journey and philosophy. Understand what drives and motivates them. While working on WTA tour for the past 6 years, I have been fortunate enough to speak with many different coaches, players and parents and I truly believe there are many things we can learn from each other. Hopefully this podcast will provide some helpful information to myself and the tennis community at large, so we can continue our tennis journey with new information and inspiration.