The First Races Shouldn’t Define Your Season (Unless You Let Them)
The start of the race season is emotionally charged. Months of preparation suddenly turn into results on Live Timing. For some racers, the season begins with confidence-building performances. For others, it starts with frustration, disappointment, or even futility. In all cases, it’s far too early in the season to think too much about what those […]
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Crisis to Opportunity Podcast: Episode #30-Doubt to Confidence-Part II
Episode #30: Doubt to Confidence-Part II of my Crisis to Opportunity podcast is the second of four in which I explore the importance of what I call mental muscles in how you respond to a crisis. Ultimately, the goal of having confidence is to develop a strong and resilient belief in your ability to overcome […]
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Train Your Mind for Athletic Success Podcast: Episode #25-What is Intensity?
Episode #25: What is Intensity? of my Train Your Mind for Athletic Success podcast is the first of two episodes in which I will explore the impact of intensity on sports performance. The topic for today’s episode is: What is Intensity? What I mean by intensity is the amount of physiological activity you experience in your […]
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Saturday Evening Post column: Worrying Does More Harm Than Good
The Saturday Evening Post published my most recent column, Worrying Does More Harm Than Good. Worry is a natural part of the human condition. It has historically played a vital role in our survival and it helps us cope with many of the challenges we face today. At the same time, worry that is too […]
Read MoreCrisis to Opportunity Podcast: Episode #8: Fear to Courage
In Episode #8: Fear to Courage of my Crisis to Opportunity podcast, we continue our exploration of the powerful role that emotions play in how we react to crises in our lives. This episode examines whether you experience fear or courage as you confront crises in your life. As you can imagine, fear produces in […]
Read MoreThe Real Fear in Fear of Failure: Part III
In the Part I in my series, Fear of Failure, I introduced you to the epidemic presence of fear of failure in sports these days. The article describes what fear of failure is and its causes. I also describe three ways that athletes attempt to avoid failure: they quit their sport, they cause themselves to […]
Read MorePositive Thinking + Reality = Success
An interesting New York Times article debunks the power of positive thinking, to a point. The article describes research which found that people who simply think positively feel less energy, have less motivation, and accomplish less than those who don’t think positively (or negatively). The research indicates that a combination of positive thinking and thinking […]
Read MoreLeader-as-Decision-Maker: Decisions Matter
I’m often brought into a company to help them solve a problem. The problem might have to do with strategic planning, research and development, or entry into a new market. I’m no expert in any of these areas, but what I am pretty good at is helping companies understand and go through the best possible process for making decisions.
The first thing I say is that this process isn’t about solving problems; it’s about decision making. When we think about typical problem solving, it involves a series of steps: 1) Identifying the problem…which involves making a decision on what the problem is; 2) Finding a solution…which means making a decision on what will solve the problem; 3) Implementing a solution…which means making a decision on how to put the plan into action.
Therefore, when we talk about ‘problem solving,’ what we really mean is ‘decision making.’
Read MoreThe Power of Self-talk (“You” is Better Than “I”)
An interesting article discussing research that demonstrates the benefits of self-talk and the difference between using second person (“You can do it”) and first person (“I can do it”). Hint: second person is better.
Read MoreLife is Fragile: Say “I Love You” a Lot
I remember my life in my 20s and 30s when I was single. I felt invincible. Life was so carefree. I lived in the present, didn’t think much about the future, and didn’t worry too much about anything (except perhaps finding a wife). No longer. I’m well into middle age now (yikes!), married, and with […]
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