Why Confidence Is a Choice, Not a Feeling (w/ Laura Ianello)
The Full Listener's Guide
We explore why confidence isn’t something you wait to feel - it’s something you choose through your actions, especially when the stakes are highest. In this conversation with Laura Ianello, head women’s golf coach at the University of Texas, we break down the practical mental skills that separate elite performers from everyone else when pressure mounts.
You’ll learn a simple four-step protocol to recenter yourself in high-stakes moments, why losing can be reframed as exciting, how to build routines that carry you when motivation fails, and why comparison is the enemy of mastery. This is about the Think Factor—using awareness, intention, and action to take control when everything feels out of control.
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🖐 5 BIG IDEAS
1. Confidence Is a Choice, Not a Feeling
Most people wait to feel confident before they act. Elite performers do the opposite - they act first, and confidence follows.
Confidence isn’t an emotion you summon before a big moment. It’s a decision you make through your behavior, your preparation, and your willingness to step into discomfort. When Laura talks about her golfers “sticking to their routines” and “not forcing things,” she’s describing athletes who have learned that the feeling of pressure isn’t a sign that something’s wrong—it’s proof they’re alive and engaged.
