Mental Training Lessons from a 40-Year-Old Classic

Today, I want to share with you a fascinating book that I stumbled upon recently. Despite being a number of years old, its insights remain just as relevant today as they were when first published. Sometimes, you come across these older books and realise that people decades ago had already uncovered profound truths—yet somehow, that knowledge didn’t quite spread as far and wide as it should have.

This is the book—Peak Performance: Mental Training Techniques of the World’s Greatest Athletes by Charles Garfield. Originally written in 1985, the research actually started back in the late 70s. Garfield takes a deep dive into the psychological and mental aspects of achieving excellence, particularly in athletics.

While it’s written with elite athletes in mind, the principles in this book go beyond sport. Whether you want to improve in business, personal growth, or any other area of life, the mental techniques outlined in Peak Performance can be applied just about anywhere.

One of the key takeaways is that mental training is just as crucial as physical training. Yes, natural talent and hard work matter, but Garfield argues that what really separates the good from the great is mindset—a concept that I absolutely love!

Key Lessons in Mental Training

1. Mental Toughness & Focus

Top athletes have an exceptional ability to focus on the task at hand, shutting out distractions and maintaining composure under pressure. This ability to stay in the moment is what allows them to perform at their best, even in high-stress situations. If you’re interested in mastering focus, check out the two episodes I did on this topic—I’ll link them below!

2. Visualisation: The Secret Weapon

One of the most powerful tools in an athlete’s mental training arsenal is visualisation. Mentally rehearsing actions and outcomes not only helps prepare the mind but makes the physical movements feel more automatic and natural. It’s not just about picturing the action—it’s about feeling the emotional state you want to be in, whether that’s calm, confident, or energised.

Take something like high jump or long jump—athletes often need a level of controlled excitement. That’s why you see them getting the crowd clapping, using that energy to enhance performance. The more an athlete visualises, the better they tend to perform.

3. The Soviet Experiment: Mind Over Matter

One of the most compelling studies Garfield shares comes from Soviet sports research during the Cold War era. Researchers split athletes into four groups:

• Group 1: 100% physical training
• Group 2: 75% physical training, 25% visualisation
• Group 3: 50% physical training, 50% visualisation
• Group 4: 25% physical training, 75% visualisation

The results? The group that did the most mental training—75% visualisation—performed the best! And the pattern was clear: the more they visualised, the better they did. Isn’t that mind-blowing?

4. Goal Setting: Your Internal GPS

Garfield stresses the importance of setting clear goals as a motivator and guide. In modern terms, we might call it identifying your “why.” When you have a strong sense of purpose, you’re more likely to push through challenges and setbacks.

5. Confidence & Self-Talk: The Voice in Your Head Matters

Positive self-talk plays a massive role in an athlete’s success. Garfield found that athletes who actively practised positive self-talk—whether or not it was their natural tendency—performed better than those who didn’t. Even if you’re not someone who naturally talks to yourself, training your inner voice to be supportive and encouraging can be a game-changer.

6. Emotional Control & Regulation

Managing emotions—whether it’s nerves, excitement, or frustration—is critical for peak performance. Different sports require different energy levels. For example, in equestrian sports, you might need higher energy for show jumping or cross-country compared to groundwork or dressage. The key is finding that optimal level of arousal—enough to be engaged, but not so much that it disrupts focus.

7. Motivation: Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic

The most successful athletes are intrinsically motivated—they do it for their own love of the sport, rather than external rewards or pressure. If your motivation comes from within, you’re more likely to sustain long-term success and enjoyment.

8. Overcoming Adversity & Developing Resilience

Finally, Garfield highlights the importance of seeing failure as a learning opportunity. When setbacks are viewed as stepping stones to success, resilience grows. This concept aligns closely with what we now call a “growth mindset”—the belief that challenges and failures are essential parts of the learning process.

Final Thoughts: What Can We Learn?

Looking at this book through today’s lens, it’s remarkable how much of what Garfield discussed aligns with modern sports psychology and mindset training. The human brain may be neuroplastic, but it hasn’t fundamentally changed. We still have access to these powerful tools—we just need to use them!

If there’s one takeaway from Peak Performance, it’s this: mental training isn’t optional. If elite athletes were seeing better results with 75% visualisation and only 25% physical training, then why aren’t we all doing this? It only takes 5–10 minutes a day to incorporate these techniques, yet the impact can be profound.

So, what’s stopping you from putting these strategies into practice? Whether you’re an athlete, an entrepreneur, or just someone looking to improve in any area of life, the lessons from this book could be the key to unlocking your full potential. Give it a try, and let me know how it goes! You can also read about NLP and other techniques here.

And, why not book a complimentary call to see how your mindset could work better for you? Fill in the form below