Wiring Intelligence
Mental Training Articles
Actionable insights on confidence, focus, resilience, and mental performance, from Dr. Bobby Low and the MOTYV8 team.
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Bounce Back From Setbacks
The essence of resilience is the ability to bounce back. If I were to sum up resilience in one sentence, it would be the ability to recover from failure, setbacks, mistakes, injuries, or time off. Resilient athletes understand that setbacks are temporary and use them as stepping stones in their growth and development. Tiger Woods: A Comeback for the Ages One of the most remarkable comeback stories belongs to Tiger Woods, widely regarded as one of the greatest golfers in history. Rising to...
Unwaveringly Optimistic
Resilient athletes have an extraordinary ability to stay optimistic. They face challenges head-on with hope for a great outcome. One thing is for sure in sport: if you want to be great, there will be obstacles in front of you, and you have to remain optimistic through them. Marathon Runners: A Test of Resilience Marathon runners are one of the best examples of resilience in competition. Most top-level marathon runners race for just over two hours straight. Over that time, there are countless...
Ability to Hold a Long-Term Goal
One of the most important aspects of grit is the ability to hold on to a long-term goal. Great athletes aren’t just focused on today’s practice or this week’s game; they can connect what they are doing now to the bigger vision of what they want to achieve years down the road. That long-term vision becomes the compass that guides their daily decisions, their sacrifices, and their persistence through setbacks. Breaking It Down: Short-Term Goals Build Long-Term Success Gritty athletes excel at...
Fall in Love with the Process
Grit is not just about pushing through the hard days; it’s about embracing those days. Gritty athletes don’t just endure the process; they fall in love with it . They see every rep, every sprint, and every shot not as a chore, but as a building block in their journey toward mastery. This mindset transforms the everyday grind into something purposeful. The long hours in the weight room, the early morning drills, the relentless refinement, these athletes lean into the discomfort, excited by...
Four Aspects of Passion: Interest, Practice, Purpose, and
Hope We are still talking about Grit , and more specifically, the Passion piece of Grit. Passion is not just about loving your sport;...
Grit – Passion + Perseverance x Time = Achievement
Grit is a foundational mental skill for high performance. It’s the ability to stay consistent with your effort and purpose over a long period of time—even when things get hard. Grit means you keep showing up, keep training, and keep pushing forward, no matter the obstacle. Angela Duckworth, a psychologist who popularized the term, defines grit with a simple but powerful equation: Passion + Perseverance x Time = Achievement. This formula reveals that achievement isn’t just about talent. It’s...
Success of Others
Athletes with a growth mindset view the success of others as a source of inspiration and motivation. Rather than feeling threatened or envious, they celebrate their peers' accomplishments and use them as fuel to push their limits. This mindset builds a culture of positivity, resilience, and shared progress. It allows athletes to see that greatness is not exclusive — it is a standard that can be pursued together. One of my favorite examples comes from the world of pole vaulting — a sport close...
Response to Feedback
As an athlete, how you respond to feedback is an essential mental skill. One of my favorite examples of how to respond to feedback effectively is Ashton Eaton. He viewed feedback as a critical tool for improvement and growth. Ashton’s relationship with his coach, Harry Marra, is a prime example of how embracing feedback can lead to extraordinary success. Because of that trust and open communication, Ashton was constantly seeking out feedback from Harry, using it to refine his techniques...
Perception of Effort
In the growth mindset, effort is seen as the engine of mastery. It's the daily grind, the sweat in the gym, the quiet focus in the pool, the unseen repetitions that fuel long-term excellence. Athletes who embrace this mindset understand that greatness is not born it’s built. A perfect example of this mindset is swimmer Michael Phelps , the most decorated Olympian of all time. While Phelps' achievements of 28 Olympic medals, 23 of them gold, are well-known, what often goes overlooked is the...
Reaction to Obstacles – Persist Through Setbacks
In the world of sports, setbacks are inevitable. Whether it's injury, failure, or unexpected challenges, every athlete will face moments where their journey is tested. The difference between success and stagnation often comes down to how athletes respond. Do they retreat and give up? Or do they refocus, persist, and continue the climb forward? Athletes with a growth mindset see obstacles not as dead ends but as detours—unexpected parts of the path that still lead to growth and success. They...
Approach to Challenges
One of the most defining qualities of mentally strong athletes is how they approach challenges . Rather than avoiding difficulty or pressure, they step into it. Athletes with a growth mindset see challenges as opportunities to learn, improve, and discover what they’re truly capable of. Every tough situation becomes a stepping stone for growth, not a threat to their confidence or identity. Athletes with a fixed mindset , however, often avoid challenges. They fear that failure will reveal...
Belief in Your Abilities
One of the most important mental skills an athlete can develop is their belief in their ability to improve. This belief is the foundation of a growth mindset —a concept made popular by psychologist Carol Dweck. A growth mindset is the belief that your abilities and intelligence are not fixed traits, but rather can be developed through dedication, effort, and learning from mistakes. Athletes who embrace this mindset are more resilient, more adaptable, and often more successful in the long run....