92. Achieving your best: Goal-setting secrets from sports psychology

Today, I’m sharing with you a conversation with Dr. Mitchell Greene, Ph.D. In our chat, we dive deep into the psychology of goal-setting, attachment to goals, over-identification with one area of our life, peak performance, and mental resilience.

• When you’re taking a big exam, dealing with a work project, or participating in an important match, how do you manage your worries about your performance and your desire to perform to the best of your abilities?
• Are you supportive of yourself without adding pressure into your plate?
• How do you think of yourself without all the stuff you do in your day-to-day life?

While having goals is essential for your performance and motivation, they are just one piece of the puzzle. You also need to manage your mental chatter to perform at your best when it matters to you!

You will hear Mitchell and I sharing our take on Roger Federer, Rick Barry, Kobe Bryant, Andre Agassi, and other professional athletes’ approach to their performance, expectations, and goal-setting.

Whether you’re dealing with high-stakes sports scenarios or everyday life challenges, the principles to set your goals, how you relate to them, and how you approach your mental chatter remain the same.

You can find meaning and joy by making small tweaks and savoring the good along the way!

Hope you enjoy this episode!

Key Takeaways

• Understanding fear-based reactions
• Setting goals for improved performance
• Managing mind chatter in sports
• The role of mental skills in athletic success
• Balancing life and sport: Lessons from Roger Federer and Andre Agassi
• The importance of parental support in youth sports

Show notes

01:01 The Importance of Goal Setting

01:08 The Problem with Tunnel Vision 

01:44 Importance of Outcome Goals 

02:45 The Role of Action Goals

03:43 Goal setting and mental chatter

04:34 Managing Chatter for Success 

05:30 Developing a New Relationship with Your Mind 

06:01 Lessons from Roger Federer

06:43 Advice for Struggling Athletes 

07:22 Mental Game of Professional Athletes 

08:58 Perfectionism in Sports

11:42 Small Increments of Improvement

13:15 Leadership Challenges in Sports 

13:55 Balancing Life and Sport 

16:10 The Impact of Injuries on a Person’s Mindset

16:52 Parental Influence on Young Athletes 

18:02 Coaching the Coaches

(*) Show notes and resources of this episode

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(*) Figure out your playing-it-safe profile in 5 minutes and identify the key thinking strategies that keep you living in your head

(*) Learn ACT skills for anxious achievers by taking Dr. Z. ACT courses

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