I recently read Mark Minervini's "Mindset Secrets for Winning." Five ideas from it stuck with me: self-image, visualization, handling pressure, sleep, and empathy. Self-image Minervini says high achievers protect their self-image, especially on off-days. When a practice session is going badly, they cut it short instead of sinking into a rut. When it is going well, they let it run, because that drives the success deep into the nervous system. He calls this "perfect practice," and says it builds skill and confidence together. After a good session, focus on what went well. Visualization and mental rehearsal Mental training matters as much as physical training. The book cites Soviet athletes who split their time between the two, and Harvard research in which students who visualized a task in advance performed with nearly 100% accuracy, against 55% for those who did not. There are three kinds of imagery: internal (what you see through your own eyes), external (watch...