We would achieve much more if we got out of our own way.  The difference between the top athletes and the rest is not better physical ability, but an ability to avoid talking themselves into failure at the key moments.

Performance = Potential – Self-Sabotage

I remember Peter Allis commenting on golf years ago.  A South African golfer was on the tee.  Peter whispers into the microphone “This is the perfect specimen of a golfer…  (pause)…  big hands…  and dumb”.

Thinking too much is not good for performance in the big moments.  It might help you learn faster from practice, but you have to find a way to switch it off once the real deal begins.

What do you think?  Are we our own worst enemies?