Control can feel like safety—but gripping too tightly can destroy the very thing you’re trying to protect. In this episode of The Strong Life Project, Shaun O’Gorman unpacks the high-performance trap of overcontrol, whether it’s in business, leadership, relationships, or personal growth. When you suffocate outcomes with fear and force, you kill creativity, trust, and connection. High performers know when to lead with strength—and when to let go.

Key Takeaways:

• Why overcontrol leads to burnout, frustration, and poor results

• How fear of failure drives micromanagement and overthinking

• The leadership shift from force to trust and influence

• Why letting go can be the most powerful move you make

• How to identify and change control-based behaviours

If you’ve been white-knuckling your way through life, it’s time to loosen your grip. Listen now and learn how to lead, live, and perform with power—not pressure.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

Follow Shaun O’Gorman for more high-performance insights.

The post EP 3326 If you hold the chicken too tight you’ll kill it appeared first on The Strong Life Project.

Overwhelm can make small problems feel like massive ones—especially when you’re already running on stress, fear, or exhaustion. In this episode of The Strong Life Project, Shaun O’Gorman explores why your perception of a problem often causes more pain than the problem itself. When you’re mentally and emotionally overloaded, even the smallest challenge can feel like it’s going to break you. The truth? You’re not drowning—you just need to stand up.

Key Takeaways:

• How to recognise when your mindset is magnifying problems

• The emotional cost of constant overwhelm and how to fix it

• Why you must develop the awareness to separate facts from fear

• Practical tools to shift perspective and reclaim control

• How to build the inner strength to stand up when you feel stuck

If you’re feeling buried by life right now, this episode will help you step back, breathe, and take charge again.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

Follow Shaun O’Gorman for more high-performance insights.

The post EP 3325 You feel like you’re drowning, but the water is 3 feet deep appeared first on The Strong Life Project.

Growth requires space. In this episode of The Strong Life Project, Shaun O’Gorman explores the powerful metaphor of the full cup—how being closed off, defensive, or full of ego blocks you from learning, evolving, and becoming the high performer you’re capable of being. If your mind is already full of excuses, blame, or self-righteousness, there’s no room for new insight, growth, or change.

Whether you’re a leader, athlete, or someone striving for excellence, the ability to empty your cup and stay teachable is what separates average from elite.

Key Takeaways:

• Why ego and defensiveness block high performance

• The importance of humility in leadership and growth

• How to stay open to feedback, even when it stings

• Practical ways to stay curious and keep learning

• The mindset shift required to become coachable and adaptable

If you want next-level results, you need a next-level mindset. Start by emptying your cup.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

Follow Shaun O’Gorman for more high-performance insights.

The post EP 3324 You can’t pour water into a full cup appeared first on The Strong Life Project.

What are you pretending not to see? In this powerful episode of The Strong Life Project, Shaun O’Gorman calls out the hidden truths we all avoid—the conversations we won’t have, the problems we won’t face, and the emotions we suppress. High performers don’t ignore the elephant in the room—they confront it. Whether it’s in your leadership, relationships, business, or personal growth, avoiding uncomfortable realities only holds you back.

Key Takeaways:

• Why unspoken truths are the biggest blockers to growth

• How to identify what you’re avoiding and why

• The cost of silence in leadership, life, and performance

• How courageous conversations lead to clarity and connection

• Practical tools to face uncomfortable truths head-on

If you want to lead, grow, and live with impact—stop avoiding the obvious. Listen now and start calling out the elephants in your life.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

Follow Shaun O’Gorman for more high-performance insights.

The post EP 3323 What’s the elephant in the room? appeared first on The Strong Life Project.

Growth demands evolution—and that means outgrowing people’s outdated perceptions of who you were. In this episode of The Strong Life Project, Shaun O’Gorman unpacks the powerful truth that as you transform, others will still try to relate to the old version of you. Whether it’s family, friends, or colleagues, not everyone will accept your growth. But that’s not your problem.

Key Takeaways:

• Why personal evolution challenges old relationships

• How to stop shrinking yourself to fit outdated expectations

• The mindset shift required to fully own your growth

• How to handle resistance from people who want the “old you” back

• The cost of staying small just to make others comfortable

You’re not here to stay the same—you’re here to become more. Listen now and learn how to step boldly into the new version of yourself without apology.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

Follow Shaun O’Gorman for more high-performance insights.

The post EP 3322 The version of you they remember doesn’t exist anymore appeared first on The Strong Life Project.

Real growth doesn’t always feel empowering—it often feels like everything is falling apart. In this episode of The Strong Life Project, Shaun O’Gorman dives into the brutal truth that growth and breaking are often part of the same process. Whether you’re leading a team, rebuilding after a setback, or evolving personally, the pain you feel is often the proof that you’re stretching beyond your limits.

Key Takeaways:

• Why emotional pain is a sign of transformation, not weakness

• The difference between breaking down and breaking through

• How to stay strong when growth feels overwhelming

• Tools to navigate struggle while staying aligned with your purpose

• Why leaders and high performers must embrace discomfort to evolve

If you feel like you’re being pushed to your edge, this episode will help you reframe the pain and find strength in the process. Listen now and keep moving forward—because breaking is often the beginning of becoming.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

Follow Shaun O’Gorman for more high-performance insights.

The post EP 3321 Sometimes growth feels like breaking appeared first on The Strong Life Project.

Letting go can feel painful—but sometimes, it’s the most powerful move you’ll ever make. In this episode of The Strong Life Project, Shaun O’Gorman explores why not every relationship, friendship, or connection is meant to stay. High performers understand that growth often requires pruning—cutting ties with people who drain your energy, disrespect your values, or hold you back.

Key Takeaways:

• Why losing people can be a sign of progress, not failure

• How to recognise relationships that limit your potential

• The difference between loyalty and self-betrayal

• Why setting boundaries is a form of self-respect

• How to move on without guilt, fear, or regret

If you’ve outgrown people, places, or patterns, this episode will give you the clarity to let go and level up. Listen now and reclaim your power.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

Follow Shaun O’Gorman for more high-performance insights.

The post EP 3320 Not everyone you lose is a loss appeared first on The Strong Life Project.

Comparison is the thief of progress. In this powerful episode of The Strong Life Project, Shaun O’Gorman reminds you that your journey is unique—and you’re not behind. Whether it’s career, relationships, success, or personal growth, chasing someone else’s timeline will only rob you of peace and clarity. High performers understand that greatness is built at their own pace, not by competing with the world’s highlight reel.

Key Takeaways:

• Why comparing your path to others destroys confidence

• How to embrace your unique timeline for growth and success

• The mindset shift needed to stop feeling “behind”

• How to build momentum by trusting your own process

• Practical tools to stay focused on your goals, not other people’s

This is your reminder to stop judging your life by someone else’s stopwatch. Listen now and get grounded in your mission, your values, and your pace.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

Follow Shaun O’Gorman for more high-performance insights.

The post EP 3319 You’re not behind, you’re on your own timeline appeared first on The Strong Life Project.

If you’re just along for the ride with your fear, it’s already in control. In this episode of The Strong Life Project, Shaun O’Gorman challenges you to stop being a passive passenger in your own life. Fear will always be there—but it doesn’t get to steer. High performers learn how to acknowledge fear without letting it dictate their decisions. When you step into leadership, in your own life or in others’, you must be the one behind the wheel.

Key Takeaways:

• Why letting fear silently control you is more dangerous than facing it

• How to recognise the signs that fear is running your life

• Tools to take back the driver’s seat from doubt and hesitation

• Why action is the antidote to fear and overthinking

• How leaders use fear as fuel, not a barrier

Fear is inevitable—but submission is optional. Listen now and learn how to reclaim your power and lead with courage.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

Follow Shaun O’Gorman for more high-performance insights.

The post EP 3318 Don’t be a stowaway to your fear appeared first on The Strong Life Project.

Most people fear being misunderstood—but high performers know it’s a sign they’re on the right path. In this episode of The Strong Life Project, Shaun O’Gorman explains why standing out, thinking differently, and refusing to conform are the very traits that drive success. If everyone understands you, you’re probably playing too small. Being misunderstood means you’re challenging the norm, breaking patterns, and leading with conviction.

Key Takeaways:

• Why being misunderstood is a sign of leadership and strength

• How conformity kills growth, creativity, and authenticity

• The mindset shift to embrace judgment instead of fearing it

• Why trailblazers are always doubted before they’re respected

• How to stay true to yourself in the face of criticism

This episode is a rallying cry for those who think differently, act boldly, and refuse to live small. Listen now and turn your uniqueness into your competitive edge.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

Follow Shaun O’Gorman for more high-performance insights.

The post EP 3317 Being misunderstood is a superpower appeared first on The Strong Life Project.