“Always think positively" sounds like good advice - on the surface. But is it really possible, or even desirable? In this episode, Dominic Thiem and I explore why chasing constant positivity isn’t the answer.

Novak Djokovic weighed in on this idea in a 2024 interview, explaining why he doesn’t agree with the idea that we should always think positively. Novak's ability to acknowledge and allow challenging thoughts and feelings, and then recenter himself, is what makes him probably the 'mentally toughest player' in the history of the sport;.

Dominic Thiem, the 2020 US Open champion, shares a similar perspective. I caught up with Dom just before his retirement last year, and his insights on this topic were particularly insightful.

The full episode with Domi is here: https://pod.fo/e/276837

The paperback edition of my book, Champion Thinking: Get Out of Your Own Way, Find Your Peak Performance, is now available. Published by Bloomsbury, the link is here: https://www.simonmundie.com/book

🔗 My Free course on beating burnout and finding flow for peak performance is here: https://www.simonmundie.com/beat-burnout-mini-course

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why positive thinking is overrated and what to do instead: US Open winner Dominic Thiem