Dan Cooper is no stranger to challenge. From years in the Australian Special Forces to pushing physical and psychological limits in the name of research, Dan has built a life around discomfort—and learning from it.

In this episode, we dig into the mindset behind high performance, mental toughness, and why most people fear the very things that lead to growth. Dan also shares the hard lessons he’s learned around identity, transition, and finding purpose outside the uniform.

We cover:

• What Special Forces selection really reveals about people

• The role of discipline, detachment, and self-reflection

• Why resilience isn’t built in comfort

• Lessons from his research into elite performance and self-regulation

This one’s for anyone interested in the space between discomfort and discovery—and how to keep moving when the work gets hard.

You can find more about Dan here:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

https://www.instagram.com/dancooper_phd/

Music thanks to:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠These Four Walls - Hard Rock Band Gold Coast QLD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Greatest of All Tapes - Sleep Better. Perform Better. – The Greatest of all Tapes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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