A 12 year old AAA hockey player’s whole world has been flipped upside down. As a AAA player he has spent the last 4 years training, preparing, and dedicating himself because of his love of the game. But all of a sudden his belief in himself starts to waver because now he is sitting on the bench, watching his teammates play over him. Quickly, all the trust and belief he had built up disappears, and he is playing as his worst-self, what he calls The Bull Turtle (angry and slow). No matter what he tries each game the Bull Turtle keeps showing up and this trust in himself slips away more and more. He stops playing with instinct. Fear and doubt consume him, and now he has stopped trusting himself. Instead of carrying the puck with confidence, he passes it off as soon as it touches his stick - not because it is the right play, but because he was afraid of making a mistake. For the first time in four years, he did not want the puck. The thought of his coach calling him out in front of the team consumes him, and it prevents him from focusing on what he can control. He is not just losing ice time anymore, he is losing himself, the player he knew he could be and was. He is worried and has no idea how to stop the downward spiral. Something had to give, it would have to be his love for the game or his fear. He and his parents knew it wasn’t just about working hard, more ice sessions, or more private lessons. The real challenge was mental. That’s when, I (coach Sara), had the privilege of meeting him and helping him regain his love for the game and himself. Step 1: Facing the Mental Challenge When this particular client first started working with me, he wasn’t sure what to expect. He thought the solution would be simple—maybe a confidence trick, a breathing exercise, or some motivational talk. Instead, the first step was getting real about what was happening inside his head. By using the CEP assessment and encouraging him to be honest with himself, we were able to identify the following mental blocks: Fear of making mistakes and being criticized. Lack of confidence with the puck, leading to rushed decisions. Comparing himself to his teammates instead of focusing on his own growth. Letting frustration take over during games. Feeling like he didn’t have a voice or impact on the team. Instead of labeling these mental blocks as failures, we framed them as opportunities to grow. Step 2: Creating a Mental Game Plan Once we identified the root challenges, it was time to build a strategy. Together, we worked on key principles that would help him regain his confidence, play with purpose, and develop resilience. Here are the key mental tools that we worked on together in order for him to regain control of his mindset. [...]

How can an athlete play with full confidence every day? This is the million dollar question. The solution is generally a combination of breaking free from their fears, shifting their perspectives about confidence, & personalizing the fundamental CEP strategies to clarify and find their game. But in this blog I’m sharing a new simple mental model that I’ve used with high-level athletes, including NHL players, that has helped them make a clear distinction of what type of confidence they bring on game day. This has helped them unlock a stronger and more consistent level of confidence. The 3 Tiers of Confidence Every athlete falls somewhere on a confidence spectrum when they compete. You’re either in fear mode, have cautious confidence, or have full confidence. Fear Mode: You’re hesitant, second-guessing, and playing to avoid mistakes. Your mind is filled with doubts, and you’re playing with tension rather than trust — which is terrible for results. Cautious Confidence: You feel somewhat confident, but you’re still holding back. You make plays, but only when they feel safe. You’re stuck in the middle – not in fear mode, but not fully unleashed either. So your results are moderate at best. Full Confidence: This is where you trust your skills, commit to your decisions, and go after it every shift. You’re playing freely, fully engaged, and not afraid to make mistakes. It’s only here where you attack with complete certainty that you will perform consistently at your capabilities.   Where Most Athletes Get Stuck A lot of players make the mistake of thinking that cautious confidence is enough. They tell themselves, “I’ll go for it sometimes.” But that’s not how you maximize your impact. Cautious confidence is a mental comfort zone for many athletes. They feel they have confidence. They know they are not in full fear mode. And they are making some plays. The problem is they are not fully trusting themselves and, therefore, are not fully committed to playing their game. Full confidence does not mean to be reckless and take unnecessary risks. It means to play your game, attack with conviction, and fully trust your capabilities. So when we show players this diagram a light bulb often clicks and they realize they were not playing with full confidence but actually they have been in the caution confidence zone. This self-awareness is the key to making a shift. It enables you to finally make the clear choice to stop tip-toeing around confidence and, instead, fully commit to owning all your capabilities and playing your game without hesitation. How to Flip the Switch The goal is to be able to show up and attack the game with full confidence day-in and day-out. To do that, you need to have a mental process to flip the switch and get dialed in on game day. That’s what our four fundamental strategies are all about: Alter Ego — Get clarity and certainty on who you want to be and how you want [...]

Even the greatest athletes say that there is always chaos inside of them, pressure, expectations, and, more specifically, noise in their heads—it piles up fast. If you are an athlete, you have experienced this as well, whether you’re standing at the free-throw line, lining up for a faceoff, or getting ready for that big game. This pressure takes hold of you; you’re not thinking clearly, and it can spiral down fast. Your mind starts racing. Your heart pounds. Your breathing gets shallow, and doubt creeps in. Novak Djokovic, top 5 tennis player in the world, talked about "having a storm inside him". Every game day he has thoughts of doubt and worry. What allows him to succeed is having techniques to manage this inner storm. The trick is knowing HOW to manage this inner storm. The solution — a Reset Routine. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as just hitting a reset button; there are 3 steps our athletes take to do a full reset. One of the crucial steps is to focus on your breathing. Typical breathing exercises include deep belly breathing and box breathing, but what if you could add powerful imagery to your breathing? The images we see in our minds can be extremely effective in downregulating our fight or flight, and that is what you want to be able to do when facing a high-pressure situation. This is where “Smell the Flowers, Blow the Bubbles” comes in. A simple yet powerful breathing technique I (Coach Sara) discovered while reading a book by Diane Alber. Smell the Flowers Inhale deeply through your nose, like you’re smelling a fresh flower. Imagine a scene from a cartoon where a character takes in the scent, their nostrils seeming to pull the flower in completely. Fill your lungs fully with this breath. As you inhale, picture the flower in your mind—its color, the softness of its petals, the fresh scent in the air. The simple act of visualizing this peaceful moment can help further calm your mind, grounding you in something familiar and joyful. Blow the Bubbles Exhale slowly through your mouth as if you’re gently blowing bubbles. Just as you filled your lungs completely, now focus on emptying them fully—but with control. Keep it smooth and steady, resisting the urge to rush. This step matters more than the inhale. Think back to blowing bubbles as a child. You wouldn’t blow too hard, or the bubble would pop before it could float away. Picture those bubbles drifting effortlessly into the air—light, free, and untethered. That imagery itself can help release stress, bringing you back to a calm, controlled state. By pairing breath with visualization, you’re not just controlling your body’s response to those big moments—you’re shifting your mindset to a place of calm, focus, and control. Simply put, deep breathing flips the script. Slows your heart rate – Shifting you from panic to control. Clears your mind – Making it easier to focus on what really matters. Puts [...]

Let’s go back to when I was 17 years old. I’m playing in the OHL and it’s my NHL draft season — as a young Canadian, it has always been my dream to play in the NHL and I’m now getting closer to that dream. So before the big season, I do what a lot of athletes do — I get a pen and paper and write down my goals: Put up a ton of points Get drafted to the NHL But I don’t stop there. I write down all the milestones and goals I want to achieve over the next 5 years and I create this perfect yellow-brick-road to achieving my dream. Well how did it go? The Downward Spiral The first couple steps were not bad — I was flying out there and feeling pretty good, but then, BAM — I fell off that yellow-brick-road pretty quick. I went from being on the starting line up for the home opener to barely playing. Just imagine, I’m 17 years old, and all I want is to be on the ice — chasing down my dream. But instead, I am getting healthy scratched, which means I’m not even on the bench. I’m stuck in the stands — forced to watch all my peers chase their dreams… On the other hand, I did get to eat lots of popcorn. Unfortunately, I did that 48 times that season — that was way too much popcorn! I clearly was not in a great mental state… but, even worse, I also became a poor teammate. I became jealous and envious of many of my teammates. I was not helping to create a healthy culture Instead, I was hurting it. I didn’t say it out loud, but I often hoped my teammates would fail so that I could selfishly get an opportunity. As a forward, I finished that season with zero points — a far cry from the goals that I set. In case it isn’t clear, you don’t get drafted to the NHL with zero points. Rock Bottom The worst part wasn’t failing miserably at my goals. Nor was it eating all that stale popcorn. What hurt the most was when the season ended and I went back to my hometown in Northern Ontario. At the time, I’m the only guy in my hometown playing in the OHL — so I am not a big deal but also I am kind of a big deal within a small town. And someone has the nerve to say “Hey, if I played 34 games in the OHL, I would have at least put up 1 point.” A massive gut punch… After all the failure and struggle throughout the season, getting called out and embarrassed by my peers in my hometown was the final straw. I hit rock bottom and I truly considered quitting. The Silver Lining But I decided I was not going to let this failure, which felt so embarrassing, to [...]

An 18 year-old elite soccer player steps on to the pitch for what seems like a routine summer training. There were the same coaches & teammates, the same field, and the same drills. However, for him - this day felt incredibly different. He feels a little nervous, but almost in a good way. He’s not consumed by the fear of failure. He’s present, focused, and grateful for the opportunity to train. Unsurprisingly, he goes out and crushes it. But how did he get here? A year ago, things looked much different. He was training harder than ever, chasing personal bests, and pushing his body to the limit. His entire identity was wrapped up in his sport. Every opportunity to perform felt like a measure of his worth. And then, in a split second, it all came to a halt - a torn hamstring took him out of competition for months. At first the injury felt devastating. The fear of falling behind, of losing his edge, of not knowing who he was without soccer - all weighed heavily on him. But in that time away, something unexpected happened. As he and I (coach Adam) started working together, he gained perspective about his identity. For the first time in years, he was forced to slow down. He spent time with family and friends. He pursued interests outside of training. He realized that, while soccer was a huge part of his life, it wasn’t the only thing that defined him. And instead of chasing perfection, he started appreciating the process. By the time he returned to the pitch, he was a different athlete - not physically, but mentally. He wasn’t playing to constantly prove himself anymore. He was playing because he loved it. The pressure had lifted and was replaced by a deep sense of purpose and gratitude. And on this particular training day, that shift made all the difference. Instead of being weighed down by expectations, he felt light, free, and ready to get to work. He performed loose, playing his game the way he wanted to play it, without any hesitation. This is the silver lining of injury. For many athletes, physical setbacks feel like the end of the world. But sometimes, those setbacks provide exactly what’s needed - a chance to step back, reassess, and transform your mindset.

It’s game day and one of my NHL clients' legs are feeling heavy and sluggish. Naturally some doubt creeps in. Then he starts beating himself up for having the thoughts of doubt. This judgment starts a spiral and makes it much harder for him to clear his mind and get dialed in. He entered the Perfect Mindset Trap - a dead-end for clearing charged emotions or mental noise. When athletes feel frustration, doubt, worry, or a lack of motivation (point A), they want to be able to move through these feelings and let them go—so they can play confident, focused, and free (point B). The path from point A to point B is generally about Acceptance and Commitment - the keys to one of our top strategies: the Reset Routine. The problem is when you try to go from point A to B by taking the path of judgment. You think: “I know I shouldn’t be worried - but I can’t stop thinking about what could go wrong.” “Why am I doubting myself - what's wrong with me?” “I shouldn’t make those types of mistakes.” The more you judge yourself and your emotions the more you drive yourself into a dead-end. Alternatively, we can look at our emotions as a form of feedback. It’s our way of sensing dangers and whether things align with our values. Particularly charged emotions can be reminders for us to gain perspective. So here is what I told the NHL player: “Stop judging yourself, especially judging your emotions. Instead, let’s remember you are human and it would be weird if you didn’t have a feeling of doubt creeping in when your legs feel a little heavy and sluggish. So let's normalize it and give yourself some self-compassion. That’s the only way we can build the bridge to acceptance and commitment—which is how you let go of the doubt and get dialed in (i.e. move from point A to B).” So instead of the path of judgement, he took the path of self-compassion. He stopped ruminating in the judgment of his emotions—the dead-end. And he was able to see his emotions as what they were. He owned them. And moved through them. This is a fundamental lesson in managing emotions. Self-compassion vs judgement. Normalize vs shame. Embrace vs resist. Managing Emotions is a Life Skill Learning to manage emotions isn’t about eliminating negative feelings. It’s about developing the ability to move forward despite them. By normalizing, accepting, and committing, athletes build mental flexibility and resilience—key traits for long-term success. Coaches, parents, and athletes alike can benefit from this mindset shift. By fostering a culture of self-compassion, self-acceptance, and strategic mental skills, we can help athletes stay present, trust themselves, and perform at their best. Want to learn more strategies for mental resilience? Reach out - we’re here to support the journey to peak performance.

Many of my (Coach Brant) clients find themselves thinking about the end result before the game or race is even over. This is a common trap—whether it’s an athlete tightening up while holding a lead or mentally checking out after a single bad stretch. Just because you had one rough period, why let it ruin the next two? A National Team Runner I work with struggled with this problem—their mind kept drifting to the finish line instead of focusing on each step of the race. The solution: "Don't write the game report before it's over." Each segment of a race or game is just a chapter in a larger story. A tough start or mid-race struggle doesn’t dictate the final result. Similar to the mantra above, athletes can reinforce this mindset with other mantras like: "I get to write this chapter." “I have a mind of steel - nothing throws me off.” "I determine the outcome based on what I do now." These affirmations help athletes stay grounded, make better in-the-moment decisions, and remain adaptable. Instead of being trapped by thoughts of the final outcome, they stay engaged in the process—giving themselves the best chance to win or, at the very least, finish strong. The tendency to pre-script the outcome—whether preparing excuses, celebrating prematurely, or anticipating the post-race narrative—pulls athletes out of the present moment, where real performance happens. By resisting the urge to pre-write their post-game narrative and instead staying locked into the present, the athlete I mentioned above started making comebacks, breaking through mental barriers, and transformed their abilities as a runner leading to a national team qualification. The game isn’t over until it’s over—so don’t write the ending before you’ve played your part.

Want a pre-game mantra that can help you relax and get dialed in? Want to channel the nerves and keep your energy high? Want to remember to have fun and be in attack mode? Well this is one of my favourite mantras that I have many of my 1-on-1 clients use as game time approaches. It’s just a game and I f**king love it. Part one is about zooming out and gaining perspective. It can be so easy for athletes who care a lot to get too zoomed in and make the game bigger than what it is. This can give you a lot of energy - but if you don’t channel that energy, it can be costly. So the line “it’s just a game” reminds you to relax and stay loose so you can go out and play freely. Part two engages your passion and attack mode. So many athletes forget why they play the game in the first place (see flowerbed story). They get caught up in the context, feel the weight of expectations, and put all their focus on chasing external results, praise, and accolades. This can cause a lot of tension, noise, and a fear-based mindset. So the line “I f**king love it” reminds you why you play in the first place and adds a little explicit punch to encourage you to jump two feet in. It creates passion with an edge. Together this one two punch can help tee up your mindset so you can start your game off on the right foot. Don’t let the nerves get the best of you. Don’t ease yourself into the game and slowly get yourself going. And, don’t be dependent on external factors to dictate how you feel - just hoping the first 5 minutes go your way. Use the “It’s just a game and I f**king love it” mantra to channel the nerves, take control of your mindset, and attack the game right from your first shift.

Performance anxiety, confidence issues, and the emotional chaos of being a high-performer (athletes and business professionals alike) can all be tied to the chase for external validation and achievements. Do you wake up in the morning and ask yourself: “what do I want to achieve today?” Do you show up at the rinks, field, or your job and wonder: “will I hit my goals today?” Do you constantly self-evaluate and judge your performance primarily on the external outcomes? This is common amongst high-performers. Their ambition combined with our results-oriented and consumeristic society creates a results trap that is easy to fall into. Our society constantly compares and judges everyone and everything based on results. And don’t get me wrong, results do matter — we don’t live in a fantasy world where good intentions are all that matters. Results, when looked at with a critical lens, can be a great form of feedback. It can help us make informed decisions, innovate, and know whether or not our process is working. The mistake that causes so much mental anguish is when the results become the primary focus. When the priority is results over process — problems follow. But if you can flip the switch, then you can free up your mind. Switch the priority from results to process. Switch your approach from outside-in, where the external world dictates how you feel, to inside-out, where you get clarity and certainty in who you want to be and how you want to show up, then go and tackle the outer world. Switch your perspective from the ‘need to’, ‘have to’, and ‘should’ achieve x, y, and z results mentality; to remembering it's just a game and accepting the range of results — freeing you from the burden of expectations. Switch your focus from “this is what I need to do”, to “this is how I want to feel.” This is what it means to flip the switch. This is how you clear the noise and get dialed in. This is generally the first and most important step in overcoming performance anxiety, confidence issues, and overthinking. This is what my book, Mindset First, is all about. The practical and personalized strategies that I use with my 1-on-1 clients and share in my book are the ‘how’ you flip the switch and stay out of the results trap. So the next time you feel performance anxiety, doubt or overthinking — remember it is likely a symptom of your approach. And the solution is to flip the switch (go inside out), clear the noise (accept the range of results), and get dialed in (clarify who you want to be).

I am constantly working with professional athletes on how to stay connected to the love of the game. At this level the bright spotlight from the media and the millions of dollars on the line makes the allure of results so strong. However, the amateur athletes that work with our team of coaches here at CEP Mindset are also fighting to stay connected to the love of the game. How we help them do this is best illustrated with the Flowerbed Story (check out the full video clip here) A group of twelve year old kids started playing touch football in a 105 year old-ladies backyard. The yard was perfectly set up, with a flower bed as the touchdown zone on both sides. The kids absolutely loved playing—especially when they would jump to catch the touchdown zone pass and land in the nice soft flower beds. The old-lady didn’t like this so much. She would yell at them to “stop playing” but the kids just yelled back “screw you lady” and just kept coming back. She thought about calling the cops, but they were only 12 years old. So she got a sneaky idea where she started to pay them $5 each to play. At first, all the boys were really excited. Not only did they get to keep playing the game they loved, but they were getting paid to play. This went on for a few weeks until the old-lady started to pay them less and less. First it went to $2, then $1, then 25 cents, until eventually the kids decided: “Screw this, we aren’t playing here any more — you are not paying us enough.” They had completely forgotten why they were playing in the first place. Although not all athletes are getting paid to play, the shiny objects of praise and results are what distract them as they climb the ranks. You can have the goals and intentions to achieve certain results, but don’t confuse this for why you started playing your sport in the first place. The bottom line is when you learn to enjoy the game for the sake of itself, everything else falls into place. This is so much easier said than done because the allure of results are constantly around you. It’s why it’s a recurring theme with our clients and why we help them create strategies to proactively fight against the allure of results and, instead, stay connected with the love of the game.