Ascent with Tom Foxley

What do the Royal Marines, Ernest Shackleton, and high performers today all understand about growth that most people miss?

In this episode, I unpack the hidden power of environment. We’ll explore how group standards shape personal performance, why morale becomes everything under pressure, and what it really means to grow in a culture of discipline, clarity, and shared purpose.

If you’re grinding alone and wondering why progress feels slow—this one’s for you.

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Mental fitness isn’t about staying positive—it’s about staying ready.

In this episode, we break down the concept of General Mental Preparedness: how to train your mind to meet any challenge, any pressure, and any chaos with clarity and composure. Drawing parallels to elite physical training and the story of a man who thrived across three battlefields, this is your roadmap to becoming truly unbreakable.

Because life won’t get easier. You just get harder to break.

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Life doesn’t get lighter. You get stronger.

In this episode, I share a hard-earned lesson from Royal Marines training—and what it means for building a meaningful, high-performance life. We’ll unpack why pressure is a privilege, how your system adapts to stress through a principle called allostasis, and what it takes to raise your internal threshold instead of lowering your goals.

If you’ve been questioning your capacity, this episode will change how you see the weight you carry.

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He volunteered to be captured and sent to Auschwitz. Why?

In this episode, I tell the true story of Witold Pilecki—a man whose mission to resist evil took him inside the gates of hell. We explore what made him capable of enduring the unendurable, why meaning—not muscle—is the foundation of resilience, and what this blueprint teaches us about modern leadership and mental fitness.

By the end of this episode, you’ll see why mental strength isn’t something you’re born with—it’s something you train for.

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You won’t become the hero of your life by accident.

In this episode, I share the story of Stella—a business owner who went from stuck in indecision to living her dream day, not because of a hack or a motivational burst, but through consistent mental fitness training. We dive into the power of narrative identity, the psychology of transformation, and why waiting to feel different before you act is the exact trap holding most people back.

If you’ve ever wondered how to create real freedom, this one’s for you.

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For years, I thought sensitivity was a weakness. So did an SAS operator I spoke to recently. But we were both wrong.

In this episode, I share the story of how embracing my sensitivity—not suppressing it—led to some of the most powerful moments of my life. We’ll explore why emotional fitness is the key to mental strength, how neuroscience explains the power of emotional regulation, and why some of the world’s greatest leaders and warriors relied on their sensitivity as an advantage.

By the end of this episode, you’ll see why your greatest strength might just be the one you’ve been trying to hide.

Why do some of the toughest, most disciplined people in the world get stuck in their comfort zones?

In this episode, I share the story of Art—a German special forces operator who could run towards danger without hesitation but found himself frozen when it came to building his future. We explore why even the strongest people fear the unknown, the psychological trap that holds high achievers back, and the critical difference between enduring discomfort and training true mental fitness.

By the end of this episode, you’ll understand exactly why willpower alone isn’t enough—and what you need to do instead.

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Most people think mental toughness is about being naturally hard as nails. That you’re either born with it, or you’re not.

That’s complete BS.

In Royal Marines training, I saw it firsthand—the guys who looked the toughest were always the first to quit. The real test of mental strength had nothing to do with muscle or confidence and everything to do with something deeper.

In this episode, I break down what actually builds real mental toughness. Not motivation. Not genetics. But a system anyone can use to develop an unshakable mindset.

You’ll learn:

If you want to build a mind that can handle anything—this is the episode for you.

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"You won’t rise to the occasion—you’ll sink to the level of your training."

That’s a saying drilled into elite military operators, and for good reason. When stress spikes, your brain doesn’t get sharper—it shuts down. If you haven’t trained a response, you’ll freeze, hesitate, or panic.

The good news? You can train for clarity under pressure.

In this episode, I break down:

Because life is full of high-stakes moments. And when the time comes, you won’t have time to think—you’ll only have time to act.

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Most people set goals the wrong way.

They think success comes from obsessing over outcomes. But the reality? The fastest way to hit your goals is to stop chasing them.

In today’s episode, I break down:

✔ The counterintuitive reason process-based goals work

This one shift will change the way you approach success forever.