It Takes What It Takes
How to Think Neutrally and Gain Control of Your Life
Book Edition Details
Summary
When the stakes are high, and the pressure is mounting, how do elite athletes, CEOs, and military leaders stay cool and composed? Trevor Moawad, celebrated as the premier mental conditioning coach, unveils the secret weapon: neutral thinking. In "It Takes What It Takes," Moawad demystifies the art of navigating chaos with poise, showing how a nonjudgmental mindset can transform setbacks into triumphs. With insights drawn from top-tier performance arenas, Moawad illustrates how the ability to focus on the present moment—unclouded by past failures or future anxieties—can revolutionize your approach to life's challenges. His methods, once exclusive to the world's high achievers, now empower you to sharpen your mental edge, master your reactions, and redefine success on your terms.
Introduction
In the high-pressure moments that define our lives, when everything feels like it's hanging in the balance, what separates those who thrive from those who crumble? It's not positive thinking, and it's certainly not negative thinking. It's something far more powerful and practical: the ability to see reality as it truly is, without the distortion of bias or emotion. This revolutionary approach to mental conditioning has transformed elite athletes, business leaders, and military personnel, helping them achieve extraordinary results by mastering their inner dialogue. The secret lies in understanding that your mind is your most powerful tool, but only when you learn to use it correctly. Every thought you think, every word you speak to yourself, and every choice you make in pressure situations becomes either a stepping stone to success or a barrier that holds you back. The journey to peak performance begins with a fundamental shift in how you process information, make decisions, and respond to challenges.
Think Neutrally: Beyond Positive and Negative
Neutral thinking is the cornerstone of elite performance, stripping away the illusions and biases that cloud judgment in critical moments. Unlike positive thinking, which can create unrealistic expectations, or negative thinking, which always works against you, neutral thinking focuses solely on truth and actionable reality. It's the mental state that allows you to assess situations clearly and respond with precision. Consider Russell Wilson's performance in the 2014 NFC Championship Game against Green Bay. With his team trailing and having thrown four interceptions, Wilson could have spiraled into negative self-talk or forced false confidence. Instead, he remained neutral, focusing on one simple truth: there were four minutes and fifty seconds left, and his defense had given him another opportunity. He didn't pretend the interceptions hadn't happened, nor did he let them define what would happen next. Wilson understood that each play has its own history and life, completely independent of what preceded it. This neutral mindset allowed Wilson to lead two incredible touchdown drives and ultimately win in overtime. When the pressure was greatest, he didn't rely on motivational mantras or ignore reality. He simply focused on what was true in that moment and what actions were required. The result was one of the most remarkable comebacks in NFL playoff history, demonstrating the power of thinking without judgment or bias. To develop neutral thinking, start by recognizing when your mind defaults to positive or negative extremes. When facing a challenge, ask yourself: "What is actually true about this situation?" and "What can I control right now?" This simple shift from emotional reaction to factual assessment creates the mental clarity needed for optimal decision-making. Practice acknowledging past events without letting them contaminate your perception of present opportunities.
Build Your Foundation: Planning and Choices
Success at the highest level requires meticulous planning that goes beyond hoping for the best. Elite performers create multiple layers of preparation, understanding that every detail matters when the stakes are highest. Planning isn't just about strategy; it's about building the mental architecture that supports peak performance under pressure. The night before Super Bowl XLIX, Russell Wilson sat in a Phoenix mansion with his team, methodically preparing his mind for the biggest game of his career. This wasn't casual preparation—it was surgical precision applied to mental conditioning. They reviewed video footage set to carefully selected music, with Wilson watching himself succeed in similar high-pressure situations. The session included detailed visualization of potential scenarios and predetermined responses to various game situations. Every element was intentional, from the setting to the soundtrack, designed to program Wilson's mind for optimal performance. Wilson's preparation extended beyond game strategy to include mental preparation for the inevitable chaos of the Super Bowl environment. He identified potential obstacles and created neutral responses to each scenario. When he finally took the field, he wasn't hoping for the best; he was executing a plan that had been rehearsed mentally dozens of times. The result was a commanding performance that took his team to within one play of another championship. Create your own planning system by first identifying your ultimate goal, then working backward to map out every step required to achieve it. Include contingency plans for potential obstacles, and practice your responses mentally before you need them. Remember that failing to plan is planning to fail, especially when facing your most important challenges.
Master Your Mind: Language and Mental Training
The words you speak to yourself carry ten times more influence than anything others say to you, making your internal dialogue the most powerful force in determining your outcomes. Mental conditioning isn't about blocking out negative thoughts—it's about consciously choosing the language that serves your performance best. Your brain operates like the world's most sophisticated computer, and the programs you run determine your results. At Alabama, coach Nick Saban implemented a simple but transformative rule: players were forbidden from saying "stupid shit out loud." This wasn't about censorship; it was about understanding that negative language literally rewires your brain for failure. Research shows that negativity is absorbed seven times more easily than positivity, making every negative statement you make about yourself exponentially more damaging than you realize. The human mind can only hold one thought at a time, making your choice of internal language the determining factor in your mental state. One player, Javier Arenas, exemplified this principle before Alabama's national championship game against Texas. When asked if being overlooked by recruiters motivated him, he responded: "I don't think about who didn't recruit me, because that's negative thinking. That's playing mad. I don't think about that. I think about the opportunity and the advantage I've taken so far." This wasn't positive thinking—it was neutral thinking combined with disciplined language that kept his focus on controllable factors. Implement a "negativity diet" by eliminating negative self-talk for 24-hour periods. When you catch yourself using limiting language, immediately redirect to neutral statements about what you can control. Replace "I can't" with "I will find a way" and "This is impossible" with "This requires a different approach." Your words become your reality, so choose them with the precision of a surgeon.
Lead Yourself: Pressure, Leadership and Growth
Leadership begins with the ability to lead yourself, especially when external pressures threaten to derail your performance. True leaders don't avoid pressure—they embrace it as a privilege, understanding that pressure only exists when you have the opportunity to achieve something meaningful. The greatest victories belong to those who perform best when the stakes are highest. Billie Jean King's famous declaration that "pressure is a privilege" reveals the mindset that separates champions from everyone else. If you're feeling pressure, it means someone cares about your performance, someone is counting on you, and you have the chance to make a meaningful impact. Florida State linebacker Telvin Smith embodied this leadership mentality during a team meeting before the 2013 season. When coaches displayed the previous year's disappointing losses on a whiteboard, Smith grabbed the marker and told his teammates: "No more. We lose these games because of things we do. Things we don't do. It ain't happening no more. I won't let it." Smith's leadership didn't come from his title or position—it came from his willingness to take ownership and set the standard for others. When Florida State faced Clemson in Death Valley later that season, the pressure was enormous. ESPN's College GameDay was on site, NFL scouts filled the sidelines, and the entire college football world was watching. Instead of shrinking from this pressure, the Seminoles embraced it, delivering a dominant 51-14 victory that announced their arrival as national championship contenders. Develop your leadership capacity by first mastering self-leadership. When pressure mounts, ask yourself: "Who am I now?" and "Who will I become?" Create honest assessments of your current capabilities and design behaviors that prepare you for the pressure you'll face. Remember that everyone is watching someone—you never know who is learning from your example, making every action an opportunity to lead.
Summary
The path to peak performance isn't found in positive affirmations or motivational speeches—it's discovered in the disciplined practice of neutral thinking and purposeful action. As the astronauts of Apollo 13 demonstrated when their mission turned into a survival scenario, success comes from focusing on truth, making plans based on reality, and executing with precision regardless of circumstances. Jim Lovell's words capture the essence of this approach: "There's only one thing you can do. You just keep going. You just keep thinking up ways" to solve the problem at hand. Your mind is the most powerful tool you possess, but only when you learn to use it correctly. Every thought, every word, every choice becomes either a stepping stone toward your goals or a barrier that holds you back. The principles of neutral thinking, strategic planning, disciplined language, and pressure-embracing leadership aren't just concepts—they're practical tools that you can implement immediately. Start today by choosing to eliminate one negative behavior or thought pattern, and replace it with a neutral statement about what you can control. Your transformation begins with a single choice to think differently, speak purposefully, and act with intention.
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