Audit Your Five
List the five people you spend the most time with. Ask: Do they reflect the mindset and habits I want to develop?

Curate Your Inputs
Remember: Mirror neurons mean what you observe, you absorb. Choose proximity to presence, not panic. To courage, not comfort.

Align for Motivational Fit
Surround yourself with people who are driven by the same values and goals—it supercharges your grit and follow-through.

Be the Multiplier
If you’re in leadership, model the behavior you want echoed. Your energy and standards ripple far beyond your role.

Invest in Interdependence
Your growth isn’t just yours—it’s influenced by who you're connected to. Make that influence intentional.

Dr. Tara Swart, The Source (2019) – on neuroplasticity and social influence

Righetti, Finkenauer & Finkel (2011), Journal of Personality and Social Psychology – on interpersonal regulatory fit

Christakis & Fowler (2007 & 2008), New England Journal of Medicine – on behavioral contagion in social networks

Albert Bandura (1977), Social Learning Theory – on behavior modeling through observation

Rizzolatti & Craighero (2004), Annual Review of Neuroscience – on mirror neurons and observational behavior

“You don’t just shape culture through policies. You shape it through proximity.”

Are you looking for a speaker to energize and empower your organization to develop a fighter's mindset and master their mental performance every day? Or are you interested in a talk or workshop on The Green Light Method, a neuroscience- and performance psychology-based system that helps individuals and teams live and work with Fierce Agency (TM), override fear-based hesitation, rewire limiting beliefs, and take aligned, empowered action toward peak performance and purpose-driven success?

DM me today on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected].

Ready to win more at trial without burnout? Limited spaces are still available to secure your own 1:1, 8-week Accelerated Trial Fight Camp.

DM me today on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected].

The Legal Athlete Website: Click to learn more about engaging Jess Sargus as a speaker for your group or event, or to explore coaching with Jess Sargus to master your mindset, execute under pressure, and thrive in your career and life for the long term through science and sports psychology.  

Also, through the website, you can download a free copy of The Legal Athlete Daily Planner to help you organize and prioritize easily to grow and get better every day, practice the 6 longevity habits studies show have the greatest positive impact, and implement your Daily Glimmer habit to bring more resilience and happiness into your life. Or, download and print the 4 Steps to Elite Habits flow chart PDF for free to guide your daily and weekly elite habits. 

Music: Bounce Like This, by Wolves - YouTube ID UUFGDERWUSZ9LXWL

Ready to Fight, by Arenas - YouTube ID XKO39W3SJHGS9EKW

In Episode 39, Jess explores: 

• Why Action Orientation is what separates elite performers from the rest 

• Steve Magness’s research on Olympians and high performers 

• The neuroscience behind action: emotion regulation, reframing, and focus

• What “You gotta go!” really means in the cage—and in life 

• 3 tactical ways to train your action mindset starting today 

Key takeaway: You don’t need to be fully ready or fearless. You just need to take action. The next best step is the one in front of you. 

BONUS: Vintage footage from one of Jess's training sessions in the cage from July 25, 2015 that perfectly illustrates how action orientation actually looks under pressure. Share this with someone who needs a push off the starting line sometimes (hey, who doesn't?)—and make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss what’s next. 

🟢 Green light. Let’s go. 

Resource List: 

• Magness, S. Instagram post, July 2025. @stevemagness

• Magness, S. (2020). The Passion Paradox (co-authored with Brad Stulberg). Rodale Books 

• Magness, S. (2022). Do Hard Things: Why We Get Resilience Wrong and the Surprising Science of Real Toughness. HarperOne. 

• Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). “The Role of Positive Emotions in Positive Psychology: The Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions.” American Psychologist, 56(3), 218–226.  

• Gross, J. J. (1998). “The Emerging Field of Emotion Regulation: An Integrative Review.” Review of General Psychology, 2(3), 271–299. 

• Troy, A. S., Wilhelm, F. H., Shallcross, A. J., & Mauss, I. B. (2010). “Seeing the silver lining: Cognitive reappraisal ability moderates the relationship between stress and depressive symptoms.” Emotion, 10(6), 783–795. 

• Gable, S. L., & Harmon-Jones, E. (2010). “The motivational dimensional model of affect: Implications for breadth of attention, memory, and cognitive categorization.” Cognition & Emotion, 24(2), 322–337. 
 

Are you looking for a speaker to energize and empower your organization to develop a fighter's mindset and master their mental performance every day? Or are you interested in a talk or workshop on The Green Light Method, a neuroscience- and performance psychology-based system that helps individuals and teams live and work with Fierce Agency (TM), override fear-based hesitation, rewire limiting beliefs, and take aligned, empowered action toward peak performance and purpose-driven success?

DM me today on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected].

Ready to win more at trial without burnout? Limited spaces are still available to secure your own 1:1, 8-week Accelerated Trial Fight Camp.

DM me today on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected].

The Legal Athlete Website: Click to learn more about engaging Jess Sargus as a speaker for your group or event, or to explore coaching with Jess Sargus to master your mindset, execute under pressure, and thrive in your career and life for the long term through science and sports psychology.  

Also, through the website, you can download a free copy of The Legal Athlete Daily Planner to help you organize and prioritize easily to grow and get better every day, practice the 6 longevity habits studies show have the greatest positive impact, and implement your Daily Glimmer habit to bring more resilience and happiness into your life. Or, download and print the 4 Steps to Elite Habits flow chart PDF for free to guide your daily and weekly elite habits. 

Music: Bounce Like This, by Wolves - YouTube ID UUFGDERWUSZ9LXWL

Ready to Fight, by Arenas - YouTube ID XKO39W3SJHGS9EKW

In this episode, we cover:

What fixed vs. growth mindset really means—and why it matters (1:45)

How scarcity mindset narrows your brain’s bandwidth—and abundance expands it (4:15)

The dopamine loop that drives sustained motivation (5:30)

Why leaders with abundance mindsets outperform the plan (6:50)

The surprising connection between joy, purpose, and long-term success (8:05)

Three science-backed tools to shift your mindset to abundance and growth today (9:00)

A special invitation to join Jess at the 2025 Society of Women Trial Lawyers conference (11:00)

🔗 Learn more and register now: swtl.org/2025-retreat

Mindset & Motivation Science

Carol S. Dweck – Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

TEDx Talk: The Power of Yet – Carol Dweck

Dweck, C. S., & Leggett, E. L. (1988). A social-cognitive approach to motivation and personality. Psychological Review.

Scarcity & Cognitive Bandwidth

Mullainathan, S., & Shafir, E. (2013). Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much

Behavioral Economics and Scarcity Research (Science, 2013)

Neuroscience of Reward & Motivation

Salamone, J. D., et al. (2005). Beyond the reward hypothesis: alternative functions of nucleus accumbens dopamine. Current Opinion in Pharmacology.

Rock, D. (2008). SCARF: A Brain-Based Model for Collaborating With and Influencing Others. NeuroLeadership Journal.

Emotions, Fulfillment & Resilience

Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The Role of Positive Emotions in Positive Psychology. American Psychologist.

Angela Duckworth – Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

Performance Psychology & Application

Brian Cain – Mental Performance Mastery Playbook

James Clear – Atomic Habits

Join the Legal Athlete community: thelegalathlete.com

Subscribe, rate, and review the podcast to spread the word

Register for the Society of Women Trial Lawyers Conference before it fills: swtl.org/2025-retreat

🟢 Mindset is contagious. Pass it on.

Are you looking for a speaker to energize and empower your organization to develop a fighter's mindset and master their mental performance every day? Or are you interested in a talk or workshop on The Green Light Method, a neuroscience- and performance psychology-based system that helps individuals and teams live and work with Fierce Agency (TM), override fear-based hesitation, rewire limiting beliefs, and take aligned, empowered action toward peak performance and purpose-driven success?

DM me today on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected].

Ready to win more at trial without burnout? Limited spaces are still available to secure your own 1:1, 8-week Accelerated Trial Fight Camp.

DM me today on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected].

The Legal Athlete Website: Click to learn more about engaging Jess Sargus as a speaker for your group or event, or to explore coaching with Jess Sargus to master your mindset, execute under pressure, and thrive in your career and life for the long term through science and sports psychology.  

Also, through the website, you can download a free copy of The Legal Athlete Daily Planner to help you organize and prioritize easily to grow and get better every day, practice the 6 longevity habits studies show have the greatest positive impact, and implement your Daily Glimmer habit to bring more resilience and happiness into your life. Or, download and print the 4 Steps to Elite Habits flow chart PDF for free to guide your daily and weekly elite habits. 

Music: Bounce Like This, by Wolves - YouTube ID UUFGDERWUSZ9LXWL

Ready to Fight, by Arenas - YouTube ID XKO39W3SJHGS9EKW

The studies that Amy Cuddy discusses in her book, Presence, that show that values-based affirmation lowers stress and boosts performance

What drama club taught Jess about high-performance self-leadership (and why it matters now)

How actors like Julianne Moore access authenticity on stage and screen—and how you can do the same in real life

Why your MVP (Mission, Vision, Principles) alignment is non-negotiable for composure under pressure

A 4-step pre-performance ritual to help you lead from your center, not from fear

The ultimate high-performance question: Who do you think you are?

Try Jess’s 4-step pre-performance ritual before a high-stakes task:

Name a Core Value (e.g., courage, integrity, service)

Connect to Why It Matters (journal or reflect for 2 minutes)

Breathe it In (slow, deep breaths while visualizing yourself living it)

Trigger Phrase (e.g., “Green Light,” “Let’s Go,” “This is who I am”)

When you believe your own story, stress loses its power—and you get yours back.

Cuddy, A. (2015). Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges.
https://www.amycuddy.com/presence

Creswell, J.D., & Sherman, D.K. (2012). Methods for Self-Affirmation Interventions. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 6(2), 115–129.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-9004.2011.00409.x

Steele, C.M. (1988). The Psychology of Self-Affirmation: Sustaining the Integrity of the Self. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, Vol. 21, 261–302.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2601(08)60229-4

Harvard Business Review: The Science of Pep Talks
https://hbr.org/2017/07/the-science-of-pep-talks

The Green Light Method™ by Jess Sargus
https://www.thelegalathlete.com

Are you looking for a speaker to energize and empower your organization to develop a fighter's mindset and master their mental performance every day? Or are you interested in a talk or workshop on The Green Light Method, a neuroscience- and performance psychology-based system that helps individuals and teams live and work with Fierce Agency (TM), override fear-based hesitation, rewire limiting beliefs, and take aligned, empowered action toward peak performance and purpose-driven success?

DM me today on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected].

Ready to win more at trial without burnout? Limited spaces are still available to secure your own 1:1, 8-week Accelerated Trial Fight Camp.

DM me today on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected].

The Legal Athlete Website: Click to learn more about engaging Jess Sargus as a speaker for your group or event, or to explore coaching with Jess Sargus to master your mindset, execute under pressure, and thrive in your career and life for the long term through science and sports psychology.  

Also, through the website, you can download a free copy of The Legal Athlete Daily Planner to help you organize and prioritize easily to grow and get better every day, practice the 6 longevity habits studies show have the greatest positive impact, and implement your Daily Glimmer habit to bring more resilience and happiness into your life. Or, download and print the 4 Steps to Elite Habits flow chart PDF for free to guide your daily and weekly elite habits. 

Music: Bounce Like This, by Wolves - YouTube ID UUFGDERWUSZ9LXWL

Ready to Fight, by Arenas - YouTube ID XKO39W3SJHGS9EKW

In this conversation you’ll learn:

• The fighter-pilot mindset: Why visualization and tiny, consistent wins outperform brute willpower.
• Energy > Everything: How elevated energy radiates through work, family, and self-confidence.
• Tactical self-leadership: journaling, sunlight, and data (HRV, heart-rate trends) to steer daily decisions.
• Building trust through empathy and high-touch coaching—and why vulnerability is a performance multiplier.
• One immediate action: lock in a non-negotiable morning ritual to anchor fitness, focus, and daily energy.

Connect with Zac & Empowerment Fitness:

• LinkedIn – Zac Armstrong → https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-armstrong-8489b9218
• Empowerment Fitness → https://www.myempowermentfitness.com
• Instagram – Zac Armstrong→ https://www.instagram.com/zacarmstrongfit/
• Email – Zac Armstrong→ [email protected]

Are you looking for a speaker to energize and empower your organization to develop a fighter's mindset and master their mental performance every day? Or are you interested in a talk or workshop on The Green Light Method, a neuroscience- and performance psychology-based system that helps individuals and teams live and work with Fierce Agency (TM), override fear-based hesitation, rewire limiting beliefs, and take aligned, empowered action toward peak performance and purpose-driven success?

DM me today on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected].

Ready to win more at trial without burnout? Limited spaces are still available to secure your own 1:1, 8-week Accelerated Trial Fight Camp.

DM me today on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected].

The Legal Athlete Website: Click to learn more about engaging Jess Sargus as a speaker for your group or event, or to explore coaching with Jess Sargus to master your mindset, execute under pressure, and thrive in your career and life for the long term through science and sports psychology.  

Also, through the website, you can download a free copy of The Legal Athlete Daily Planner to help you organize and prioritize easily to grow and get better every day, practice the 6 longevity habits studies show have the greatest positive impact, and implement your Daily Glimmer habit to bring more resilience and happiness into your life. Or, download and print the 4 Steps to Elite Habits flow chart PDF for free to guide your daily and weekly elite habits. 

Music: Bounce Like This, by Wolves - YouTube ID UUFGDERWUSZ9LXWL

Ready to Fight, by Arenas - YouTube ID XKO39W3SJHGS9EKW

In this episode:

🎓 The true story of a graduation-day regret—and what it revealed about perfectionism, presence, and personal agency

🧠 The neuroscience of regret: why we feel it so strongly, and how the orbitofrontal cortex plays a key role

📉 Why elderly people regret what they didn’t do more than what they did

🔁 Growth mindset vs. fixed mindset: how to use regret as fuel instead of shame

🛠️ How regret can help you clarify your values—and take meaningful action

🌊 Jess’s real-life “Quantum Leap” moment, 30 years later

Takeaways:
✔ Regret shows you what matters
✔ You can rewrite the story—starting now
✔ Growth mindset turns regret into forward motion
✔ Small, symbolic action can heal big emotional weight

Closing challenge:
What’s one regret you still carry? What value does it reflect—and what’s one small action you can take this week to get back in alignment with it?

Episode Resources:

🧠 Research and Psychology of Regret

• Gilovich, T., & Medvec, V. H. (1995). The Experience of Regret: What, When, and Why.
  Psychological Review, Vol. 102(2), 379–395

This foundational study found that people tend to regret inactions more than actions over time. The finding underpins much of the episode’s discussion on long-term regret.

• Rosenzweig, S. (2014). Regret in Decision Making: A Developmental Perspective.
  APA PsycNet - Review

Discusses how regret is a critical emotion in learning and personal development, especially in reflecting on values.

• O’Connor, L. E., Berry, J. W., Lewis, T., Mulherin, K., & Crisostomo, P. (2007).Empathy and the Vagal System.
  Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

Offers insight into the bodily sensation of regret and its connection to empathy and vagal tone—physiological markers of emotional response.

🧠 Neuroscience and the Brain’s Role in Regret

• Camille, N., Coricelli, G., Sallet, J., Pradat-Diehl, P., Duhamel, J. R., & Sirigu, A. (2004). The Involvement of the Orbitofrontal Cortex in the Experience of Regret.
  Science, 304(5674), 1167–1170

Demonstrates the specific role of the brain’s orbitofrontal cortex in generating the emotion of regret—a key point for understanding its physical and emotional power.

💡 Growth Mindset and Learning from Regret

• Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.
  Amazon link

Carol Dweck’s work on fixed vs. growth mindset forms the basis for how we view regret as either a dead-end or a learning opportunity.

• Pink, D. H. (2022). The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward.
  DanielPink.com

Daniel Pink’s book was a major source of inspiration for this episode and covers extensive survey research on what people regret most—and how we can use it to grow.

🔄 Action, Agency, and the Neuroscience of Momentum

• Korb, A. (2015). The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time.
  Amazon link

Explains how small actions, like choosing movement over rumination, shift brain chemistry and behavior positively—key to the “just take one step” message in the episode.

• Duckworth, A. (2016). Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance.
  Amazon link

Adds to the discussion around long-term growth and using tough emotions like regret as fuel for meaningful achievement.

Are you looking for a speaker to energize and empower your organization to develop a fighter's mindset and master their mental performance every day? Or are you interested in a talk or workshop on The Green Light Method, a neuroscience- and performance psychology-based system that helps individuals and teams live and work with Fierce Agency (TM), override fear-based hesitation, rewire limiting beliefs, and take aligned, empowered action toward peak performance and purpose-driven success?

DM me today on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected].

Ready to win more at trial without burnout? Limited spaces are still available to secure your own 1:1, 8-week Accelerated Trial Fight Camp.

DM me today on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected].

The Legal Athlete Website: Click to learn more about engaging Jess Sargus as a speaker for your group or event, or to explore coaching with Jess Sargus to master your mindset, execute under pressure, and thrive in your career and life for the long term through science and sports psychology.  

Also, through the website, you can download a free copy of The Legal Athlete Daily Planner to help you organize and prioritize easily to grow and get better every day, practice the 6 longevity habits studies show have the greatest positive impact, and implement your Daily Glimmer habit to bring more resilience and happiness into your life. Or, download and print the 4 Steps to Elite Habits flow chart PDF for free to guide your daily and weekly elite habits. 

Music: Bounce Like This, by Wolves - YouTube ID UUFGDERWUSZ9LXWL

Ready to Fight, by Arenas - YouTube ID XKO39W3SJHGS9EKW

In this episode, you’ll learn:

🥊 Why flyweights (like Phumi Nkuta) throw 2 to 4x more punches than heavyweights—and what that teaches us about high-performance energy

🧠 How long-term potentiation helps your brain build identity through small, repeated actions

💥 Why movement aligned with your values is medicine for your mindset, your body, and your soul

🔁 How “shrinking the scope and increasing the reps” beats waiting for perfect timing

✨ What neuroscience, sports psychology, and your own internal compass say about how to lead your life from the inside out

Shrink the scope, increase the reps. Small daily moves beat big, rare efforts.

Name your movement’s goal. Tie your action to meaning: clarity, strength, purpose, etc.

Trust the repetition. Your brain is learning from what you do—so do what you want to become.

Catch Phumi in the co-main event at LFA 211 – Tonight at 9pm ET / 8pm CT on UFC Fight Pass
https://www.ufcfightpass.com

🎧 Revisit Jess Gets a Round – Episode 2:
Phumi Nkuta: Confidence in the Cage
👉 https://thelegalathlete.com/podcast/phumi-nkuta

CompuBox: www.compuboxonline.com

Neuroscience of Long-Term Potentiation:

NIH overview

Verywell Mind explainer

BJ Fogg’s Tiny Habits: www.tinyhabits.com

Brian Cain’s Mental Performance Mastery: briancain.com

Carol Dweck’s Growth Mindset:

fs.blog

APA summary

Are you looking for a speaker to energize and empower your organization to develop a fighter's mindset and master their mental performance every day? Or are you interested in a talk or workshop on The Green Light Method, a neuroscience- and performance psychology-based system that helps individuals and teams live and work with Fierce Agency (TM), override fear-based hesitation, rewire limiting beliefs, and take aligned, empowered action toward peak performance and purpose-driven success?

DM me today on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected].

Ready to win more at trial without burnout? Limited spaces are still available to secure your own 1:1, 8-week Accelerated Trial Fight Camp.

DM me today on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected].

The Legal Athlete Website: Click to learn more about engaging Jess Sargus as a speaker for your group or event, or to explore coaching with Jess Sargus to master your mindset, execute under pressure, and thrive in your career and life for the long term through science and sports psychology.  

Also, through the website, you can download a free copy of The Legal Athlete Daily Planner to help you organize and prioritize easily to grow and get better every day, practice the 6 longevity habits studies show have the greatest positive impact, and implement your Daily Glimmer habit to bring more resilience and happiness into your life. Or, download and print the 4 Steps to Elite Habits flow chart PDF for free to guide your daily and weekly elite habits. 

Music: Bounce Like This, by Wolves - YouTube ID UUFGDERWUSZ9LXWL

Ready to Fight, by Arenas - YouTube ID XKO39W3SJHGS9EKW

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why the Default Mode Network is your brain’s backstage genius
• How present-moment awareness boosts dopamine and calms your stress response
• Why stillness restores your prefrontal cortex and executive function
• How boredom and silence promote neuroplasticity and breakthrough ideas
• A simple, science-backed stillness practice you can start today

Whether you’re in court, in the boardroom, or in the office—your ability to stay present, focused, and strategic depends on your ability to pause.

Stillness is your high-performance shift from reactive mode to regenerative power.

🔗 Resource List (Research & Recommended Reading):

1. The Default Mode Network and Its Functions
   Raichle, M. E. (2015). The Brain's Default Mode Network. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 38, 433–447.
   https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-neuro-071013-014030
2. Neuroscience of Mind-Wandering and Creativity
   Smallwood, J., & Schooler, J. W. (2015). The Science of Mind Wandering: Empirically Navigating the Stream of Consciousness. Annual Review of Psychology, 66, 487–518.
   https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-010814-015331
3. The Role of the Salience Network in Attention and Interoception
   Seeley, W. W. et al. (2007). Dissociable Intrinsic Connectivity Networks for Salience Processing and Executive Control. Journal of Neuroscience, 27(9), 2349–2356.
   https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5587-06.2007
4. Effects of Nature and Quiet on Cortisol and Executive Function
   Bratman, G. N. et al. (2015). Nature Experience Reduces Rumination and Subgenual Prefrontal Cortex Activation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(28), 8567–8572.
   https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1510459112
5. The Neuroscience of Neuroplasticity and Cognitive Flexibility
   Draganski, B., & May, A. (2008). Training-Induced Structural Changes in the Human Brain. Behavioural Brain Research, 192(1), 137–142.
   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2008.02.015

Love this episode? Follow, rate, and leave a review. Then share it with someone who needs permission to pause.

And if you're ready to bring this kind of high-performance speaking or workshop to your team or leadership event, click below to connect with Jess directly.

Are you looking for a speaker to energize and empower your organization to develop a fighter's mindset and master their mental performance every day? Or are you interested in a talk or workshop on The Green Light Method, a neuroscience- and performance psychology-based system that helps individuals and teams live and work with Fierce Agency (TM), override fear-based hesitation, rewire limiting beliefs, and take aligned, empowered action toward peak performance and purpose-driven success?

DM me today on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected].

Ready to win more at trial without burnout? Limited spaces are still available to secure your own 1:1, 8-week Accelerated Trial Fight Camp.

DM me today on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected].

The Legal Athlete Website: Click to learn more about engaging Jess Sargus as a speaker for your group or event, or to explore coaching with Jess Sargus to master your mindset, execute under pressure, and thrive in your career and life for the long term through science and sports psychology.  

Also, through the website, you can download a free copy of The Legal Athlete Daily Planner to help you organize and prioritize easily to grow and get better every day, practice the 6 longevity habits studies show have the greatest positive impact, and implement your Daily Glimmer habit to bring more resilience and happiness into your life. Or, download and print the 4 Steps to Elite Habits flow chart PDF for free to guide your daily and weekly elite habits. 

Music: Bounce Like This, by Wolves - YouTube ID UUFGDERWUSZ9LXWL

Ready to Fight, by Arenas - YouTube ID XKO39W3SJHGS9EKW

Inside this episode:

✅ Why saying no is a neuroscience-backed performance tool
✅ How “no” is not negative—it’s leadership clarity
✅ What elite athletes and top leaders do to guard their capacity
✅ 3 actionable tools to strengthen your “no” muscle:
 ✔️ Pause before committing
 ✔️ Reconnect with your MVP (Mission, Values, Principles)
 ✔️ Own your locus of control and lead with clear boundaries

Remember: every yes is also a no—and when you learn to guard your yes, you reclaim the energy, focus, and excellence to lead and perform at your highest level.

1️⃣ Warren Buffett quote on saying no:
"The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything."
Widely attributed to Warren Buffett in multiple interviews and articles, including:
📖 James Clear, “The Art of Saying No: How to Avoid Temptation and Distraction”, JamesClear.com → https://jamesclear.com/say-no

2️⃣ Prefrontal cortex, executive function, and cognitive load:

Miller, E. K., & Cohen, J. D. (2001). An integrative theory of prefrontal cortex function. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 24(1), 167–202.
👉 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.neuro.24.1.167

Diamond, A. (2013). Executive functions. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 135–168.
👉 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143750

3️⃣ Sports psychology on energy cycling, readiness, and focus:

Loehr, J., & Schwartz, T. (2003). The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal. Free Press.
📚 Amazon Link

Taylor, J., & Wilson, G. (2005). Applying Sport Psychology: Four Perspectives. Human Kinetics.
📚 https://us.humankinetics.com/products/applying-sport-psychology

4️⃣ Locus of Control (Rotter, 1954 / modern application):

Rotter, J. B. (1966). Generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcement. Psychological Monographs: General and Applied, 80(1), 1–28.
👉 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/h0092976

More modern application in performance psychology:
Karoly, P. (1993). Mechanisms of self-regulation: A systems view. Annual Review of Psychology, 44(1), 23–52.
👉 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ps.44.020193.000323

5️⃣ MVP Framework (Mission, Values, Principles) — Adapted from:

Cain, B. (n.d.). Mental Performance Mastery (MPM) Certification Course. Brian Cain Peak Performance.
🏆 https://briancain.com/

Are you looking for a speaker to energize and empower your organization to develop a fighter's mindset and master their mental performance every day? Or are you interested in a talk or workshop on The Green Light Method, a neuroscience- and performance psychology-based system that helps individuals and teams live and work with Fierce Agency (TM), override fear-based hesitation, rewire limiting beliefs, and take aligned, empowered action toward peak performance and purpose-driven success?

DM me today on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected].

Ready to win more at trial without burnout? Limited spaces are still available to secure your own 1:1, 8-week Accelerated Trial Fight Camp.

DM me today on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected].

The Legal Athlete Website: Click to learn more about engaging Jess Sargus as a speaker for your group or event, or to explore coaching with Jess Sargus to master your mindset, execute under pressure, and thrive in your career and life for the long term through science and sports psychology.  

Also, through the website, you can download a free copy of The Legal Athlete Daily Planner to help you organize and prioritize easily to grow and get better every day, practice the 6 longevity habits studies show have the greatest positive impact, and implement your Daily Glimmer habit to bring more resilience and happiness into your life. Or, download and print the 4 Steps to Elite Habits flow chart PDF for free to guide your daily and weekly elite habits. 

Music: Bounce Like This, by Wolves - YouTube ID UUFGDERWUSZ9LXWL

Ready to Fight, by Arenas - YouTube ID XKO39W3SJHGS9EKW

In this episode of The Legal Athlete Podcast, Jess Sargus dives into:

✅ Why authenticity is a biological and psychological performance edge
✅ How executive function overload sabotages performance when we “mask”
✅ How elite athletes and leaders train for authentic action under pressure
✅ What happens in your brain when your self-congruence is high
✅ The power of self-identity clarity for consistent performance under stress

Actionable Takeaways:
1️⃣ Define your MVP: Mission, Vision, Principles
2️⃣ Audit where you’re performing “off brand”
3️⃣ Train authentic reps—step into stress as your real self

Resources:

• Gross, J.J., & John, O.P. (2011). Emotion regulation in everyday life. Emotion, 11(5), 1093–1099.
• Gervais, M., & Aoyagi, M. (2014). High-performance mindset: Lessons from elite sport. Journal of Sport Psychology in Action.
• Deci, E.L. & Ryan, R.M. (2000). The "what" and "why" of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry.
• Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience.
• The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley (fiction, but a beautiful thematic inspiration!)

Are you looking for a speaker to energize and empower your organization to develop a fighter's mindset and master their mental performance every day? Or are you interested in a talk or workshop on The Green Light Method, a neuroscience- and performance psychology-based system that helps individuals and teams live and work with Fierce Agency (TM), override fear-based hesitation, rewire limiting beliefs, and take aligned, empowered action toward peak performance and purpose-driven success?

DM me today on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected].

Ready to win more at trial without burnout? Limited spaces are still available to secure your own 1:1, 8-week Accelerated Trial Fight Camp.

DM me today on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected].

The Legal Athlete Website: Click to learn more about engaging Jess Sargus as a speaker for your group or event, or to explore coaching with Jess Sargus to master your mindset, execute under pressure, and thrive in your career and life for the long term through science and sports psychology.  

Also, through the website, you can download a free copy of The Legal Athlete Daily Planner to help you organize and prioritize easily to grow and get better every day, practice the 6 longevity habits studies show have the greatest positive impact, and implement your Daily Glimmer habit to bring more resilience and happiness into your life. Or, download and print the 4 Steps to Elite Habits flow chart PDF for free to guide your daily and weekly elite habits. 

Music: Bounce Like This, by Wolves - YouTube ID UUFGDERWUSZ9LXWL

Ready to Fight, by Arenas - YouTube ID XKO39W3SJHGS9EKW