One of the great things about working at 877 is that every day is different. Each morning is a brand new ballgame, filled with new endeavors, fresh ideas, and new problems to solve for our clients. So how do we bring our best to the team and our clients each day?
Few would argue that morning rituals, a well-balanced breakfast, and maybe even a little exercise are great places to start. But it’s those precious and powerful moments between preparation and execution that are often overlooked. That’s the time when energy, focus, and confidence converge to supercharge your day.
Enter the walk-up song.
So what even is a walk-up song anyway? Music has been a pivotal part of generating hype for centuries. Primarily associated with football games, marching bands have been around since the 1800’s. More recently, organist Nancy Faust invented the concept of walk-up music at a White Sox game in 1970 by playing different types of songs to introduce different types of players. And today, players across all types of sports get to choose their own song to walk out onto the field/court with.
But why? As it turns out, there’s plenty of science behind the songs.
Whether one is playing a sport or simply tackling life’s daily challenges, mindset is everything. While athletes primarily use music to help improve their physical performance, music also helps improve cognition, motivation, and can help with stress management. And who couldn’t use more of that?
One sociological theory of a self-fulfilling prophecy suggests that expectations, if believed to be true, will become true–including our own expectations. For example, if one believes that they will have a bad day, then it’s likely that they will. But if something makes one feel unstoppable, it might just set the tone for something amazing.
By choosing a walk-up song that makes us each feel our best, we are starting off our days with real intent–to not let the stressors of daily life interfere with our ability to put our best foot forward each and every day. So next time you’re feeling stressed, take our advice and give your mindset a reset with a walk-up song. A solid hit or two could help you win the game. Maybe even a walk-off home run.