We interview Dr. Adam Wright, Director of Mental Performance at the Washington Nationals and Co-founder at the Antifragile Academy, about how to build antifragility to fulfil your potential and maximize your performance.
Adam Wright is a certified mental skills consultant and executive coach with broad experience and interdisciplinary academic training. His primary professional focus is enhancing individual and team performance while fostering a sense of flourishing in their pursuit of excellence.
With over two decades of experience in high-stakes environments where excellence is not an option but a necessity, Adam has supported a wide range of clients, including amateur and professional athletes, corporate executives, emergency first responders, and prominent figures in the arts. His consulting expertise spans performance arenas, such as the NFL, MLB, European PGA, MLS, Hollywood, and Wall Street.
Adam operates a performance consulting practice based in New York City. He also serves as the Director of Mental Performance for the Washington Nationals Major League Baseball Team and is a Co-founder of the Antifragile Academy. He has taught in the various colleges' exercise science and psychology departments and continues mentoring early career professionals.
Learn more and subscribe at flourishfmpodcast.com/adamwright
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The Antifragile Academy
Timestamps:
00:00:27 - Adam’s Expertise and Background
00:01:00 - Upcoming Series on Antifragility
00:01:24 - Understanding Antifragility and Related Concepts
00:02:09 - Adam’s Career Journey and Personal Insights
00:08:19 - The Big Why: Motivations Behind Pursuing Human Performance
00:10:03 - Defining Flourishing and Its Distinction from Mental Health
00:12:09 - The Ingredients of Flourishing
00:13:08 - The Role of Self-Awareness in Flourishing
00:14:06 - Adam’s Personal Struggles and Overcoming Them
00:16:07 - The Relativity of Flourishing to Individual Baselines
00:17:13 - High Performers' Attributes and Their Connection to Flourishing
00:18:19 - The Surprising Reality of High Achievers' Lives
00:19:23 - The Recipe for Antifragility
00:22:54 - Age and Development of Antifragile Attributes
00:24:03 - The Foundation of Antifragility: Self-Knowledge and Skills
00:25:07 - The Antifragile Mindset and Embracing Discomfort
00:26:42 - Nassim Taleb's Concept of Antifragility
00:28:10 - Supercompensation and Its Relation to Antifragility
00:29:44 - Resilience, Mental Toughness, Grit, and Antifragility
00:31:11 - Building Antifragile Behaviors
00:32:35 - Choking Under Pressure vs. Leveraging Skills
00:33:34 - The Importance of Self-Awareness in Antifragility
00:34:50 - The Role of Interoception and Emotions in Antifragility
00:37:02 - Accepting Unpleasantness as Part of Growth
00:38:25 - The Challenge of Deep Self-Reflection
00:39:30 - Practical Steps to Begin Cultivating Antifragility
00:41:34 - The Scariest Thing: Deep Self-Reflection
00:44:42 - Closing Remarks and Invitation to Subscribe
