Remember original Nintendo with no save function? Jake uses this nostalgic example to reveal why most people quit important goals - and how to build a "scoreboard" that makes your progress visible and your success inevitable.

• The Nintendo Parallel: Without visible progress, even improvement feels pointless
• Harvard's Progress Principle: Making progress visible is the #1 factor in sustained motivation
• The Invisible Progress Problem: Most people quit because they can't see themselves improving
• Scoreboard Strategy: Track both process metrics (what you control) and outcome metrics (results)
• Leading vs. Lagging Indicators: Focus on daily actions that drive long-term results

Join the NEW training series:

• Every Day Counts (⁠⁠here⁠⁠)

• The Competitor Journal (⁠⁠here⁠⁠)

Connect with Jake:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram @JakeThompsonSpeaks⁠⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn @JakeThompsonSpeaks⁠⁠⁠⁠

Continue building your Competitor Mindset after today's episode by clicking ⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠.

Meet Donut, Jake's 8-year-old French bulldog who perfectly demonstrates the psychological resistance pattern that keeps high performers stuck.

In this episode, Jake reveals why we sabotage ourselves by fighting the very things designed to help us thrive - and how to build accountability systems that make progress inevitable.

• The Resistance Reality: We're hardwired to fight what's best for us, even when we know better
• Three Root Causes: Pain-now/benefit-later problem, identity protection, and fear disguised as resistance
• The Breakthrough Principle: The stronger the resistance, the more important the action
• Accountability Systems: Why willpower fails and how to build external structures that pull you forward
• The Momentum Shift: Once you get past initial resistance, progress becomes self-sustaining

Join the NEW training series:

• Every Day Counts (⁠⁠here⁠⁠)

• The Competitor Journal (⁠⁠here⁠⁠)

Connect with Jake:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram @JakeThompsonSpeaks⁠⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn @JakeThompsonSpeaks⁠⁠⁠⁠

Continue building your Competitor Mindset after today's episode by clicking ⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠.

At the halfway point of the year, Jake Thompson asks the hard question most people avoid: Does what you're doing today actually move you closer to who you want to become?

In this episode, he reveals his simple two-paper system for aligning daily actions with long-term vision and shares why small daily deposits compound into massive life changes.

• The Honest Assessment: Most daily actions don't align with stated long-term goals
• F.M. Alexander's Truth: "People decide their habits, and their habits decide their futures"
• The Two-Paper System: One for big-picture goals, one for daily non-negotiables
• Daily Deposits Principle: Small consistent efforts compound into massive change over time
• The Halfway Advantage: There's still time to change the game, but only if you stop procrastinating

Join the NEW training series:

• Every Day Counts (⁠⁠here⁠⁠)

• The Competitor Journal (⁠⁠here⁠⁠)

Connect with Jake:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram @JakeThompsonSpeaks⁠⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn @JakeThompsonSpeaks⁠⁠⁠⁠

Continue building your Competitor Mindset after today's episode by clicking ⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠.

What's the biggest lesson life is teaching you right now? For Jake Thompson, it's a powerful reminder that what we see online is rarely as good as we think it is.

In this eye-opening episode, Jake breaks down the psychology behind unhealthy comparison, reveals the research showing we overestimate others' success by 40-60%, and shares four practical steps to break free from the comparison trap.

Discover how to transform comparison-based thinking into competition-based thinking and start playing a game you can actually win.

What You'll Learn:

• The psychological research behind why comparison undermines our performance and wellbeing
• How social media creates "comparison on steroids" with up to 50 social comparisons per day
• The Stanford research revealing we overestimate others' success by 40-60% based on social media
• The critical difference between comparison-based thinking vs. competition-based thinking
• Four practical steps to break the comparison trap and refocus on your own race

Join the NEW training series:

• Every Day Counts (⁠⁠here⁠⁠)

• The Competitor Journal (⁠⁠here⁠⁠)

Connect with Jake:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram @JakeThompsonSpeaks⁠⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn @JakeThompsonSpeaks⁠⁠⁠⁠

Continue building your Competitor Mindset after today's episode by clicking ⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠.

What's costing you more than failure ever could? In this powerful episode, Jake Thompson dives into the real price we pay for hesitation and delay.

Through personal stories and research-backed insights, Jake reveals how "procrasta-planning" is actually bleeding opportunity while you perfect plans that don't matter. Learn why the scoreboard doesn't reward perfect plans—only executed action—and discover practical steps to break free from hesitation paralysis starting today.

What You'll Learn:

• Why we consistently overestimate the risk of action while ignoring the cost of inaction
• How "omission bias" tricks us into feeling safer by not taking action
• Jake's personal two-year hesitation story that cost him his "perfect" book title
• Research from the University of Minnesota on why inaction often leads to deeper regret than failure
• Three actionable strategies to overcome hesitation and start making meaningful progress today

Join the NEW training series:

• Every Day Counts (⁠⁠here⁠⁠)

• The Competitor Journal (⁠⁠here⁠⁠)

Connect with Jake:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram @JakeThompsonSpeaks⁠⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn @JakeThompsonSpeaks⁠⁠⁠⁠

Continue building your Competitor Mindset after today's episode by clicking ⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠.

Feeling stuck despite consistent effort? You might be playing the wrong game. In this episode, Jake shares his personal journey of working hard on the wrong things and the breakthrough that came when he shifted from chasing hype to chasing impact.

Learn why working hard on the wrong things is just exhausting yourself on a treadmill to nowhere, and discover the four specific steps to ensure your effort is aligned with what truly matters to YOU.

Join the NEW training series:

• Every Day Counts (⁠⁠here⁠⁠)

• The Competitor Journal (⁠⁠here⁠⁠)

Connect with Jake:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram @JakeThompsonSpeaks⁠⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn @JakeThompsonSpeaks⁠⁠⁠⁠

Continue building your Competitor Mindset after today's episode by clicking ⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode, Jake Thompson breaks down the recent controversy surrounding Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams' approach to film study.

Through this NFL headline, Jake reveals a critical mindset shift needed for success in any field: taking ownership of your growth rather than waiting for someone else to guide you. This powerful lesson in proactivity applies whether you're an NFL quarterback or building your career in any arena.

Join the NEW training series:

• Every Day Counts (⁠⁠here⁠⁠)

• The Competitor Journal (⁠⁠here⁠⁠)

Connect with Jake:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram @JakeThompsonSpeaks⁠⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn @JakeThompsonSpeaks⁠⁠⁠⁠

Continue building your Competitor Mindset after today's episode by clicking ⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠.

In this powerful episode, Jake Thompson tackles the insidious form of self-sabotage that affects high achievers most: The "Why Bother" Trap. Learn how the fear of not being the best can become your greatest obstacle to becoming better, and discover practical strategies to overcome this mindset.

What You'll Learn:

• Why high-performers often abandon pursuits when they realize they won't be "the best"
• The psychology behind self-handicapping and how it protects your ego at the expense of your growth
• How to redefine "winning" beyond simply being #1
• Practical strategies to take imperfect action when perfectionism paralyzes you
• The critical shift from comparison-based motivation to contribution-based motivation

Join the NEW training series: 

• Every Day Counts Playbook (⁠⁠here⁠⁠)
• The Competitor Journal (⁠⁠here⁠⁠)

 Connect with Jake:

• ⁠⁠⁠Instagram @JakeThompsonSpeaks⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn @JakeThompsonSpeaks⁠⁠⁠

 ___________________

Continue building your Competitor Mindset after today's episode by clicking ⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode, Jake breaks down the concept of "The Ego Gap" – the psychological barrier that prevents most people from reaching their full potential. Using NFL quarterback Jalen Milroe's draft interview approach as a case study, Jake explores why elite performers actively seek feedback on their weaknesses while average performers avoid it.

You'll learn a practical four-step process for identifying and addressing your blind spots, plus a 21-day challenge that will help you cross your own Ego Gap. This episode isn't about feeling good—it's about getting better by confronting the uncomfortable truths that fuel real growth.

Join the NEW training series: 

• Every Day Counts Playbook (⁠⁠here⁠⁠)
• The Competitor Journal (⁠⁠here⁠⁠)

 Connect with Jake:

• ⁠⁠⁠Instagram @JakeThompsonSpeaks⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn @JakeThompsonSpeaks⁠⁠⁠

 ___________________

Continue building your Competitor Mindset after today's episode by clicking ⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠.

In this game-changing episode, Jake Thompson reveals the difference between those who are crushed by failure and those who use it as fuel.

Through the powerful "Midnight Rule" framework, Jake breaks down exactly how champions process setbacks differently and provides a specific protocol to turn your next failure into your biggest comeback.

What You'll Learn:

• Why your response to failure matters more than the failure itself
• Research showing how elite performers analyze failures 300% more but recover 70% faster
• The complete Midnight Rule protocol

Join the NEW training series: 

• Every Day Counts Playbook (⁠⁠here⁠⁠)
• The Competitor Journal (⁠⁠here⁠⁠)

 Connect with Jake:

• ⁠⁠⁠Instagram @JakeThompsonSpeaks⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn @JakeThompsonSpeaks⁠⁠⁠

 ___________________

Continue building your Competitor Mindset after today's episode by clicking ⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠.