The weather. The crowd. The umpire's strike zone. The grass that's slower than you trained on. The teammate who just dropped a routine fly.

You get to pick one thing.

What you do next.

You think you've had a rough commute to work? Let me tell you about a few of mine.

One summer we rode a team bus from Old Orchard Beach to Nashua. The bus had no heat. In July. We were all shirtless, cracking windows, cooking inside that thing like we were the meal.

Another trip we crammed 40 guys onto a tiny mail boat from Martha's Vineyard back to Woods Hole. Our batboy spent the whole ride puking over the rail.

There were stretches where we pulled into the parking lot of the field and walked straight onto the dirt. No BP. No warmups. No time to get in the zone.

One of those days was against the Torrington Titans. We were rushing to get the game in. I was cooked from the ride. Frazzled. Half-stretched. I grabbed a bat and walked to the box like the schedule was responsible for getting me ready.

I got rung up faster than I could spell strike.

Walked back to the dugout fuming. The umpire. The schedule. The bus. The rush. Every excuse was lined up and waiting.

And every excuse was true.

And none of it mattered.

Because I never checked my car before I walked up there. I let the circumstances drive me into the box. I gave that at-bat away the second I let the rush make my decisions for me.

I had every right to be pissed at the universe.

I also had no right to expect a better result.

The Lesson

C + A = R.

Circumstances plus Action equals Results.

You do not control half of that equation. You control the middle. That is the whole game.

This Week's Tool: The CAR Check

Before every game, before every at-bat if you need it, run a 30-second CAR check.

C is for Circumstances. Name them honestly. Out loud or in your head. "I am tired. The wind is in. The ump is giving the corner. I am hitting cleanup with two strikes to start the day." Acknowledge what is. Do not argue with it.

A is for Action. Pick one thing you will do regardless. One breath. One cue. One commitment. Not three. One.

R is for Result. Define success at the process level, not the scoreboard. "I will see two strikes before I swing." "I will breathe before every pitch." "I will run hard out of the box every time." That is a result you can deliver no matter what the day hands you.

Run it once. Run it often. Run it before every game until it runs itself.

Can't Hear Excuses.

Dr. Skip

P.S. If this one connected, forward it to a teammate who has been letting circumstances drive lately. They probably need to check their car too.