Elite performers across sports, entertainment, and business share six fundamental mental strategies that anyone can learn and apply.
Whether you're watching a clutch three-pointer in the final seconds, a flawless performance under stage lights, or a CEO navigating a crisis with unshakeable composure, you're witnessing more than talent or luck. You're seeing the result of deliberate mental training.
Riley Jensen, a performance psychologist who works with elite athletes, entertainers, and corporate leaders, recently shared the six core principles that separate peak performers from everyone else. These aren't abstract concepts - they're practical tools that the "great ones" use daily to maintain their edge.
- Vision: Creating Success Twice The Core Principle: All achievements happen twice - first in your mind, then in reality. The most successful people don't just hope for good outcomes; they create detailed mental blueprints of success. This isn't wishful thinking - it's strategic mental rehearsal that primes your brain for peak performance. How the Great Ones Do It: They visualize specific scenarios, not just general success They mentally rehearse both the process and the outcome They create clear, compelling visions that pull them forward during difficult moments
Your Daily Application: Start each day with three "non-negotiable" wins that set a foundation of success. Jensen's personal formula: reading (feeding the mind), meditation (centering focus), and making the bed (creating immediate order). These small victories create momentum that carries into bigger challenges.
- Control: Mastering What Matters The Core Principle: Peak performers obsess over what they can control and completely release what they can't. This might seem obvious, but most people waste enormous mental energy on uncontrollables - past mistakes, other people's actions, external circumstances. Elite performers have laser focus on their sphere of influence. Controllables That Matter Most: Your attitude and mindset Your effort and preparation Your sleep quality and nutrition Your response to setbacks Your daily habits and routines
Uncontrollables to Release:
Past failures or mistakes
Other people's opinions or actions
Weather, traffic, or external circumstances
Outcomes that depend on factors beyond your influence
The Mental Performance Hack: When stress hits, immediately ask yourself, "Is this something I can control?" If yes, create an action plan. If no, redirect that energy to something you can influence.
- Self-Talk: Rewiring Your Internal Dialogue The Core Principle: Your internal voice either builds you up or tears you down - there's no neutral ground. Elite performers have learned to catch and redirect negative self-talk before it undermines their performance. They don't eliminate negative thoughts (impossible), but they refuse to let them drive the bus. Game-Changing Techniques: The "Yet" Strategy: Transform "I can't do this" into "I can't do this yet" Counter-Arguments: When your inner critic speaks, respond with evidence-based rebuttals Body Language Influence: Stand tall, shoulders back - your posture changes your self-talk
Real-World Example: Instead of "I always mess up presentations," try "I'm still developing my presentation skills, and each one teaches me something new."
- Momentum: The E + R = O Formula The Core Principle: Events don't determine outcomes - your responses do. This is perhaps the most powerful concept in mental performance: Event + Response = Outcome. You can't control every event, but you can always choose your response, and that choice determines your outcome. The Momentum Multiplier: Great performers understand that positive responses create positive momentum, which makes the next positive response easier. It's a compound effect that builds over time. Crisis Application: When facing setbacks, the great ones ask, "What response will create the outcome I want?" rather than focusing on the unfairness of the event itself.
- Time Travel: The Power of Presence The Core Principle: Peak performance happens in the present moment, not in regrets about the past or anxiety about the future. Elite performers have mastered the art of "time travel" - not dwelling on what was or worrying about what might be, but fully engaging with what is. Instant Presence Techniques: 3–2–1 Breathe Method: Three deep breaths to reset your nervous system "What's Important Now?" (WIN): Ask this question to snap back to present priorities Sensory Anchoring: Notice three things you can see, hear, or feel right now
Why This Matters: Your best decisions, clearest thinking, and most effective actions all happen when you're fully present. Anxiety lives in the future, depression in the past, but power lives in the now.
- Confidence: The 60-Second Courage Practice The Core Principle: Confidence isn't a feeling - it's a practice of acting despite fear. The great ones don't wait to feel confident; they build confidence through small acts of courage. They understand that comfort zones are performance killers, and growth happens in the stretch zone. The Daily Practice: Spend 60 seconds a day practicing "pure, unadulterated guts." Take one small action that scares you but moves you forward. This could be making a difficult phone call, speaking up in a meeting, or trying something new. The Compound Effect: These micro-moments of courage accumulate into unshakeable confidence over time. Each small act of bravery makes the next one easier. Putting It All Together: Your Mental Performance Action Plan These six principles work synergistically. Here's how to integrate them: Week 1–2: Focus on Vision and Control Create your three daily non-negotiables Make your controllables/uncontrollables list Practice redirecting energy from uncontrollables to controllables
Week 3–4: Master Self-Talk and Momentum
Implement the "yet" strategy
Practice the E + R = O formula during small setbacks
Notice how positive responses create positive momentum
Week 5–6: Develop Presence and Confidence
Use the 3–2–1 breathe method throughout the day
Ask "What's important now?" when feeling scattered
Practice 60 seconds of daily courage
The Great Ones' Secret
Here's what separates elite performers from everyone else: they don't just know these principles - they practice them relentlessly, especially when they don't feel like it. They understand that mental performance is a skill that requires the same dedication as physical training.
The great ones know that peak performance isn't about perfection - it's about having the mental tools to perform your best when it matters most. And now, so do you.
Ready to develop your mental performance edge? Start with just one principle and practice it consistently for two weeks. The compound effect of small, daily improvements in mental training creates extraordinary results over time.
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