Jim Afremow Part 2: Bill Russell’s Commitment, Steve Kerr’s Core Values, and More Mental Skills to Up Your Game

We ended part 1 of our conversation with sports psychologist Dr. Jim Afremow with him quoting Bill Russell as saying, “Commitment separates those who live their dreams from those who live their lives regretting the opportunities they have squandered.” Now Jim’s back to share how you can develop this key attribute and other mindset skills. The good news is it only takes a few minutes a day, and that with practice, everyone can build a true champion’s mind. This is what Jim has seen since his earliest days as a sports psychologist, when he saw the rise of Tom Izzo and Nick Saban at Michigan State.

Connection is another “C” of mental toughness that Jim has found is essential to bringing athletes and coaches together as a unit. He then explores how serving others and selflessness are traits common to most great leaders. In contrast, Jim reveals the wedges that can drive people and locker rooms apart and undermine a team’s culture, which is another core pillar of team-level mental resilience.   

Hear Jim share:

·       Why purpose and consistency are the keys to becoming totally committed  

·       How Steve Kerr’s core values fueled the Warriors’ title runs

·       What he learned about teamwork at the San Francisco Giants

·       Why you should create a goal card and look at it daily

·       Which exercises coaches and players can use to get to know each other better

Get more insights on the mental game from Jim in his classic book The Champions Mind and on Twitter @goldmedalmind.