Summary: Most people don't reach their full potential not because of their body, training, or physical talent. It is their mind that is the deterrent. They may or may not consider how their thoughts and beliefs are actually hindering their performance. Dr. Stan Beecham is a Sport Psychologist and Leadership Consultant based in Roswell, Georgia. Formerly the head of the Sports Psychology Department at the University of Georgia, he has a doctoral degree in clinical psychology. He has worked with runners in the Adidas elite running camps in Flagstaff, AZ and at the ZAP Fitness Foundation, a non-profit training center for post-collegiate, Olympic hopeful distance runners in North Carolina. In addition to runners he has worked with collegiate, Olympic, and Professional athletes from many sports which has given him a unique insight into the minds of great competitors that only few have had the opportunity to gain, making him a top mind in the field of sport psychology. He also just released his new book Elite Minds: Creating the Competitive Advantage – 19 chapters containing essays that could each stand alone outside of a book each packing powerful insights into fear, courage and self-discovery to channel your mind into a powerful competitive asset rather than an adversary. In this episode Dr. Stan and I explore the power of the mind in athletic performance including: The conscious and unconscious mind and how each determines how successful you will be Beliefs and behaviors - how they can determine what you can or cannot accomplish Goal setting: Challenging yet attainable goals vs. frightening goals you are not certain of achieving How failure is the one of the most powerful teachers in running The danger of being a perfectionist, and how to let go if you are A system to measure your progress in training Why winning really is everything, but not for the reasons you might think How to enter the elusive "Zone" where running is effortless and free He also shares immediately actionable advice in how to get started using your mind as a competitive advantage. Quick Tip I share some of my favorite tactics to keep going when times get tough in a race. Links Mentioned in the Show drstanbeecham.com - Stan's Website Elite Minds: Creating the Competitive Advantage [Paperback] or [Kindle] - Stan's book on Amazon E-mail Dr. Stan Beecham
