Approximately a 3-minute read

Happy Monday!

High performance doesn’t usually fall apart because of a lack of talent.

More often, things unravel when our minds get cluttered, pressure makes us rush, and we stop being intentional about what we do.

Today’s newsletter is a reminder to clear your mind, pause before reacting, and be thoughtful in your responses to stress.

The following three ideas are simple, but when you practice them regularly, they’re powerful:

closed loops.

I was at the NFL Combine last week and had a great conversation with an NFL Head Coach, during which we talked about how the decision-making process is like a laptop.

When a laptop has too many tabs open, it slows down processing.

Your mind works the same way.

Every unfinished task, unanswered email, unresolved decision becomes an open loop. And the more open loops floating around in your head, the slower you think, decide, and act.

Here’s how to speed back up:

1. Close small loops first. Build momentum.
2. Release what you can’t control. Not every loop is yours to close.
3. Write everything down. Get it out of your head and onto paper, then start crossing things off.

At the end of our conversation, this Head Coach left with a powerful principle: Elite decision-makers don’t have fewer demands; they have fewer open tabs.​​

try it:

Right now, write down every open loop in your head, big or small. Pick one that takes less than 5 minutes and close it immediately. Give yourself the gift of building a system of closing loops.
​​​

​​Panic.

A common principle we discuss at the highest level of sport is: Pressure doesn’t ruin performance. Panic does.

I read a story once of a rookie astronaut who got tangled during a training drill. It started small — just a minor mistake. But instead of slowing down, he rushed to fix it.

The tether wrapped around his helmet. Then his tools. Then his body.

An experienced astronaut reminded him of Hoot’s Law: No matter how bad things seem… You can always make them worse.

That’s true in space, in sport, in leadership, and in life. When pressure hits, our instinct is to speed up. We want to fix it fast. But rushed reactions often tighten the knot.

Sometimes the best move isn’t immediate action, but rather a brief pause to understand what’s actually happening.

Before asking, “How do I fix this?”​
Ask, “If I react poorly, how can I make things worse?”

Slow down. See things clearly. Then move with intention.

try it:

The next time you feel pressure rising — in a meeting, in competition, in a hard conversation — do this:

1. Pause for 10 seconds. Don’t speak. Don’t act. Just breathe.
2. Ask yourself: “If I rush right now, how could I make this worse?”
3. Then choose one deliberate, measured action — not the fastest one.

Train yourself to pause. Composure is a competitive advantage.

​
choose.

​
​Jeff Bezos once said something powerful: Be proud of your choices, not your gifts.

It’s easy to take pride in being smart, athletic, or talented. Those are gifts. Celebrate them, but you didn’t choose them.

What you can be proud of is your choices.

Did you work hard?
Do you have a good attitude?
Are you being a great teammate?

That’s a choice.

At the highest levels of sport and leadership, we constantly ask one question:
​“What are you going to do about it?”

Not to minimize the challenge. Not to ignore the pain.
But to put you back in the driver’s seat.

Adversity happens. Success happens.
Your response is a decision.

The people who separate themselves don’t just have talent; they have a sense of purpose.
They choose discipline. They choose effort. They choose ownership.

Don’t build your identity on what you were given.
Build it on what you decide.

Because greatness isn’t given.
It’s chosen.

try it:

Tonight, before you go to bed, ask yourself three questions:

1. What did I choose today that I’m proud of?
2. Where did I default instead of decide?
3. What’s one choice I will make intentionally tomorrow?

It's all about becoming an elite decision-maker.

Three final things:

1. If you are enjoying this newsletter, it would mean so much if you shared it with others.
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​​Hope you have a great week!

Justin Su'a

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