What do you do when you know something needs to be done, but you simply don’t feel like doing it?

In this episode of The MindCompete Podcast, I explore what discipline actually requires when motivation isn’t there. We’ll look at staying present, separating the signal from the noise, removing distractions before they compete for our attention, and asking a simple question when circumstances change: What do I know?

We’ll also explore why discipline doesn’t mean blindly following a plan, what I mean by “perfect effort,” and why sometimes the disciplined decision is to push forward, while other times new information tells us to adjust.

Because discipline may be less about forcing ourselves to act and more about being honest about what the moment requires—and then doing our best to act on it.

The Standard Never Changes.

Where does confidence actually come from?

We often tell athletes to “be confident,” but confidence has to be built on something. In this episode of The MindCompete Podcast, Dennis Velasco explores why true confidence has evidence behind it, and why preparation, purposeful repetition, fundamentals, failure, and adaptation give us something real to trust.

We also explore a different side of confidence: what if an athlete already has the confidence to succeed, but doesn’t have the confidence to fail?

From the player who has missed ten shots in a row to the freshman making his first varsity start, this episode looks at what confidence means when the outcome is still uncertain.

Because confidence may not be knowing the next shot will go in. It may be knowing how to shoot the shot—and trusting yourself to stay in the process regardless of what happens.

In this episode:
• Why confidence needs evidence
• How purposeful preparation builds confidence
• Why fundamentals give confidence
• What failure can teach us
• Why nervousness and confidence can exist together
• The difference between confidence and arrogance
• Why “we’re not time travelers”
• What it means to have the confidence to fail

MindCompete explores competitive performance across sport, leadership, and Life.

Goals matter. They give us direction. They help us identify where we want to go and what we want to accomplish. But setting a goal doesn't tell us how we're going to operate while pursuing it.

In this episode of The MindCompete Podcast, Dennis Velasco explores the difference between goals and standards, and why the distinction matters in sport, leadership, and Life.

A goal can tell us what we want. Standards show up in what we repeatedly do. They influence how we prepare, how we respond when we fall short, how teammates hold one another accountable, and whether what we say matters to us is actually reflected in our behavior.

From a basketball team pursuing a state championship to the individual standards we establish in our own lives, this episode explores what happens when we move beyond simply identifying the destination and start defining how we're going to get there.

In this episode:

• Why goals and standards serve different purposes
• How standards turn intentions into action
• Why accountability matters within a team
• The difference between saying you care and showing you care
• Why methods can change while the standard remains
• What happens when we fall short of our own standards
• Why “don’t just say it, do it” matters

MindCompete explores competitive performance across sport, leadership, and Life.