Mindset Matters - Episode #207 - Barriers to the Podium: The Mental Game Behind Peak Performance

In this inspiring and deeply practical episode of Mindset Matters, Patrick and Steffany explore the mental game behind elite performance — on and off the ice. As Steffany prepares to travel to France for the Grand Prix figure skating season, she shares how she helps world-class athletes like Olympic gold medalist Guillaume Cizeron and Laurence Fournier Beaudry prepare for high-stakes competition. But the tools she uses with athletes, she explains, apply equally to entrepreneurs, business leaders, and anyone striving to perform at their best.

Steffany introduces what she calls the “Four Barriers to the Podium” — a simple but powerful framework to clear mental and emotional clutter before any high-performance moment:

1. Incompletions: Identifying unfinished tasks or unresolved issues that create mental noise and distraction.

2. Dramas and Distractions: Recognizing how gossip, social media, and external stressors pull focus away from purpose.

3. Belief Systems (or BS): Challenging limiting beliefs, hidden fears, and unhelpful stories that shape performance outcomes.

4. Worst Case, Best Case: Using visualization to release fear, neutralize anxiety, and align with the best possible outcome.

Patrick draws parallels between the preparation of Olympic athletes and the mindset needed for success in business, relationships, and life. Their conversation highlights how the principles of MindShui — clarity, awareness, and balance — help anyone create space for excellence.

Listeners will take away a grounded reminder that performance begins with presence and that every “podium” in life, whether it’s in sport, business, or personal growth, is achieved by clearing the mind, aligning belief with intention, and focusing on what truly matters.