Reading Log: 'Why Strong Teams Are "Cheerful"'

What kind of book is it?

The author is a mental coach who led the Keio Senior High School and University baseball teams to great success. For Vodka, who is obsessed with "viewing mental state not as something innate, but as a mental skill to be strengthened," stories about teams that achieved victory by strengthening their mental game are very appealing. Furthermore, since Keio is Vodka's alma mater, I bought it.
It describes the secret to how Keio High School achieved the "result" of winning the national championship while advocating for "Enjoy Baseball," and the content seems very useful for my future life.

Learning Notes

Premise: What the Keio High School baseball team is working on

• Words like "Thank you!" and "Nice!" are flying around the bench

• Applauding the opposing team's good plays

• Setting a goal of becoming number one in Japan and pursuing it with excitement

• Avoiding negative phrases like "Don't mind" and instead using assertive positive language like "Let's go from here!" or "Let's switch gears"

Characteristics of a team with a good atmosphere

• Individual members are aware of their roles and positions and act proactively

• Members respect each other and have feelings of consideration and gratitude

• Positive words like "Thank you" and "Nice" are flying around

• Members have good expressions on their faces

• Setting a big goal and all members believe that "it can definitely be achieved"

• Working steadily toward that goal while encouraging each other

• When a teammate makes a mistake, they offer words of encouragement and try to cover for them

Essentials for mental stability

• Having many ways to stay cheerful during a crisis

• Setting exciting goals and steadily completing them to keep dopamine flowing

• Not slacking off when something is achieved, but continuing to inspire oneself

• Not being trapped by 'I must do this,' but valuing 'I want to do this!'

• When nervous, detach your consciousness from yourself (Riken no Ken - seeing oneself from a distance)

• Because you are prepared for risks, you can remain composed even in a pinch

Where does cheerfulness come from?

The pendulum of the heart always swings between positive and negative, which affects performance. Therefore, it is important to be able to take actions that bring it to a positive state in crucial moments.

So, how can you make it positive?? The key lies in 'words,' 'actions (attitude),' and 'facial expressions.' It is important to output these, even if it feels forced. Below are examples of implementation.

Tips for working hard toward a goal

• Verbalize the 'exciting elements' of your goal

• Incorporate 'making others happy' into your motivation, not just yourself

• Clearly visualize 'human success (the person you want to be)' rather than 'social success (the person you want to become)'

  • By doing this, you will stop being swayed by the evaluations of others or the results you produce

• Create small-step goals and aim for 'achievement' -> 'dopamine is released, increasing motivation' -> 'do more' -> 'before you know it, it becomes a habit'

  • My current English, newspaper, cooking, and mental health posts also fall into this category

'I want to do' instead of 'I must do'

• One student, despite being good at rugby, put too much pressure on himself by thinking 'I must become a regular' and 'I must become better than my rival,' which led to mental health issues

• 'I must do...' is a bad phrase that puts pressure on the brain and distances you from 'doing it'

• That student had forgotten the feelings of 'fun' and 'interest' that started with 'a rugby ball has an interesting shape'

• So, I suggested a goal far higher than just beating a rival.

• Then, my rival classmate turned into a partner with whom I could overcome practice through mutual encouragement, and by continuing to make positive efforts, I was able to become a regular player.

Cheerful team = Proactivity

Ultimately, this is quite close to the kind of person Vodka wants to become. Vodka's interpretation of the abilities required for each is as follows:

Aware of one's role and position -> Metacognition and big-picture perspective
Thinking for oneself about what should be done -> Logical thinking, curiosity, and energy
Able to take action -> A 'try it first' spirit, communication skills, and courage
Able to take responsibility -> Courage, mental strength, and sense of responsibility

3-line summary

• The skill to output positive results when you are feeling negative is what 'mental toughness' is. Especially in adversity, prepare a repertoire so that you can output positive 'words,' 'actions/attitudes,' and 'facial expressions.'

• The trick to maintaining motivation is to be conscious of 'how I want to be' rather than 'what I want to become.' Comparing yourself to others and thinking 'I must do this' is the worst. By focusing on the self you want to be and the 'fun and interest in doing something,' you can concentrate on the battle with yourself.

• Let's be proactive. If you think about what you should do, prepare, and act with a sense of responsibility, you will be less likely to get nervous, and even in a pinch, you can dismiss it as 'within expectations' and continue to act positively.

Reflections and Next Steps

• For me, 'how I want to be' is more important than 'what I want to become' -> Therefore, I will invest time and money into maintaining a state where I am stable, secure, and excited.

  • Like 'being relied on by everyone,' 'smiling even in difficult situations,' or 'rarely being in a bad mood or getting angry.'

  • If I achieve how I want to be, the 'figure I want to become' should naturally follow.

  • I will continue the routine of keeping myself in a good mood.

• 'Applauding a good play (even if it is a negative play for me)' is something you cannot do normally, but I thought it was a wonderful habit -> I will definitely do this too.

  • For example, most people would be disappointed if they were blocked by a good play from the opposing team while watching baseball. It would be refreshing if you applauded there instead.

  • At first, I won't be able to rejoice wholeheartedly, but I will force myself to do it, thinking I am tricking my brain, and get used to it.

  • I will learn to like myself for being able to do that.

• "I have to do this," "I should do that"—I was really trapped by these thoughts. You can't do good work that way → When you're in trouble, try to remember "the reason I thought this was fun" or "what triggered my interest in this." On top of that, set even bigger goals.

  • For example, "I don't need to get promoted, but I'll become the most reliable employee in the company."

• Always worrying about comparisons with others or winning and losing → In those moments, "Ah, so that's a part of me too." try to think that way. And then, try making positive outputs like hand signs, saying "Yes!", or smiling.

  • Furthermore, by being conscious of "the person I want to be," you will realize that comparing yourself to others is meaningless (The ideal version of myself was someone who could honestly praise others and stay cheerful even when placed in a tough situation!)

    • Being conscious of "the person I want to become" is counterproductive.

• "Taking your consciousness away from yourself when you're nervous" is a really great lesson. I was always locking myself in my own labyrinth and amplifying my nervousness.

  • Start by noticing "I'm nervous" in situations where you feel tense.

  • Stare at a single point and exhale thinly, or look at the blue sky to detach your consciousness from yourself.