Daniel Abrahams

Sport Psychologist (HCPC), consultant, author, and host of @sportpsychshow.

New book - Compete - out on 4th May 2026

[Daniel Abrahams @DanAbrahams77]

Sign up for a FREE 'Mental Toughness for Football' e book here: https://t.co/KUoChPDFbM Techniques used in the Premier League

[Daniel Abrahams @DanAbrahams77]

“To win the World Cup you don’t need good players, you need a strong team and strong group…”

This might be anathema to English thinking when it comes to winning. Kaka points toward the leadership of Carlo Ancelotti as critical in creating a strong team and strong group of players…

Leadership
Teamwork
Mindset

Read that again…

Leadership
Teamwork
Mindset

These three qualities are those that win tournaments…the World Cup…a short intense competition that requires the nuances of collective effort, focus, readiness, and courage.

Ancelotti…known for his light touch and autonomy-supportive style…may be the perfect tonic for a Brazilian team not quite 1970’s in quality but still filled with game-changing talent.

He will play on identity and memory. The iconic yellow shirts. Historic footage of dancing skills with background Samba beats. Capoeira-like movement and mobility. Vision that perfects the meetings of perception and cognition. A nation used to more glory than others.

Success leaves clues and these are the clues Ancelotti and his staff will orient towards.

And then mindset…and perhaps the question mark. Can this team play in a High Performance MIndset. As individuals and as teammates. Can they respond to every lost moment amongst the thousands of moments with purpose. Positively. Proactively. Can they do that?

Leadership
Teamwork
Mindset

These are perhaps the strongest mediators of success for the world’s greatest international football team…

[Daniel Abrahams @DanAbrahams77]

Don't forget to listen to this week's episode of The Sport Psych Show - my good friend Mark Peters joins me to discuss my new book Compete: Developing a Mental Playbook for Performance Under Pressure in Sport.

Take a listen here https://t.co/xd3MrqU9CT

[Daniel Abrahams @DanAbrahams77]

“Please Mister, let me play…”

“No, you’re not at your best level, you’re not gonna play”

Quite some years ago, Samuel Eto’o of Inter Milan tried to persuade his boss, Jose Mourinho, to play him in a huge Champions League fixture against Chelsea. Mourinho was steadfast in his response - no! But secretly, the Portuguese provocateur was motivating him.

A little anger
A soupçon of frustration

Mourinho, looking for a threat response…a shade of red that would energise the brilliant Eto’o - “I’ll show you Mister” became Samuel’s driving creed.

In my new book, 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞, I dedicate a chapter to competitive motivation. Speaking to players directly, I suggest taking a 3E approach to game day motivation - excitement, enthusiasm, enjoyment…

“I can’t wait to show Mr. Mourinho how good I am. He’s going to see what a great player I am. I can’t wait…”

Excitement
Enthusiasm
Enjoyment

You see, with a little linguistic manipulation, you can turn a threat into a challenge. You can get excited about the presence of a negative. You can a little anger and frustration in a positive way.

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𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤, 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞.

𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐬 (𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐭)

[Daniel Abrahams @DanAbrahams77]

“He’s looking to beat the data. Score more goals…he works for that…this is his mindset…

…for me, it’s different. Things are just happening…of course I want to get better…but there are a lot of things out of my control…”

The great Kaka on the great Ronaldo (and on himself)…

Managing the course of your career is both complex and complicated. One area that creates confusion is the relationship between goal-setting and improvement. Should I set myself outcome goals - career objectives, or should I simply practice, play, and let my improvement take care of itself.

A westernised lens has tended towards the former. Reach for the stars and you’ll land on the moon. Set yourself BHAGs - Big Hairy Audacious Goals. Aim like crazy for stretched objectives. Ronaldo in a nutshell!

But over the past couple of decades, the value of ‘no goals’ has emerged in research. Still practice hard and play with passion…but set no overt outcome objectives and let those outcomes take care of themselves. Trust the process!

Such an approach can turn down the volume of anxiety by reducing the pressure one puts on oneself. Indeed, the downside of the constant never ending push towards steeper outcomes is the stress it puts on oneself…eventually de-serving the ability to reach said outcomes.

Stretched objectives can actually reduce your chances of reaching them.

Key perhaps lies within the individual (and may change over time and context). It’s dynamic! Kaka may have started his incredible career benefitting from outcome goals, but then, as injuries hit, and as life became more complicated, just playing and doing (playing and being) may have been optimal for him. It sounds like it!

There’s no truth here, but for the vast majority of my clients, I’m helping them to create a mindset frameworks that turn their attention away from stress-inducing outcomes and onto the joy of mindset and mastery.

Mindset - High Performance Mindset (HPM)
Mastery - Learning, Improving, Developing (LID)

That’s all your job is every day - Mindset & Mastery; Mindset & Mastery; Mindset & Mastery - then see where you end up. What fun!

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𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤, 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡.

[Daniel Abrahams @DanAbrahams77]

Played by people…and people are complex…they are complex adaptive systems influenced biologically, psychologically, and socially…and by the interactions between the three…

Thus, the game is complex but not complicated…but coaching the game tends to be both complex and complicated…

[Daniel Abrahams @DanAbrahams77]

It’s about control…

I want you to take control
I want you to take charge

This means executing in a High Performance Mindset (HPM)…every action every second…no matter who you’re playing, where you’re playing, when you’re playing, how you’re playing…

I want you to take control
I want you to take charge

Listen to me…lean in close. Hear me! Mindset is three skills - attention, intensity, intent.

Attention
Intensity
Intent

Listen to me…lean in close. Hear me! I want you to execute every second in HPM - High Attention, Optimal Intensity, High Intent.

High Attention - focused and connected to the game
Optimal Intensity - strong engagement: alert and ready
High Intent - energy-forward: purposeful, positive, proactive

And I have a bunch of mental techniques to help you execute in HPM - High Attention, Optimal Intensity, High Intent…

-Focus Flashlight
-Match Script
-Game Face
-Controllers
-Squashing ANTs

And they all presented…coherently and simply and practically…in my new book Compete.

I mean, even the gang at The Overlap want you to know about Compete (and no, I was on the show and this isn’t AI).

You can purchase Compete at all good online retailers…

[Daniel Abrahams @DanAbrahams77]

On this week's episode of The Sport Psych Show I do a deep dive into my new book Compete: Developing a Mental Playbook for Performance Under Pressure in Sport and break down the contents chapter by chapter bringing to life some of the skills and techniques contained within https://t.co/o7vEMikGsd

[Daniel Abrahams @DanAbrahams77]

‘Sir’ Gordon Banks…

Wonderful…Masterful…

[Daniel Abrahams @DanAbrahams77]

On this week's episode of The Sport Psych Show I'm joined by Mark Peters to discuss my new book 'Compete'. Mark & I discuss the book in depth and break down the contents chapter by chapter bringing to life some of the skills and techniques contained within https://t.co/xd3MrqU9CT

[Daniel Abrahams @DanAbrahams77]

@PaulSpacey 👍🏻👍🏻

[Daniel Abrahams @DanAbrahams77]

Oh, this is oh so glorious…wonderful…

“I can’t put myself in the mentality of that person. I can’t put myself in that place. We’re playing Portugal that night and he’s out there in 30 degree heat playing head tennis. He’s excited! We’re playing Figo and Ronaldo…he can’t wait…and I’m nervous…”

Gary Neville on Wayne Rooney…2004 Euros…

Excitement…Enthusiasm…Enjoyment

In my new book, 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞, I take a very similar approach to competitive motivation. I suggest that motivation is heightened by building personal excitement for the game ahead. I suggest searching for what enthuses you about competitive games under pressure. And I suggest enjoying every single second…

…every single second…

…of executing every action as you play.

Excitement…Enthusiasm…Enjoyment

Imagine now, if you will, a young Wayne Rooney…2004 Euros…competing against the world’s best with…

Excitement…Enthusiasm…Enjoyment

Such a competitive attitude…such competitive motivation loads onto the three mental skills I identify in the book as being the three most important…

Attention
Intensity
Intent

Imagine these…

Imagine yourself into that mindset…that body…that approach…that attitude…

What does that look like?
What does that feel like?
What will others see?

In my new book 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞, I teach you how to play with a High Attention, an Optimal Intensity, and a High Intent. And I use excitement, enthusiasm, and enjoyment as three forms of competitive motivation to help you get there.

A last point…

I’m not ignoring Gary Neville’s socio-cultural take on Wayne Rooney’s upbringing. He came from a place where he had to fight (perhaps literally some of the time). People from all manner of backgrounds can be successful…but Rooney enveloped skill with will. He combined warrior with artist. His mind and body aching to fight daily…

In 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞, I teach you how to take control and take charge. I teach you how to find a mindset that asserts yourself on yourself…so you can assert your game on the game. I teach you how to refuse to give-in. To go again and again and again and again. High Attention, Optimal Intensity, High Intent…

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𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐬…

[Daniel Abrahams @DanAbrahams77]

One of the world’s leading basketball players, Jalen Brunson thanks his commitment to the late, great Kobe Bryant’s concept of Mamba Mentality…

“To stay present and to be as mentally and as physically good as possible”

But let’s do the deep dive around the competitive mindset…because I find sport so scared of doing deep dives when it comes to mentality…

Attention
Intensity
Intent

Ambitious competitors would do well to be students of these. Because, to be the very best competitor they can be, they have to be able to take control and take charge of them.

High Attention - constantly focused and connected to the game. Scanning and searching in order to stay connected to the opposition, teammates, space, and ball…and the relationship between these.

Scan and search, scan and search, scan and search - detect the cues that appear and disappear in the playing environment in order to anticipate and make decisions.

Optimal Intensity - a strong engagement - alertness and readiness. Alert and ready, alert and ready. Alert to see the opportunities and ready to exploit them. Alert to see the danger and ready to deal with them. Alert to responsibilities and ready to execute them. Alert and ready…

High Attention and Optimal Intensity - focused and connected with strong engagement - alertness and readiness…

And then a High Intent…

High Intent - a mind-body state that influences action-execution. Energy-forward or energy-back. A High Intent energy-forward = purposeful, positive, proactive execution of actions. A Low Intent energy-back execution of actions = hesitant, inhibited, or passive.

High Attention
Optimal Intensity
High Intent

There’s your deep dives right there…and that’s what Chapter Two in my new book, Compete, offers. A deep dive into attention, intensity, intent…

…and then chapter after chapter after chapter with mental techniques helping players to execute with High Attention, Optimal Intensity, High Intent.

That’s the deep dive right there…

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𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐲. 𝐌𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤, 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞, 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐬…

[Daniel Abrahams @DanAbrahams77]

New episode of The Sport Psych Show! This week my good friend Mark Peters joins me to discuss my new book Compete: Developing a Mental Playbook for Performance Under Pressure in Sport.

Take a listen here https://t.co/xd3MrqU9CT

[Daniel Abrahams @DanAbrahams77]

Saying it like it is…
Pulling no punches…
Giving it straight…
Brutal honesty…
No holds barred…
Laying it on the line…
Mincing no words…

Choose your idiom…sometimes you just gotta be tough on yourself. And sometimes you need to hear tough words.

We live in an age of sport where mental health, well-being, human flourishing and optimal engagement are paramount. And as we should - no person in sport, irrespective of age and level, should suffer bullying, harassment, or any kind of pernicious -ism (sexism, racism etc). And all deserve to enjoy their experiences playing the game they love.

But strong words for the ambitious are necessary. Plain, unvarnished feedback a must.

Relentless positivity can be as ill-fitting, unhelpful, and as maladaptive as constant negative messages. Toxic positivity! A delusion that harms and hinders.

“We were rubbish. I was awful. That was disastrous”

Negative but honest appraisal - words and sentences that energise because they hit hard and true.

In my new book, 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞, I refer to complacency as being one of the top six psycho-emotional states that tend to diminish performance. A good telling off (whether to self or others) can be the perfect antidote to complacency. A brutal assessment of bad a way to lull one out of security and comfort (twin bedfellows of complacency).

“The was awful. Ok, what are we going to do to be better next time…”

Solutions…solutions…

Complacency can be as big a killer as anxiety in high performance sport. So coaches are well-served armouring for such a destructive psycho-emotional state.

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𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐦𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤, 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬…

[Daniel Abrahams @DanAbrahams77]

“𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞…

…𝐰𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭…𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞…𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐢𝐭 𝐮𝐩. 𝐈𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐮𝐬. 𝐈𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟…”

The BBC have put ‘Dear England’ onto our TV screens. The stage play about Gareth Southgate’s cultural transformation of the England team is beaming into our homes on the eve of the 2026 World Cup…

And much to the delight of sport psychologists across the country the show highlights the work of the very great (and very lovely) Dr Pippa Grange (who I spoke with on The Sport Psych Show here: https://t.co/icVAcrnVot)

Anyway…

Over the coming days, I’ll take a few quotes and comment on them (likely relating them to my new book Compete)…

We start with the quote at the top from Gareth Southgate in the TV programme. Scroll up and re-read it…

“We must…”
“It will be a disaster if…”

You cannot force a great performance in sport. You cannot fear a loss in sport. These are twin terminators of high performance. They are attitudinal anathemas of freedom and focus. Everything about playing for the national team in English sport lends itself towards force and fear.

Force and fear…

I’ve never worked with the England football team, but I have worked with the England Rugby team and other national sporting teams…and can say for certainty the pressure in these environments can be crippling to players’ games…no matter the skill in their feet (or hands).

I’ve also closely worked with plenty of English players who play (and have played) international football. One former player said to me: “Dan, the problem was that I tried too hard and overplayed. I wanted to do well so much that I worked too hard and was exhausted 15/20 minutes into the first half.” Another said to me: “Dan, it’s just different. You get so scared to make the smallest of mistakes.”

You cannot force high performance…
You cannot fear low performance…

This offers a neat segue towards my new book, Compete.

In Compete, I introduce the reader to two scales - a Performance Scale (1-10) and a Mindset Scale (1-10). I ask players to become students of their Mindset Scale…and…I ask them to compete on that Mindset Scale. Let the Performance Scale take care of itself. Simple, but devilishly difficult to do.

“My job on the pitch is to take control and take charge. It’s to compete on my Mindset Scale - in High Performance Mindset. I don’t care who I’m playing, where I’m playing, when I’m playing, how I’m playing. My performance takes care of itself…”

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𝐈’𝐦 𝐬𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤, 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐬.

[Daniel Abrahams @DanAbrahams77]

This is just brilliant…(and quite moving)

“It’s a Tough Life” documentary from 1972 about being an apprentice at Liverpool.

Ecological dynamicists would freak at the training (as perhaps they should)…

I looked up Bob Johnston, the trainee at the end, he became a PE teacher and still works part-time.

Love how they pan into the supporter at the end. What’s he thinking?

Just wonderful stuff…

[Daniel Abrahams @DanAbrahams77]

“Pure emptiness…

…we’re athletes…there’s nothing in our heads…”

Straight from the Nike strap line - just do it! Backed by the Top Gun mantra - Don’t think, just do!

Alexander Zverev is of course exaggerating here. The best athletes in the world never compete with nothing in their heads. They may, when at their best, have fewer thoughts…but they always have (and need) attentional cues.

Attentional cues that help them focus on the information in their environment they need to act upon at speed.

Attentional cues that help them stick to their strategical game plan and to adjust tactics when needed.

Attentional cues that are holistic in nature that better enables them to compete in their High Performance Mindset no matter what.

On some days these cues are crisp and clear…with no thoughts, emotions, and feelings imposing themselves on conscious awareness. Effortless ensues.

On other days these cues are murky and distant…with thoughts, emotions, and feelings dominating and dictating conscious awareness. Effortful ensues.

Effortless…
Effortful…

Competitors can high perform and win in both states. They just need strong mental frameworks to help them.

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𝐌𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤, 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞, 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬.

𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐬…

[Daniel Abrahams @DanAbrahams77]

Intent is not a word that springs to mind when you think of the psychological aspects of sport…

I think it’s a critical essential.

What is intent from a mental perspective?

In my new book, 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞, I suggest it’s a mind-body state that influences the style in which you execute your actions.

Now, that’s a bit of a mouthful. A long definition. I apologise for that, but at its heart lies a simple idea - energy-forward or energy-back. You are executing your actions with energy forward or you are executing them with energy back.

High Intent - energy-forward: purposeful, positive, proactive

Low Intent - energy-back: inhibited, hesitant, or passive

This is a simple heuristic I’ve created from the approach/avoidance literature. As human beings we move towards or we move away from. In 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞, I teach competitors to execute actions with approach behaviour…towards rather than away from.

I want the players I work with to compete with energy-forward. Assertive. Aggressive. Brave. Courageous. Positive. Confident.

That’s what I want for them. It’s what I want them to practice in every activity every session. It’s what I want to see from them every action every second in every game.

In control
In charge
Energy-forward
Dominating mind and body
Owning mind and body

That’s what they yearn for…and that’s what I demand from them…

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𝐈𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐞…

…𝐦𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤, 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞, 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐬.

[Daniel Abrahams @DanAbrahams77]

Listen to me…

Come in close…lean in…

Your job when you compete is to take control and take charge. It’s to take control of your attention, intensity, intent…

It’s to execute with a High Attention - focused and connected to the game no matter what! Scan and search…scan and search…take control of your attention.

It’s to execute with an Optimal Intensity - alert and ready during the game no matter what! Alert and ready…alert and ready…take control of your intensity.

It’s to execute with a High Intent - purposeful, positive, proactive with every action no matter what! Energy forward…energy forward…take control of your intent.

That’s a High Performance Mindset right there. That’s HPM right there. That’s HPM!

What does this look like to you?
What does this feel like to you?
What do others see when you’re in HPM?

Build an exciting picture of this in your mind. Make it big and bold and bright. And when you go and compete, embody it. Embody it and enact it…

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𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤, 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞. 𝐈𝐟 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤.

𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐬…

[Daniel Abrahams @DanAbrahams77]

“The path to success is not a straight line. Success is not possible without a firm foundation built on two things, belief and hard work, not talent. Definitely not luck. Belief and work”

Olympic skier, Lindsey Vonn addresses her audience and she wants the people in front of her to believe in belief. She wants them to attribute success to hard work.

This is a useful heuristic…work hard and believe in yourself and you will give yourself a great chance to succeed. Fair and not untrue!

But here’s the thing…

Work too hard and burnout can ensue. And an obsession with hard work can cause a blindness to the quality of that work. The combination of quantity and quality of work alongside appropriate rest and recuperation is likely optimal for most people.

And then belief. It’s difficult to argue against the importance of believing in oneself, but it’s important to note the power of purposeful un-belief. Honest self-awareness and critical reflection and appraisal twin to help people grow. Ignoring the underbelly of poor performance simply leads to more sub-standard performances.

Quantity and quality of work…
Belief and un-belief…

Now our ingredients for success are becoming a little more sophisticated. Intelligently sourced…mixed thoughtfully.

So what of talent and luck?

Of course they both count. But that’s ok. The world needs people who have an intuitive aptitude for things and who get good quickly at those things. The existence of talent (however one wants to define it) is a good thing - it helps people detect what professions and hobbies they might be best served ignoring and what they might be best served chasing. Go chase your talent - you have plenty of them.

And luck clearly exists and obviously makes a difference in life. Key is the acceptance of luck. Acceptance allows one to stay humble, focused, and action-oriented. I say action-oriented because if you want to skew luck in your direction then broadening your surface area of experiences and influence can tip it your way. Do more for more luck!

Talent helps you make decisions…
Luck keeps you humble and action-oriented…

Lindsey Vonn is an incredible skier. And like all successful people the heuristic they tell the world relating to their own success provides a glimpse into what made them successful. But success (whatever that means) is a destination that follows a complicated and complex journey. One that is never completely within anyone’s control.