Hack your High-Performance with Podcasts

Generally speaking, shortcuts are traps. Very rarely is success achieved without hard work. However, not everything that is good for us must be hard. Adding mental skills practice to your weekly performance plan can be challenging. It takes patience and discipline. Finding the path of least resistance is a great way to build a new habit.

Here are three outstanding podcasts to help you develop your mental performance. Engaging with high-performance concepts and thinking on a regular basis is one of the best ways to grow. You don't even have to do anything. You will improve by osmosis simply by listening to these podcasts.

First up is the High-Performance Podcast with Jake Humphrey and Damian Hughes. This is a long-form podcast where Jake and Damien discuss high performance with some of the world's most accomplished people. Each episode ranges from 45-90 minutes, although they also have bite-sized episodes of 5-15 min.

My favorite episode (and seemingly everyone's) is all-time great rugby player Johnny Wilkinson. There is so much to learn from their guests about being a high performer and every episode is filled with gold.

Whilst it is not strictly a mental performance podcast, you will hear how the very best manage themselves and their minds in preparing for and performing under pressure. I guarantee you will walk away from each episode with a lesson you'll want to put into practice right away.

The second is the Increase your impact podcast with Justin Su'a. Justin is the Head of Mental Performance at the Tampa Bay Rays. This podcast delivers daily mental skills concepts and lessons in the form of 2-6 minute bites. Justin has produced over 1400 episodes. I love this podcast because you can effectively turn it into your own daily mental skills practice.

Start anywhere and listen to one pod a day. If one particular pod speaks to you you can go and learn more about it. But each and every day you can practice mental skills simply by listening to a 2-6 podcast with Justin. It really is that simple.

Finally is the Mindset Mentor podcast with Rob Dail. These pods are about 20 minutes long and deal with addressing the most common mental challenges we face each and every day. The podcast is not necessarily focused on mental performance in sport but the lessons couldn't be more relevant.

Episodes include, how to quickly get out of a rut, your comfort zone is killing your dreams, how to stop suffering and limitations are optional. Rob goes into detail on some of the most common mindset traps we all fall into and how to overcome them. If you browse the episode list you will immediately find topics that are relevant to you.

If you don't have access to a mental skills coach and want to get started start with these three podcasts. Here is my challenge to you.

1. Listen to an episode of Increase your impact daily. Each week pick one episode that really resonated with you and journal on it.

2. Listen to one episode of Mindset Mentor each week. Take notes whilst you listen and identify how you can apply that lesson in your performance life.

3. Listen to one episode of the high-performance podcast each fortnight. List three things you learned and one way you are going to implement the top lesson into your daily practice.

Of course, if you want to discuss any of the content on any of these podcasts or how to apply the lessons to your life do not hesitate to get in touch, either via LinkedIn or email jack@birtwhistleperformance.com