Below are 25 favorite quotes from the book The Fearless Mind by Craig Manning, PhD. Don’t have a copy of the book? You can get one here: AMAZON

1. “If we truly follow what we love and not what we like, what is safe and easy, or what someone else want’s us to do, we will have more passion and energy; we will achieve higher levels of performance; and we will find greater joy.” Pg 2
2. “High performers never feel like they have arrived. There is always another level.” Pg 9
3. “High performance is when those factors within our direct responsibility are being controlled and mastered—when we are completely at one with ourselves.” Pg 11
4. “High performance is created. We have to want it; nobody can give it to us, and nobody can do it for us.” Pg 10
5. “When we channel our energy in a deliberate way, it is possible to achieve almost anything.” Pg 14
6. “We need emotions… A life without emotions is hard to contemplate… When our emotions are channeled in constructive ways, we become formidable at achieving whatever skill sets we focus on… Controlling our emotions perpetuates thinking and lessens worrying.” Pg 18,19
7. “Just as it takes hard work and a lot of practice to develop the muscle memory to execute a certain skill, it takes hard work and a lot of practice to learn how to think in an effective, productive, fearless way.” Pg 20
8. “It seems that a large majority of us settle because we are afraid of what the future holds. One subtle choice there or there can lead us down a path we never planned on taking. Unwittingly developing a fearful mind, we settle for what is safe and easy instead of pursuing our dreams.” Pg 24
9. “At high levels of performance, one wrong thought can be very costly. That’s what it is so much fun: the challenge of performing a task so well we don’t know how we could do it better, the joy in testing our limits.” Pg 41
10. “This path has no finish line. The focus is on the journey, on perpetually learning from each situation. The mind is fearless, freeing the individual’s potential.” Pg 46
11. “Regarding pessimism, there is only one person who can stop us from obtaining our dreams, and that is ourself.” Pg 60
12. “It takes work to get in the right mindset, but it takes work to maintain it as well. I wouldn’t say it is hard to achieve and maintain a fearless mind, but it does require constant attention to the reality of the moment.” Pg 66
13. “When we sense a psychological threat, our minds overreact just as the body does with a sprained ankle. The only difference is, instead of a swollen ankle, we get swollen anxiety.” Pg 73
14. “I have come to realize how important it is to discipline my mind—to pay attention to the moment and not worry about the past or the future, to really focus on what I am doing, not what I am doing wrong.” Pg 80
15. “The biggest objective is to get better. Winning is great—we all want to win—but winning takes care of itself if we keep improving.” Pg 89
16. “We need to learn to evaluate ourselves on those things over which we have control and responsibility… If we are giving it our absolute best, then we need to relax; that’s all we can expect of ourselves.” Pg 89-90
17. “At the highest level of human performance, attention is almost always on what needs to be done, on what is relevant.” Pg 97
18. “A fearless mind listens to criticism and then directs attention to what can be done or what needs to be done and does not open the door to self-doubt.” Pg 98
19. “High-performing (individuals) are very disciplined at directing their attention to the task at hand and not feeding their own egos.” Pg 101
20. “High performance is all about using the laws of nature to our advantage. It’s about putting the percentages in our favor. High performance is no about trying to be a superhero; it’s not attempting to defy the laws of nature.” Pg 118
21. “Confidence can take an individual with nonexistent skill sets and make them respectable; ordinary skill sets and make them good; and incredible skill sets and make them great.” Pg 126
22. “Only those willing to take risks learn new skill sets that can be the difference between being really good and being great.” Pg 135
23. “Confidence can be very unstable; it cannot be maintained over long periods of time without making good decisions… confidence is dependent on good decision making… Good decision making, however, is not dependent on confidence.” Pg 137
24. “I do believe high performance requires risk taking, but only at the right time and usually only when we have put the ground work in first.” Pg 147
25. “There are many mental pathways to performance but only one pathway to high performance—the fearless path.” Pg 160

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The Fearless Mind resource center is a critical mental tool for any individual wanting to improve their performance in athletics, business, or personal achievement. Each subscriber gets over 32 individual mental training videos, access to the Mental Strength Journal, the statistics page, and The Zone, a special area with exclusive video content uploaded weekly all for only $20 a month. Click here to sign up The Fearless Mind also offers personal mental strength coaching. To inquire about getting a Fearless Mind coach to work with you personally click here: http://thefearlessmind.com/personal-coaching/

What is muscle memory?

Despite its name, muscle memory is not found in our muscles. Muscle memory is the trained reactions we perform without conscious effort in response to a particular stimulus. Meaning that we will react instinctively to a certain situation.

Muscle memory is when a soccer goalie dives to block a shot. The goalie does not have to consciously think about where the ball might be going and then calculate where to move to block the shot. It happens subconsciously because the muscle memory has been developed through practice and repetition. The same principle applies to a manager dealing with a client’s problem. If the right muscle memory has been built in the manager’s mind applying the solution to the problem will feel natural.

Muscle memory is in the mind

Muscle memory is found in our subconscious mind. We do not have to think consciously about our reactions because they become automated as we train. Our brain is made of cells called neurons and the connections between those neurons are called synapses. Muscle memory is built from specific neurons connecting to each other through particular synapses. Every time we practice something the connection between the neurons associated with that thing become stronger. The stronger the connection the more ‘natural’ the action feels. That is why muscle memory is created through practice, and practice makes permanent.

Developing muscle memory

Muscle memory is developed naturally though what we do. So the secret is not having muscle memory, but developing the right muscle memory. We develop the right muscle memory through deliberate practice. The aspects of deliberate practice are:

1- Practice explicitly intended to improve performance

2- Practice that reaches for objectives just beyond one’s level of competence

3- Practice that provides feedback on results

4- Practice that involves high levels of repetition

Application

Developing the right muscle memory requires work. It requires deliberate practice each day. In each of your training sessions ask yourself if your practice includes all four criteria for deliberate practice. If it is lacking, how can you adapt your training/practice to include every aspect of deliberate practice?

A Tool to develop deliberate practice each day

The mental strength Journal found in The Fearless Mind resource center is an important tool to develop the right muscle memory.

• Step1 of the journal allows you to set a good objective just beyond your current level of competence that will motivate you to improve performance
• Step 2 of the journal gives you the space to write down 2-3 relevant cues to practice and repeat throughout the day
• Step 3&4 is an area for you to give yourself feedback on your performance that day. They help you reinforce your strengths in your subconscious, and identify an area that needs improvement

The Fearless Mind resource center is a critical mental tool for any individual wanting to improve their performance in athletics, business, or personal achievement. Each subscriber gets over 32 individual mental training videos, access to the Mental Strength Journal, the statistics page, and The Zone, a special area with exclusive video content uploaded weekly all for only $20 a month. Click here to sign up The Fearless Mind also offers personal mental strength coaching. To inquire about getting a Fearless Mind coach to work with you personally click here: http://thefearlessmind.com/personal-coaching/