The Champion’s Mind

The how-to guide for your mental game

I approached this game as a former athlete and as a current amateur wannabe triathlete. I was looking for something that helped me face the long months ahead of me and the book didn’t disappoint, or, at least, not at all.

This is a typical self-help book that could have been condensed into a way shorter version where the main message(s) is diluted into 250 pages that could have been easily 80.

The book remains nonetheless a relaxing and entertaining book, guiding through the psychological steps to achieve the so-called “peak performance”.

The book is divided into 10 chapters and every chapter provides a somehow similar piece of advice for preparing for whichever adversity life puts forward, be it a competition, an exam, or simply a personal grind.

Main Takeaways

The main takeaways of the book are:

• Goal Setting
• Mental Imagery: visualize in your mind yourself performing
• Self-talk: positively and effectively talk to yourself
• Confidence: assume an “I can do it” attitude
• Focus: stay in the moment, not on later, not on the past. Do your best in the moment.
• Breath Control
• Mental Toughness: especially in adversity remember to not skip the difficult choices
• Anxiety Management: stress and anxiety are not negative, they’re the feelings that help you perform and tell you that what you’re doing is important
• Enjoyment: remember to have fun while you train
• Body Language: you’re carrying with you the future champion
• Intensity: face every situation with the right body energy
• Personal Affirmation: repeat your motivational routine speech

authors: Erik Pillon, the52ndbook@gmail.com