Learned Excellence
Mental Disciplines for Leading and Winning from the World's Top Performers
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Summary
In the heat of life's grand stage, where chaos and excellence collide, emerges a masterwork on mental fortitude: "Learned Excellence." Dr. Eric Potterat, the psychologist who has guided the Navy SEALs and Olympic champions, distills decades of expertise into a riveting blueprint for high achievement. Navigate the mental landscapes of the world's elite—from big wave surfers to Fortune 500 executives—as they conquer pressure with clarity, focus, and resilience. This is not innate magic; it is a cultivated craft, attainable by all. Uncover the five pillars of peak performance—Values & Goals, Mindset, Process, Adversity Tolerance, and Balance & Recovery—through gripping stories and actionable insights. Whether on the field, in the boardroom, or at life's crossroads, "Learned Excellence" equips you to elevate your performance to extraordinary heights.
Introduction
Every day, you step into moments that matter. Whether you're walking into a crucial meeting, preparing for an important presentation, or facing a challenging conversation, these are your performance moments. You've likely noticed that some people seem to thrive under pressure while others crumble, even when they possess equal technical skills and knowledge. The difference isn't in their natural talent or circumstances—it's in their mental approach. The greatest performers across all fields, from Navy SEALs to Olympic champions, from business leaders to first responders, have learned to master something most people leave to chance: their mental performance. They understand that excellence isn't born, it's developed through deliberate practice of specific mental skills. These aren't mystical secrets or innate gifts—they're learnable techniques that can transform how you show up when it matters most. The gap between where you are and where you want to be isn't about working harder; it's about working mentally smarter.
Identity and Purpose: Building Your Foundation
True excellence begins with knowing who you are beneath all the external labels and roles. Your identity isn't your job title, your achievements, or what others think of you—it's the core values and beliefs that drive your actions when no one is watching. Most people operate from reputation rather than identity, constantly worried about how they'll be perceived instead of staying true to their fundamental principles. Consider David Colturi, a professional cliff diver who makes his living leaping from 90-foot cliffs into the water below. Early in his career, David was consumed by what others thought of him. Standing on those towering platforms, he wasn't just battling his natural fear of heights—he was fighting an internal war about his reputation. Every dive became a performance for others rather than an expression of his authentic self. This mental burden manifested in his performance, creating tension and doubt that interfered with his ability to execute. The transformation came when David nearly lost his life in a paragliding accident that required emergency surgery. During his recovery, he was forced to confront who he was beyond "David Colturi, Red Bull cliff diver." Through deep reflection, he developed what we call a personal credo—ten words that captured his core identity: selfless, discipline, grit, mindful, stoic, clarity, character, courage, ikigai, evolving. These weren't aspirational terms; they were who he already was at his core. With this foundation, David learned to dive from identity rather than reputation, and his performance soared. To build your foundation, begin by identifying your own ten-word personal credo. Notice what brings you energy and joy, what you care about most deeply, and what values you embody at your best. Ask trusted friends and family members to contribute their perspective on what they see as your core values. This process takes time—weeks, not hours—because you're excavating what's already there rather than creating something new. Once you have your credo, use it as your North Star for making decisions. When facing any choice, ask yourself which option aligns best with these identity markers. Remember, reputation changes with circumstances, but identity remains constant. When you operate from this solid foundation, you're no longer performing for others' approval—you're expressing your authentic self.
Mental Toughness: Controlling What You Can Control
Mental toughness isn't about being emotionless or unbreakable—it's about maintaining clarity and focus when your natural stress response wants to take over. Every human being has the same hardwired fight, flight, or freeze mechanism that helped our ancestors survive physical threats. Today, this same system activates during presentations, competitions, and crucial conversations, but instead of helping, it often hinders peak performance. Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell experienced the ultimate test of mental toughness during a devastating battle in Afghanistan where his teammates were killed and he was severely wounded. Alone, injured, and surrounded by enemies, Marcus found himself overwhelmed by circumstances far beyond his training. His stress response was in full activation—heart racing, thoughts scattered, body flooded with adrenaline. In that moment of crisis, he didn't try to eliminate the stress; instead, he focused on the only things within his control. Marcus returned to a fundamental principle: control your attitude, effort, and behavior—everything else is outside your circle of influence. He couldn't control his injuries, the enemy forces, or his desperate situation, but he could control how he thought about it, how hard he tried, and what actions he took. He used his pre-performance ritual, reciting his personal mantra and even humming AC/DC's "Hell's Bells" to reset his mental state. This wasn't denial or false positivity; it was redirecting his mental energy toward what he could actually influence. The key to mental toughness lies in developing your own "stay in the circle" mentality. When stress hits, immediately ask yourself: What can I control right now? Focus exclusively on your attitude (how you're thinking about the situation), your effort (how hard you're trying), and your behavior (what specific actions you can take). Practice the 4-4-4-4 breathing technique: inhale for four seconds, exhale for four to six seconds, for four minutes, four times daily. This trains your parasympathetic nervous system to activate on command, counteracting your stress response. Create pre-performance routines that signal to your mind and body that you're prepared and ready. These might include specific music, physical movements, or mental mantras that consistently put you in your optimal state. Remember, you can't control outcomes, other people's actions, or external circumstances, but you have complete authority over your response to them.
Process Excellence: Systems for Consistent Performance
Excellence isn't achieved through sporadic bursts of effort or hoping things work out—it's built through consistent, deliberate processes that compound over time. The best performers in every field share a common trait: they trust their process more than they worry about outcomes. When you focus relentlessly on doing the right things in the right way, results become a natural byproduct rather than an elusive goal. Rich Hill, a Major League Baseball pitcher, learned this lesson the hard way during a crucial playoff game early in his career. Standing on the mound with everything on the line, Rich was consumed by the magnitude of the moment and the potential outcomes. Instead of focusing on his process—his preparation, his mechanics, his next pitch—he was mentally rehearsing failure scenarios and worrying about disappointing his team. The result was exactly what he feared: poor performance when it mattered most. That experience taught him that outcomes are largely beyond a pitcher's control, but process is entirely within it. Years later, Rich transformed his approach by developing unwavering faith in his preparation and execution. Before each game, he follows identical routines for physical preparation, mental visualization, and strategic planning. During games, he focuses exclusively on what he calls "the moment the ball comes out of my hand." Every other consideration—the score, the crowd, the consequences—becomes irrelevant background noise. This process-focused mindset allowed Rich to perform at his peak regardless of external pressure, because he knew that if he executed his process correctly, he gave himself the best possible chance of success. Begin by designing your own excellence process, starting with intentional time management. Every Sunday, review your calendar for the next ten days and eliminate blank spaces by assigning specific activities to every time block. Color-code these blocks as green (flexible), yellow (moderately important), or red (non-negotiable) to help you make better decisions when interruptions arise. Develop a trusted feedback network of people who are both vetted (loyal to your success) and valid (knowledgeable about your field). Regularly seek input from these sources while filtering out noise from unqualified critics. When making changes to your process, adjust only one element at a time so you can accurately measure what's working. Most importantly, remember that consistency beats perfection—it's better to execute a good process reliably than to constantly chase perfect execution. Trust that if you focus on controlling your process, the outcomes will take care of themselves.
Balance and Recovery: Sustaining Peak Performance
Peak performance isn't sustainable without intentional balance and recovery. Many high achievers fall into the trap of believing that more effort always equals better results, but this approach inevitably leads to burnout, diminished performance, and neglect of other important life areas. True excellence requires viewing yourself as a complete human being with multiple dimensions, not just as a performer in one arena. Steve Idoux, a highly successful insurance executive, discovered this truth when his relentless work ethic began poisoning his relationships and leadership. Steve had always believed he could outwork anyone—answering calls at midnight, working weekends, fueled by endless Diet Cokes and an ironclad determination to never be outworked. His identity was completely wrapped up in being the hardest worker in the room, and for years, this approach seemed to validate itself through professional success. The wake-up call came during what should have been a routine conversation with a team member. Exhausted from yet another late client dinner and running on fumes, Steve found himself yelling at his colleague over a minor issue. The look of shock and hurt on his team member's face made Steve realize he had become exactly the kind of leader he despised. He was demanding high standards while exhibiting behavior that undermined everything he claimed to value about his company culture. Steve learned to think of his life as supported by six pillars: work, relationships, health, spirituality, hobbies, and legacy. A life built on just one or two pillars is inherently unstable—if something happens to those areas, everything collapses. But when you invest in all six pillars, you create resilience and fulfillment that actually enhances your performance in any single area. Steve began scheduling recovery time just as rigorously as he scheduled work commitments, understanding that rest and renewal aren't rewards for achievement—they're requirements for sustained excellence. Start by honestly assessing your current life pillars and identifying which ones need attention. Set specific goals in each area, but give yourself permission to let some balls drop temporarily when circumstances demand it. The key is making these choices consciously rather than letting imbalance happen by default. Build recovery practices into your daily routine: quality sleep (aim for 7-9 hours), regular exercise, time in nature, meditation, or simply doing things you enjoy without performance pressure. Create boundaries between your different roles—develop transition routines that help you shift mindsets when moving from work to family time or from competition to relaxation. Remember that balance isn't about perfect equality across all areas; it's about intentional attention to all the dimensions that make you human. When you honor your need for recovery and balance, you return to performance with renewed energy, clarity, and perspective.
Summary
The journey to learned excellence begins with a fundamental truth: peak performance is not a genetic gift reserved for a chosen few—it's a set of learnable skills available to anyone willing to develop them. As the research and countless examples throughout these pages demonstrate, "Excellence is not an act, but a habit." The difference between those who achieve their potential and those who fall short isn't talent, circumstances, or luck—it's the deliberate cultivation of mental performance skills that turn ordinary moments into extraordinary outcomes. By grounding yourself in your authentic identity, focusing on what you can control, trusting your process over outcomes, developing resilience under pressure, and maintaining balance across all areas of your life, you create the foundation for sustained excellence in whatever matters most to you. The path forward is clear and immediate: choose one principle from this framework and begin practicing it today. Start with your personal credo, implement the 4-4-4-4 breathing technique, or redesign your weekly calendar with intentional time blocks. Excellence isn't a destination you'll someday reach—it's a way of approaching each day with purpose, preparation, and presence. Your potential is waiting; the only question is whether you'll choose to learn it into reality.
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By Eric Potterat
