Jim Loehr

"If you've ever had just one day where everything flowed smoothly -- you felt relaxed, problems were solved effortlessly, and you focused on enjoying boundless energy and creativity -- then you've had a taste of the Ideal Performance State. We know this condition can be called upon at will ... and that's what this program is all about."

"... This cassette training program has been proven in a number of important arenas, from the courts of the U.S. Open to the boardrooms of Fortune 500 corporations."

"To be Mentally Tough is to increase the joy and fun in your life. So often people leave this point out: Learning to perform better means improving the all-around quality of your life."

"As with any training program, you've got to invest some time and personal energy to be successful. Athletes train, both mentally and physically, to reap the rewards of increased stamina, better concentration, and performance on a much higher plane. This program will teach you how to train for Mental Toughness -- in other words, for peak performance -- no matter what your field of endeavor may be."

Sincerely, James E. Loehr Peter J. McLaughlin

(from the inside page -- the contents of the 12 cassette sides)
1. Emotions Mood and peak Performance. The Ideal Performance State. Why you can reach it more frequently. Mental Toughness = emotional control. Peak performance - a combination of the physiological and psychological. Performance "killers." What it takes to improve. Periodization -- a Russian method that empowers you.

2. Positive Energy: The Fuel of Mental Toughness. Lessons learned from the U.S. Olympic hockey team. Energy, the most important component in the Mental Toughness formula. The four internal energy states. Three emotional responses. Responding to the same challenge differently. Workaholism vs. peak performance. Proper responses to challenge.

3. Stress: It's Your Reaction. Randy's chilling story. Your problems don't cause your stress. Your reaction to problems often does, however, Why we shouldn't eliminate stress (our bodies break down without it). Excessive stress causes imbalance. The better balanced your cycles, the better you'll manage energy -- and that's the key!

4. Attitude: Emotional Follow Through. A lesson from boxing's "Boom Boom" Mancini. Attitude control is fundamental to consistency. Working well under pressure. Attitude -- your cutting edge. Why a positive attitude is vital to mental toughness. Three manifestations of a positive attitude.

5. Motivation: Purpose and Passion. Motivation, drive, passion and purpose. Motivation is energy. How tennis' "Miracle Man" made a miraculous comeback. Risk taking. A new understanding of motivation. The connection between motivations, passions and goals. Drive, the heart of achievement.

6. Visualization: What you See Is What You Get: Visualization is an invaluable tool, and the more you use it, the better you'll become at it. Discover how you can alter your internal energy states through visualization. Visualization helps you control your emotions ... access your ideal performance state more often ... and balance cycles of stress and recovery.

etc. for sides 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

What is Mental Toughness

Here's the constellation of feelings which signal that you've reached the Ideal Performance State (page 2 of the accompanying booklet)

High Energy - This is the single most important ingredient and the most misunderstood. Energy fueled from the positive emotions is loose, calm, and free from anxiety

Mental Calmness - "White moments" are characterized by a sense of inner stillness and quiet, almost a sense of performing in slow motion. This is in sharp contrast to the typical notion of "psyching" oneself into a fast, accelerated mental state in anticipation of a challenge.

Relaxed Muscles - Physical tenseness undermines performance; tight muscles consume excessive energy.

Freedom from Anxiety - Anxiety leads to physical and mental tension and provokes an undesirable shift in focus from the performance itself to its outcome.

Self-Confidence - Self-confidence enables you to transform potentially threatening or undesirable situations into challenge, and to remain calm and poised when adverse circumstances might otherwise evoke panic, anxiety, anger, or tension.

Optimism - This is simply the strong belief that whatever the challenge, you will find a way to meet it. Top performers are confident that they will never run out of options.

Enjoyment - When you find joy in something, you perform it well. When it ceases to be fun, performance suffers. If you think that you enjoyed it because you did it well, you've got it backward - - you did it well because you enjoyed it.

Effortlessness - When your mind and body are working in harmony with each other, performing takes on an effortless feeling.

Automaticity - Your action is automatic, almost intuitive or instinctive. The right responses come naturally, without hesitation or deliberation. Performers often refer to the "paralysis by analysis syndrome." They begin to focus on the mechanics, and as they concentrate on one part of their performance, the rest suffers. During a performance, your instinct is always more effective than conscious, deliberate thought.

Alertness - Finest hours always include an extraordinary awareness and a heightened sense of self. Athletes know the positions of their bodies and of the players around them; they perceive who is likely to do what. You will accurately sense the pulse of the surroundings, but simultaneously stay riveted to the task at hand.

Control - Performing well in invariably associated with the feeling that you are in control of yourself, rather than being controlled by the situation. The real focus of control is from within.

Focus - A mixture of calmness and positive energy that characterizes the Ideal Performance State allows you to focus on the performance itself, not on the score, profits, or possible repercussions.

The program ends with a "Just for Today" motto, that I wish was in the 48 page booklet because it wouldn't hurt me to recite that motto each day to help me develop "better" attitude habits.

It seemed about time to listen to this series of six cassettes again, and I am glad that I did.

I listened to this in 2012, and again in 2013. It is an excellent training plan… (lisätietoja)