How to Create a “Mental Performance Engine” to Run Your Life and Work

From the Army to the Arena of Performance Psychology: A Journey of Getting Better

A deeper look into the psychological aspects of high-performance

Image by the author on Canva.

When I left my 12-year career as an active-duty Army officer, I didn’t have a clear plan for what came next. All I knew was that I wanted to work with people and organizations to help them improve.

This drive to “get better” had been ingrained in me after years of self-development. It became clear that sustained success — whether in business, leadership, or life — stemmed from an unrelenting pursuit of continuous improvement.

To figure out my next step, I did what came naturally and turned to books. I dove into stories of trailblazers across various fields: business moguls, entrepreneurs, creatives, sport psychologists, and even an infamous Mongol conqueror. Their paths inspired me, each revealing a piece of the puzzle I was trying to solve.

My final Army assignment stationed me near Los Angeles, a city buzzing with ambition. I immersed myself in talks, conferences, and meetups, soaking in the energy of people relentlessly chasing their dreams. LA proved to be the perfect incubator for…