Are you trying too hard?

In sports, we often hear many parents and coaches encouraging kids to “try harder.” And while this is generally noble advice, it actually is possible to try too hard in sports. In athletics today, young athletes are often encouraged to do it all. To be great on defense, to hustle, to score, you name it!…

Read More

The 3 Phases of Thought-Development

In my experience, there are three phases of thought-development throughout the lifespan: Tabula Rasa, Adolescent Identity Formation, and Self-Actualization. Stage #1: Tabula Rasa  The first phase is the Tabula Rasa phase. Tabula Rasa means “blank slate” in Latin. The term is often first associated with philosopher, John Locke. As humans, we are all born a…

Read More

How to Motivate Your Student-Athlete

“You need to hustle more! “You can’t just stand around watching!” “Don’t be lazy out there!” We’ve all head sports parents say these things to their kids (or worse!), and while well intentioned, phrases like these often do more harm than good. Instead of telling a kid what to do, here’s a script to try…

Read More

The Hawthorne Effect

The Hawthorne Effect Is the “Hawthorne Effect” ruining your remote work culture? In the 1920s, researchers at the Hawthorne Works factory found that productivity spiked whenever workers were observed. The conclusion? People perform better when they feel noticed and valued. Fast forward to 2026, and the Hawthorne Effect has gone digital -but with a dangerous…

Read More

Mental Fitness for Athletes

In sports, we hear coaches say that “the game is 90 percent mental,” and yet, ironically, 100 percent of practice time is dedicated to developing an athlete’s physical abilities. Unfortunately, this exclusively physical, overly traditional approach neglects the core aspect of what it is to become an elite athlete: Mental Fitness. Intuitively, we all know this.…

Read More

Problems are the Byproduct of Blessings

Problems are the Byproduct of Blessings I often watch the show “Frasier.” It’s comfort TV for me when I’m unwinding at night… In the last episode of the series, after 11 years of dealing with his father’s ugly chair ruining the vibe and decor of his apartment, he finally gets to replace the chair with…

Read More

3 Signs of Burnout

The World Health Organization classifies burnout by three signs: exhaustion, mental distance from the job, and reduced performance. The roles that keep surfacing share four conditions: long hours, high emotional demand, low control over the work, and regular exposure to crisis or trauma. There is no single official ranking of which jobs burn people out…

Read More

Not Just a Speech… A Roadmap

With most professional speakers, that’s all of you get… a speech…. But here at Mental Fitness LLC, we don’t just offer speeches, we provide roadmaps. For every talk that we give, we provide:  – A one hour call to discuss and assess the needs of the organization and customize the talk based on those needs …

Read More

Leaders Eat Last

When I was a young boy, maybe 10 years old, I still remember playing soccer one year. It was our first game of the season and 12 kids showed up. For context, in a standard soccer game, there are 11 players who take the field for each team: 10 players are on the field as…

Read More

“ I’m fine.”

For many of us, it’s our go to when we’re clearly not fine. So what’s really going on here? 1. You should already know what I need from you. 2. I don’t have the energy to tell you what I need right now because I don’t think you’ll hear me, it will just make things…

Read More