FULL INTRO TO THE WORKBOOK - If you want to get it now click here.

The odds are high that you know SOME thing about me and my background to see what this is all about. Before I dive into the contents of this book I wanted to give you a little background on me, why I’m writing this, and how you can get the most out of this book.

The short version of my story is that my mindset was a huge obstacle in my career and life for so long. Partially because of mental health struggles with anxiety and depression, but also largely to my overall mindset, perspective, and lack of coping mechanisms.

My perfectionism and self-critical mind got me to my dream of playing lacrosse at Stanford University, but unfortunately, it was the curse that brought me to my breaking point. After serving as a three-year starter, including earning a spot on the Tewaaraton Watchlist the year prior, in the final game of my senior year I was benched because my ability to perform was in question. Through a lot of reflection, and especially after getting into coaching I probably would have made the same choice.

The reality was my mind was all over the place and I couldn’t control it. Knowing that my mind held me back, I got into coaching to help players along in their journey to make sure theirs didn’t have to end like mine. I shortly found out simply sharing my story was not enough to help. I didn’t have a framework to explain how one would go about mastering their mind and I didn’t personally have the experience.

After going through certifications (Mindfulness for Student-Athletes by Todd Corbin and Mental Performance Mastery Certification by Brian Cain), running youth programs, and creating mental practices for myself I want to share what I’ve learned to help as many people as I can. 

Recently, I’ve brought these exact strategies to a youth program and here are some of the reflections after the first week from players ages 12-17:

I noticed I was much happier throughout the day I don't get as frustrated at little things that I mess up on and think more positive.

I enjoyed adding pause moments into my day for sure. I enjoyed it because it gave me a different picture at the time of whats going on. It gave me reason that it's okay to step aside and take a break.

I am not a very stressed out person in general, but with the few pause moments I did, it helped me calm down and just not get worked up or frustrated about the little things that are going on in my life.

Using the pause moments did help me because I stopped thinking so negatively. I was able to stop thinking about the what if's and did all of the things that I was supposed to do.

Yes, I think I am more calm and level-headed. Also it helps me not get overwhelmed so that allows me to get more things done throughout the day. I am able to express my emotions better now too.

I feel more calm and focused throughout the day. My mind doesn't seem to go to negative thoughts as much.

While you can read this book like a traditional book and crush the entire thing in one sitting, it is my hope that you will go through this slowly on a weekly basis. The reality is that mastering your mind requires WORK and PRACTICE over time. You can’t just read one book and all of a sudden have all of the answers. The mental game is so individual to each person and each situation. It’s important that you give each strategy a fair shake (in this case a full week of testing for each one) and notice in what situations they work and which ones cause you to struggle to apply them.

Mastering your mind is broken up into four major categories that are each broken up into two parts. The first is control, where you will learn how to gain awareness of your thoughts and bring them back to a “yellow” mentality. Next, is confidence where I’ll break down the components of confidence and what exactly you can do to improve yours. Third on the list is commitment, where I’ll teach you the steps you must take and the systems you must use to make commitment easier. Finally, in the challenge section, I’ll bring all the skills together to discuss how to use these skills in the face of challenges and ways to constantly adjust your approach in applying them to best fit your needs.

In total, this book will take you through 8 weeks of work. I will teach you concepts, how to apply them through homework, and then it is up to you to reflect on what you learned, how you will make changes and implement them moving forward. It is strongly advised that you print out this Ebook to use as a workbook or use a blank notebook as your workbook to reflect on the lessons learned to make the most out of your practice.

If there is a particular skill you are struggling with or activity you have questions on, please don’t hesitate to reach out - I would love to help however I can! My email is lmlaxtraining@gmail.com.

Thanks again!

Lyndsey