🏆 Win the Inside Game - Steve Magness
+ Important Update | How YOU can Become and Elite Performer | Summary and Takeaways | Wisdom Letter #284
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Now, onto today’s topic - 🏆 Win the Inside Game - Steve Magness
Steve Magness is a former elite track and field coach turned bestselling author and high-performance expert. He has dedicated his career to understanding the nuances of high performance, in sports, business, creativity and beyond.
Magness has coached Olympians and top athletes, and he is known for his deep insights into mental toughness, resilience, and sustainable success.
These are some insights from his latest book - Win the Inside Game: How to Move from Surviving to Thriving, and Free Yourself Up to Perform
1. Success is More Mental Than Technical
・ Whether in sports, business, or creativity, high performance is less about technical skills and more about mental resilience.
・ Many elite performers already have the necessary skills, but they struggle with their mindset, self-sabotage, and overthinking.
・ Coaches and leaders often focus on preventing athletes and professionals from getting in their own way.
2. Control the Controllables & Keep It Simple
・ High performers often return to simple, fundamental principles like "keep the main thing the main thing."
・ Even elite athletes and professionals need reminders to focus on what they can control rather than external distractions.
・ Overcomplicating things leads to stress and poor performance.
3. Intrinsic Motivation is Key to Long-Term Success
・ Those who succeed at the highest levels are often driven by a deep internal desire to master their craft, rather than external rewards like accolades or money.
・ Research shows that intrinsic motivation leads to better performance, resilience, and adaptability.
・ Encouraging curiosity, joy, and exploration in the early stages of development leads to more sustainable success.
4. Letting Go & Embracing Discomfort Leads to Breakthroughs
・ High performers must balance discipline with the ability to let go at key moments.
・ Fear of failure or perfectionism can hold people back; learning to take risks and trust the process is crucial.
・ A great example from the book is Tony Hawk’s advice to “risk not winning” in order to push past limits.
5. Be Mindful of Mental Inputs & Avoid Self-Sabotage
・ What we feed our minds affects our performance—negative self-talk, social media distractions, and external pressures can derail progress.
・ Athletes checking social media at halftime and seeing negative comments were found to perform worse in the second half.
・ Being intentional about mental habits and creating a supportive environment is critical for sustained success.
Must watch podcasts to learn more from Steve Magness -
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That’s it for today.
See you next week 👋
Cheers,
Ayush & Aditi