"Football is . . . 90% in your head and 10% in your physical attributes. If you can’t handle the mental side of it, the physical side doesn’t even matter because you can’t go out and play football," - George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers tight end.

Last week, I started an eight week class in improv comedy at Bleach Improv. We started with the fundamental concept of "Yes, and." Such thinking involves an acceptance of the present reality and a willingness to expand upon that thinking. Think of it as catching the ball when it's thrown to you - even if it shouldn't have come your way - and then making a positive play out of it. The second fundamental of improv is making your partner(s) look good. I was first exposed to the idea of using improv to enhance performance when I worked at IMG Academy. Travis Thomas, who is now the USMNT (soccer) Leadership Coach taught us the basics, and I've been using improv games with teams and individuals ever since. I'm looking forward to taking an in-depth dive in this class and identifying even more parallels to performance. In the meantime, check out the book Improv Wisdom to get a taste.

Abraham Lincoln once said, "I will prepare and some day my chance will come." Brock Purdy is living this out in real-time. Coming out of Iowa State University, Purdy was the final player selected in the 2022 NFL draft, a position dubbed "Mr. Irrelevant." As the third string quarterback on the 49ers, the chances of playing time seemed slim. After injuries to Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppalo, however, he was thrust into the starting role, becoming the first Mr. Irrelevant to start and win a game at quarterback. Some might be surprised that he's led the team to seven consecutive wins, especially those who evaluated him as "average, lacking the desired size, arm strength, accuracy, or mobility" coming into the draft. One club simply said, "No Interest." Those who know him, however, are not surprised. His teammates have highlighted his work ethic and willingness to help out. Prior to seeing action on the field, he helped Christian McCaffrey learn the play book following his mid-season trade to the 'Niners. Matt Campbell, Purdy's head coach at Iowa State said, "I think his greatest toughness is his mental toughness." Purdy manages his self-talk, stays humble, and tries to be a great teammate. He doesn't fear taking a risk, because he doesn't let the highs get too high or the lows get too low. "Man, just throwing fear out the window and just going and play. Like, I don't know if I would've ever had an opportunity again to play in the NFL, you know, depending on how it goes. So, it's like you go out there, you prepare as best as you can, you get better every single day at practice. And once you get your opportunity, man, it's what are you going to do with it?" Abraham Lincoln would approve.

In the last edition, I introduced the fundamentals of habit formation. Here's a second round of suggestions to help you build new habits. Ultimately, if you want to do something more often, make it easier (known as reducing friction). If you want it to happen less often, make harder (increase friction).

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