Exploring Anti-Fragility and Self-Reflection for Personal Growth

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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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