Take Charge of Your Goals: Jason Goldsmith on Mental Training for Peak Performance
Mental resilience is at the heart of every high performer’s toolkit. On Power Athlete Radio, performance coach Jason Goldsmith shared his insights into the essential role of mental training in achieving greatness - whether in professional sports or everyday life. As the author of “Take Charge of You”, Goldsmith guides readers through the process of setting and reaching their highest goals, especially when the pressure is on. His work, primarily with golfers, focuses on equipping athletes with the skills to navigate fear, rejection, and failure - barriers that often stand between people and their ambitions. The lessons extend beyond sports to the ways in which anyone can cultivate the mental discipline and resilience needed to succeed.
Goldsmith emphasized the profound, lifelong value that sports offer young people beyond physical fitness. Through sports, youth learn to handle adversity, face failure, and develop self-motivation - qualities that Goldsmith believes are crucial not only in athletics but for society as a whole. These experiences teach them to persist despite setbacks and to work toward goals independently, without relying solely on external motivation. According to Goldsmith, sports provide a powerful environment for young people to develop teamwork, discipline, and emotional resilience, which they can carry forward into their personal and professional lives.
For Goldsmith, mental training isn’t just about overcoming obstacles, but about accepting them as a natural part of the journey. In competitive environments, especially at elite levels, pressure, fear, and sometimes even failure is inevitable. Goldsmith helps his clients recognize that setbacks are stepping stones toward improvement. His approach advocates for a mindset shift: instead of avoiding adversity, one should embrace it as an opportunity to grow. This mental adjustment builds resilience, allowing athletes and non-athletes alike to keep pursuing their goals with renewed focus, regardless of the challenges.
In “Take Charge of You”, Goldsmith provides readers with practical tools and exercises to cultivate this mindset shift. By guiding readers through self-reflection and intentional goal-setting, he equips them with strategies to build mental resilience and take ownership of their personal growth. The book not only offers guidance for athletes but for anyone who is striving to unlock their potential and achieve big dreams. With Goldsmith’s techniques, readers learn how to turn challenges into growth opportunities, moving closer to their greatest aspirations.
Ultimately, Goldsmith believes the value of mental training transcends sports. While a small percentage of professional athletes may receive attention for negative reasons, sports as a whole contribute immensely to society by instilling resilience, discipline, and perseverance in those who participate. These lessons, Goldsmith argues, are indispensable in developing well-rounded individuals who can navigate life’s challenges effectively.
For Goldsmith, the benefits of mental training aren’t reserved solely for high-performing athletes. In “Take Charge of You”, he encourages readers to “suck less and dream big,” offering everyone a chance to build mental resilience and transform their lives by setting and achieving meaningful goals. As Goldsmith’s work illustrates, learning to take charge of one’s mindset isn’t just a pathway to better performance; it’s a cornerstone for leading a purposeful, resilient, and fulfilled life.
John Welbourn is Founder/CEO of Power Athlete Inc and former NFL player. John was drafted with the 97th pick in 1999 NFL Draft and went on to be a starter for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999-2003, appearing in 3 NFC Championship games, and started for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2004-2007. In 2008, he played with the New England Patriots until an injury ended his season early with him retiring in 2009. Over the course of his NFL career, John started over 100 games regular season games with 10 play-off appearances. He was a four-year letterman while playing football at the University of California at Berkeley. He graduated from the college of letters and sciences with a bachelor's degree in Rhetoric in 1998. And did his Masters work at the UC Berkeley School of Education in 1999. Since retiring from the NFL, John has worked extensively with the NFL, NHL, MLB, Olympic athletes, the US Army and Naval Special Warfare. He works as a consultant and advisor for several companies focused on improving human performance through training, nutrition and fitness-based technologies. John provides daily coaching and mentorship to over 5000 athletes around the world through his Power Athlete Coaches Network and training program delivery platform. Since in 2013, John has hosted a weekly podcast, Power Athlete Radio; a podcast dedicated to improving performance and connecting with some of the smartest people on the planet. With more than 700 episodes Power Athlete Radio has proven to be on the top podcasts in the strength and conditioning realm. John travels the world lecturing on performance and nutrition for Power Athlete and as a keynote speaker. John is a married father of three and resides in Austin, Texas. You can catch up with him at his personal blog, “Talk To Me Johnnie”, at Power Athlete or on social media @johnwelbourn.