Anyone that follows Tom Brady knows that he values his mentality as much as his physicality. Brady has stated on multiple occasions that the training of his mind is what ultimately led him to become a champion. In his documentary “Tom vs. Time,” Brady explained that “If you want to perform at the highest level, you have to prepare at the highest level mentally.”
A 2018 CNBC article outlines the tactics Brady used to guide himself to victory. Reading about Brady’s mental training revealed to us that his methods align with several aspects of the Pro Mindset® as described by veteran NFL agent Craig Domann. Let’s find out what we can learn from these similarities.
“I worked my butt off every day in practice, knowing that if I didn’t make the extra effort to treat every practice like a game it was unlikely that the coaches would ever let me play in an actual one.”
When he first entered the league, Brady was hit with the realization that NFL players trained much harder than his college team did. In order to play at the same caliber as his competitors, Brady gave his best at practice so he could perform well in the game. With the level of effort he put into practice, Brady quickly gained the respect of his coaches and teammates.
Brady was able to win six Superbowl championships because of the effort he put in behind the scenes. Not many of us see champions training, but their performances at game time reveal the effort they put into practice. As Craig Domann said, “If you don’t do it in practice, how can you expect to do it in a game?” Brady understood the importance of training. That’s why he treated every practice like a game.
“Another way to keep our brain as healthy as possible is to ensure they get the right amount of exercise through cognitive training.”
Brady believes that a strong mind is what determines the outcome of an athlete’s performance. According to the six-time Super Bowl Champion, “When you’re in a Super Bowl game and your team is three touchdowns down and the clock is running, mental toughness is what makes the difference at the end.” Knowing this, he crafted a lifestyle that allows him to train his mind daily. Every day, Brady goes to sleep at 9 p.m. and wakes up at 6 a.m. in order to get nine hours of “uninterrupted therapy and regeneration.” Further, Brady includes exercises such as running and using resistance bands in his daily life in order to train his mind to recognize when it’s time to work out.
Lifestyle is one of the seven keys of the Pro Mindset. While speaking on the importance of this component, Craig Domann stated, “If you don’t have a good lifestyle, and it’s not consistent with whatever you want to accomplish, it’s not going to happen.” Brady was able to accomplish his goals because every aspect of his life was optimized to lead him to success.
Through this analysis, it’s clear that Tom Brady has a firm grasp on training and lifestyle, two of the seven keys of the Pro Mindset. To learn more about the Pro Mindset and how you could use it to achieve your goals, check out Pro Mindset Podcast here and the episode on Tom Brady here.