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It Takes What It Takes book cover - Leapahead summary
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It Takes What It Takes

Trevor Moawad, Andy Staples

Duration20 min
Key Points10 Key Points
Rating4.7 Rate

What's inside?

Discover the power of neutral thinking and learn practical strategies to control your life, overcome challenges, and achieve your goals.

You'll learn

Learn1. Why thinking neutral can change your life
Learn2. Beating negativity and staying positive
Learn3. Getting a grip on your thoughts and actions
Learn4. Using neutral thinking in everyday life
Learn5. Why mental prep is key to success
Learn6. Building toughness and flexibility with neutral thinking.

Key points

01Life's a mix of past, present, and future experiences

Life's a journey, right? That's what Trevor Moawad is getting at. He's saying that our lives aren't just a bunch of random events. Instead, they're a mix of our past, present, and future experiences. Each moment is linked and influences the next. Let's break it down. Our past experiences are everything that's happened to us so far. They shape our beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. Say you've had a string of bad relationships. You might start to think you're just not good at relationships. This belief can then affect how you act in your current and future relationships. Our present experiences are what we're dealing with right now. They're influenced by our past, but they can also shape our future. For example, if you're working on your communication skills, this could have a positive impact on your future relationships and job prospects. Our future experiences are what we're looking forward to or aiming for. Our past and present experiences shape our expectations and goals for the future. If you've had a successful career and you're enjoying your work, you might aim for more challenging roles in the future. The relationship between these three aspects of our lives is always changing. Our past shapes our present, our present shapes our future, and our future influences how we interpret and respond to our present circumstances. Let's look at a real-life example. Picture a pro athlete who's had a successful career (past), but is now dealing with a major injury (present). This injury might make the athlete question their future in the sport. But, if the athlete sees this setback as a chance to build resilience and learn new skills, they can positively influence their future. In a nutshell, understanding that our lives are a mix of past, present, and future experiences can help us take control. It encourages us to learn from our past, make the most of our present, and shape our future to match our goals and dreams. This is what it means to think neutrally and take control of our lives, just like Trevor Moawad suggests.

02Don't let your past dictate your present performance

Let's talk about Russell Wilson, the Seattle Seahawks' quarterback. Once upon a time, he was the highest-paid player in NFL history. In 2014, he was on top of the world, having just won the Super Bowl in his second NFL season. But life threw him a curveball. He split from his high school sweetheart and his game performance started to dip. But here's the kicker - Wilson bounced back. How? By using a mental strategy called neutral thinking. So, what's neutral thinking? It's a way of thinking that doesn't judge, especially during tough times. It's about accepting that we can't change the past, no matter how much we might want to. It's not about fooling ourselves, which is what a lot of motivational methods do. Instead, it's about facing reality without any bias. In Wilson's case, he decided to ignore his past wins before a big game. He knew that his past victories wouldn't affect the result of the current game. He didn't see himself as a superstar, but as a regular guy. And this mindset helped him win. We all have biases. Confirmation bias, selection bias, negativity bias, recency bias, gender bias, optimism bias - you name it. These biases are part of being human, but they can also hurt us. One of the worst biases is giving too much importance to the past. We often split our lives into three parts: what's happened, what's happening, and what's going to happen. But here's the truth - our past doesn't control our future. It doesn't set the stage for what's next. The sooner we understand and accept this, the better off we'll be. By using neutral thinking, we can break free from the chains of our past and focus on the here and now. This can help us perform better and improve our lives.

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03You need a plan to achieve anything worthwhile

04Training shouldn't stop at team leaders, the whole team needs it

05We can control what influences our lives

06Visualizing a great future can help us achieve it

07Embrace pressure, it can help us make better decisions

08To be great, you need to lead yourself at some point

09Attitude is infectious, the right one can change our lives for the better

10Conclusion

About Trevor Moawad, Andy Staples

Trevor Moawad is a renowned mental conditioning expert and strategic advisor to elite professionals and athletes. Andy Staples is a senior writer for The Athletic, covering college football. He has previously worked for Sports Illustrated and is known for his insightful sports journalism.

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