Dr. Corey Yeager - How Am I Doing?

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How Am I Doing?

Copyright 2022 Dr. Corey Yeager

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ISBN 978-1-4002-3679-4 (Audiobook)

ISBN 978-1-4002-3678-7 (epub)

ISBN 978-1-4002-3676-3 (HC)

Epub Edition August 2022 9781400236787

Printed in China

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A s I write this foreword, Ive just wrapped up practice, and Im preparing for a weekend on the road to play for the Detroit Pistons, barely unpacking from the last trip. In between games and practice and plane flights and working with coaches and connecting with staff, at the end of the day, my job doesnt end at the sound of a buzzer. When I leave work, I go back to my favorite jobbeing a dad to my three-year-old little girl. Its a lot to manage, but I cant imagine anything more important.

Im on a journey to find out how great I can be, and what Im finding is that with every new opportunity, theres greater responsibility. My main responsibility on and off the court is to elevate my game as well as those around me. People are counting on me, and they should, because being a leader makes me who I am.

Greatness isnt just going to happen. Greatness comes from preparation, and it starts with coming into awareness of whats important to me and creating a plan of how Im going to achieve that. Greatness means taking time to block out what everyone else wants for me and instead focus on who I want to be.

One of my favorite places to focus is sitting courtside with O.G. Dr. Corey Yeager. Hes technically a life coach and advisor, but to me, hes more like an uncle. The thing I can count on when I take that seat beside Doc is he never wants anything from me but instead wants everything for me. I can ask him anything, and if he can help, he will. It never feels like hes trying to analyze me or diagnose what hes observed in me. Hes just an uncle who just so happens to have a psychological framework. My relationship with the doc over the last year has shown me that talking about mental wellness doesnt have to be sterile. It can be a conversation. These conversations dont have to be a big deal. They can happen anywhere you need them to happen.

Thats what youre going to find in this book, How Am I Doing? Its a selection of forty fluid conversations to better get to know who you are, what you want, and where youre headed. As Dr. Yeager opens up about his life in the pages of this book, you have the opportunity to open up about your story, too. And let me tell you, Ive never regretted a conversation with Doc. These questions are your shot to get to define your own path toward greatness, whatever that may be, and take ownership of who youre becoming.

Im known for my career in the NBA, but the thing you may not know is that becoming a great dad is equally as important to me. My daughter is my whole world, and I love her more than I can express. I know I need to become the best dad I can be because shes counting on me. The work Doc and I do is just as much about my personal life as it is about my professional one. The two intersect, and he understands that pursuing happiness, intentionality, and excellence cant be compartmentalized.

The interesting thing the Doc pointed out to me is that who I am in one space impacts who I am in another. One thing we have discussed is the importance of my basketball family as well as my family of origin. My familys presence in the stands puts me in the right mental space, and I perform better knowing I have them on my team. It might just feel like a nice story at first, but bringing this into awareness actually reveals something deeper than thatthe core to what makes me me, and what greatness might mean for me on and off the court. This kind of personal and professional awareness makes me a better person in all the spaces I move through.

In this book, the Doc talks a lot about awareness, and how awareness is the first step to unlocking who you are. Something we talk about at the Pistons is this idea of restorationthat the greatest version of our team already exists; we just have to find the blueprint to restore it back to its original form. Similarly, this book is about restoration of yourself. Its not going to tell you how you need to change your life or give you a clear plan of what you need to do next. What it will give you is the awareness you need to take the next steps to restore yourself and step into the greatest version of you.

This is a journey of awareness and empowerment you wont regret, and it all starts with one simple question: How are you doing?

Cade Cunningham

Detroit Pistons, NBA

T o me, therapy is conversation. And conversationwhen theres humor, openness, and curiosityis like playing on a playground. We take turns. We tell stories. And neither of us knows what well discover.

I came to psychotherapy after nearly two decades living my dream of playing pro football. I made it pretty far but didnt get all the way to the NFLwhich meant I was free to find a new field of play in therapy. It took a lot of work to get here, but at the end of the day, it doesnt feel like work.

At therapys core, were talking. And I love talking. Just like with football, I dont always have to have the right answer. Its okay for me to stumble. Its okay for you to stumble. Because sometimes we stumble into magic.

Four years ago, I transitioned from working as a therapist in the Minneapolis public schoolsa role I still treasureto providing sports-based therapy to professional athletes. My clients and office spaces have changed, but ultimately, Im still just having conversations. These days my office is at the Pistons Performance Center (PPC), where the Detroit Pistons practice. I dont wear a suit, and I dont approach anyone from on high. I just show up and show them Im present. The players know they can call me anytime day or night. And sometimes they do.