Most people would like to know how to become a high performer, or at the very least more confident and less self-critical. However, the secret habits and quiet discipline to build the resilience required in becoming the best is not always easily understood. Whether it is imposter syndrome or self-sabotage that is preventing us from unlocking our true potential, there are simple steps we can take to overcome our brain’s inherent bias and limitations in the face of failure.

To help us unpack the psychology behind high performance and consistently enter a state of flow, even for those of us who are not professional athletes, is Dr. Nate Zinsser.

Nate’s biography:

Dr. Nate Zinsser is an expert in the psychology of human performance and have consulted with many high performing individuals and organisations seeking a competitive edge. Dr Zinsser has been at the forefront of applied sport psychology for over thirty years and is the Director of a cutting edge program at the United States Military Academy’s Center for Enhanced Performance, personally conducting over seventeen thousand individual training sessions and seven hundred team training sessions for cadets seeking the mental edge for athletic, academic, and military performance. He is also the author of multiple research papers, a textbook and his latest book, The Confident Mind: A Battle-Tested Guide for Unshakable Performance has been endorsed by Olympic coaches and more.

In this episode, we dive deep into answering the following thorny questions.

0:00 - Intro  
2:44 - What got Nate interested in understanding the psychology of high performers?
4:10 - What is the role of psychology on top of raw talent in high performers?
6:22 - What is the number 1 myth about becoming a high performer?
9:53 - How can one consistently enter a state of flow?
13:07 - What are techniques to quieten your inner critic and build self confidence?
22:18 - Why do we constantly have so many negative thoughts?
26:23 - How do you know if you are a high performer or not?
30:35 - How to assess for high performers in job interviews.
32:35 - How does self sabotage prevent people from unlocking their true potential.
35:35 - How can one overcome imposter syndrome through positive affirmation?
40:29 - Can one overcome failure by just working on our strengths?
43:28 - How does one develop resilience in the face of failure by recognising our brain's attribution bias?
46:26 - How long should one be analysing one's failure for?
50:55 - What is the role of resilience in becoming a high performer?
53:59 - Why cultivating an anti-fragile and optimistic mindset is a personal choice everyone can make. 56:47 - What is the role of a leader in creating high performing teams?
1:00:30 - Why self-discipline is the secret to self confidence.
1:02:06 - What is Nate’s one wellbeing practice?

Learn more about Nate:
https://www.natezinsser.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nate-zinsser-35349010/

Helpful resources:

- Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
- Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
- Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Learn more about Clearhead:
https://www.myclearhead.com/