How Emotional Baggage Starts Out Functional, Then Becomes Dysfunctional
The term “emotional baggage” has become an entrenched part of the personal-development culture. Emotional baggage is typically described as unresolved emotional issues from our childhood, including acute trauma, physical, psychological, or sexual abuse, ongoing stressors, family dysfunction, and other negative experiences, that shape our attitudes, emotions, and behavior, and detrimentally influence our current lives. Moreover, […]
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Perfectionism and Triathlon Don’t Play Nice Together-#3
In my second of nine articles exploring obstacles that may hold you back as you pursue your triathlon goals, I introduced you to how overinvestment in our sport can mean a kiss of death for both results and enjoyment in our sport. Perfectionism is another frequent obstacle I see in triathletes. Perfectionism is a triple-edged […]
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Five Obstacles That Weigh You Down on Race Day
In my last Ski Racing post, I introduced you to five attitudes that you need for ski racing success. In this post, I will explore five obstacles that will prevent you from skiing your fastest and achieving your ski racing goals. Mental obstacles refer to any psychological or emotional issue that interferes with your ability […]
Read MoreFive “Deep” Reasons You Don’t Ski Your Fastest When It Matters Most
In my work with ski racers, from juniors up to the World Cup, I, of course, introduce them to typical mental training techniques such as goal setting, mental imagery, positive self-talk, and routines. All are invaluable tools to help racers get the most out of their training and ski their fastest on race day. Yet, […]
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Train Your Mind for Athletic Success Podcast: Episode #9-Perfectionism
Episode #9: Perfectionism of my Train Your Mind for Athletic Success podcast is the second of six in a series that examines the psychological and emotional obstacles that hold athletes back from performing their best, enjoying their sports experiences, and achieving their sports goals. This series of podcasts will also show you how to remove […]
Read MoreFive Obstacles That Prevent Ski Racing Success
In my last post, I introduced you to my Prime Performance System that acts as the foundation for my new 12-week online mental training program which I will begin offering on June 1st. In that post, I described the first of five mental areas—attitudes—that comprise my Prime Performance System and that I believe most impact […]
Read MorePerfectionism is REALLY Bad
New York magazine just published a really unsettling article on perfectionism, expanding on my own notions on the topic. Let me state this clearly: Perfectionism is REALLY BAD! It may appear to lead to great success, but, to the contrary, it often results in a lack of true success and, more importantly, it will make […]
Read MoreAn Even Darker Side of Perfectionism
I’ve written quite a bit about how unhealthy perfectionism is for both children and adults. Yes, it can drive you maniacally to become successful. But it can also create a powerful fear of failure that ultimately prevents you from being truly successful. Plus, I’ve never met a happy perfectionist (“What’s to be happy about, I’m not […]
Read MoreDo You Send “Dark” Messages of Love to Your Children?
Of course you love your children and would never consciously reward your children with love and attention when they, for example, first sit up or walk, score their first goal, or get an A on a school test, or punish their failures with anger or rejection. The challenge is to become aware of the unconscious, […]
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