In Episode 10, Boulder, Colorado-based coach Will Murray shares how trial lawyers can take the techniques of triathlon performance and endurance training that Murray specializes in and apply them to the endurance tests of litigation and trial practice. Much of it is mental, he notes, and tells us how to develop discipline, recode memories and motivations in our brains, calm our nerves in the moment, deal with traumatic stress (our clients’ and our own), and even get a better night’s sleep in the midst of a busy trial.  

Topics

2:39     The four pillars of endurance
4:16     How trial lawyers are like triathletes
6:22     Discipline
7:11     Flexing your discipline muscle
9:40     “Recoding” your motivations as pleasure
10:34  Pleasure principle
11:29  Tips and tricks for recoding
15:00  Visualization and muscle memory
16:00   Taking cues from negative memories
18:37  Easy fixes for nerves
21:28  Mapping trial times when you’ll need a boost
24:00   Knowing our own weaknesses
24:57  Overcoming apprehension
26:57  Visualization
27:34  “Learning by doing” 
30:04  PTSD on the witness stand
32:50  Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories (RTM) protocol
34:42  Traumatic compassion
36:45  Tips for sleeping and rest
24:35  Signature signoff question

Quote

“Our brains are good golden retrievers. They aim to fetch what you throw at them, so throw the thing you want to have happen.” (Will Murray)

Recommended Resources

Will Murray (website)

The Four Pillars of Triathlon (Will Murray and Craig Howie, book) 

Writing a Plan in 7 Steps (Will Murray, article)

Reconciliation of Traumatic Memories: A New Treatment for PTSD (NLP Research & Recognition Project, article)