High Performance 3-2-1

Author

Alex Auerbach
October 10, 2024

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This week’s edition of Momentum is brought to you by Momentum Labs.

For October, if you sign up for 1:1 coaching through Momentum Labs and mention this ad, you’ll also get a signed copy of my book out on November 15, Called to Greatness.

I’m experimenting with a new format this week.

Let me know what you think by replying or answering the poll below.

If you like it, I’ll do it more often. 

I wrote this after fixing my sink. Nothing gives confidence like feeling capable.

3 Ideas

1

The typical mental skills training program rarely considers order. Like physical skills, there’s a right order to train:

  1. Arousal regulation

  2. Attentional control

  3. Cognitive strategies 

You need this order to maximize the ability to use the skills in the moment. 

2

Nothing will debilitate performance faster than low expectations and low self-belief. This combination is the killer of all ambition and excellence.

3

Take a look at what makes LeBron one of the GOATs. His basketball IQ is off the charts. Intelligence, across domains, is one of the best predictors of performance. This carousel explains it all:

2 Performance Tips

Here are the two tips I’m teaching this week to the teams I’m working with:

Release-reset-refocus

After a mistake or setback, this 3-step sequence is what I teach performers to be resilient. 

  1. Release: a physical movement to acknowledge and “let go” of the mistake. 

  2. Reset: typically a breathing or grounding movement to come back to the present moment 

  3. Refocus: answer the question “What’s important now” to guide your next action (WIN)

Ideal Future Self

Based on positive psychology, this exercise allows athletes to examine the discrepancy between who and where they are today, and who and where they want to be by the end of the season.

I wrote about it more here:

Alex Auerbach Ph.D., MBA on LinkedIn: Momentum

6 of the top 11 teams in college football lost last weekend. I’ve had to help teams bounce back from challenges like that more times than I can count…

www.linkedin.com/posts/alexauerbachphd_momentum-activity-7249403257347825666-18E_?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

The basic idea is:

  • Ask the person to reflect on their dream outcome.

  • Then, describe that dream outcome in vivid detail.

  • Then, identify the action steps you need to take to make that outcome a reality.

  • Finally, identify the single, simplest, smallest step you can take today to make that come true.

1 Quote

“When smart people say, ‘you make your own luck,’ what they’re really saying is that luck is less mystical than it seems.

The best way to be lucky is to persevere, because luck overlaps with longevity.

If luck is by definition unpredictable, you have a greater chance of being lucky the longer that you push.”

Adam Alter, The Anatomy of a Breakthrough

When you’re ready, there are a couple of ways I can help you:

Book a Call with Momentum Labs

If you’re looking for 1:1 coaching, you can work with a mindset coach in my practice. Book a time here.

Momentum Labs | Mindset Coaching for Athletes

Get a dedicated coach, personalized plan, and advice from pros who have worked with athletes at the highest level.

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Sign Up to Preorder My Book

My first book will be out this fall! You can sign up to receive notice of the release here.

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