This is a really interesting podcast from The Well Rounded Athlete. It is a discussion with Dr Jim Afremow and whilst it is looking at things from the point of view of athletic performance you could apply the principles to all walks of life. Dr. Afremow is a leading mental performance consultant, and the author of The Champion’s Mind: How Great Athletes Think, Train, and Thrive
Here’s a quick overview of what is talked about during the interview.
0:55 – Jim’s drive to understand human behavior and personal excellence
2:43 – Why visualization and imagery is used by virtually all Olympic athletes and high performers
5:20 – How to train your mental skills (it doesn’t take as long as you think)
5:58 – Overcoming mental opposition (especially from friends and family)
8:40 – Mental toughness: staying positive and proactive in the most adverse circumstances
11:03 – Mental strategies of champions and high performers
12:42 – Overcoming negative self-talk and mental abuse
16:33 – Creating a personal scouting report
18:20 – Creating daily habits and environmental cues for success
21:23 – The role of a coach in developing a champion
23:58 – Teamwork: the parable of the 10 jugs of wine
26:04 – Social diffusion versus social facilitation
28:41 – The science of self-talk
30:39 – How to reframe challenges to improve performance
36:47 – Approaches to success: ego versus mastery
38:55 – Growth mindset versus fixed mindset
42:09 – The compelling science regarding the power of gratitude
51:25 – Harnessing the power of body language to improve performance
