Elite Minds: How Winners Think Differently to Create a Competitive Edge and Maximize Success

A few months ago, I watched a video from McMillan running of a coach giving a talk to a group of high school track and field kids. As the talk progressed, I was amazed at what he was telling these kids. "If only I'd had a coach like that when I was young, I'd never have quit sports," I thought. He was giving these kids GOLD when they could actually use it. Both in their sport and in life.Months later, I was wondering whether I should attempt my 100-mile race, or whether I should sit it out and not get injured. I was struggling with trying to figure out how much of my calculation was prudent responsibility tempering wild ambition, or how much was self-doubt masquerading as prudent responsibility tempering wild ambition. A friend pointed me to this book.I picked it up and realiized it was written by that same coach who I saw on the video. While I have yet to have answered my question, I know Beecham's book will help me know with which voice I finally will answer it. He takes age-old problems such as fear of failure or success or goal-setting and boils them down into real and applicable philosophical approaches. So many boiler-plate solutions to these issues are far distanced from reality and leave the reader empty when they find out none of them clarify their underlying motivations. Stan Beecham hits this head on. He sets the tone when he makes the point that you are not a winner, nor are you a loser. You are and always will be both, simultaneously. The rest builds on this outlook of the individual. This is gold.

From an early age, I have always wondered "what makes someone elite"? I have always been amazed at people who can take small pieces of success and make them into massive monuments, like a sculptor who makes a beautiful piece of art. For quite some time, I bought into the notion of "well, he/she is born to do it". This was very limiting and I placed a fence around myself that I found hard to climb out of for many years.As we all know, "Talent Is Overrated".Stan Beecham clearly states in this book that the belief comes first, then the action. Faith without works is dead and certainly visa-versa in this case.I've read many books in the personal development genre, especially relating to the mind. This book was nothing new to me, as I have already read this in books such as "As A Man Thinketh" by James Allen. Still, I appreciate Beecham's presentation and how he links together several different pieces to show how winners think about themselves and their future.Who is this book for? It's for anyone who wants to reach the maximum potential of all they can become. It's for anyone who wants to see how they can uncover winning mindsets and get their life firmly back in their hands. I'd highly recommend this to all people who are just starting out in life (recent college grads).

I decided to give this book a read based on Greg Macmillan's recommendation through his running site. I was very pleased with my choice. Stan hits on the mental psychology of performing below your best, and I think he is on the money for why we accept mediocrity. It would be a great read for any coach, college athlete, or any weekday runner that still has a few goals to achieve!

I am both a businessman and sportsman. I have recently resigned to start my own business and also have aspirations of qualifying for the Xterra World Champs in Maui. This book doesn't give any form of manual or ten steps to become a high performance individual, which I appreciate, but rather takes you on a journey using real life stories as to how you need to shift your own perceptions and beliefs in order to clear the blockages that are getting in the way of your ultimate goals (mine being both business and sport)Although I am generally a very positive person, I have realized after reading this book that I have an underlying negative subconscious. I believe this is holding me back from doing something great. The talents and work ethic are there, but being able to release the negative energy will take me to the next level. It doesn't mean that I will be able to train less because I have a strong mind. Rather, I believe that haveing the belief that I can actually achieve my goals will motivate the that much more.This book has truly opened my mind to the fact that I can actually achieve my wildest dreams. That is truly motivating!

Such a powerful little book. There is no fluff here. Each chapter presents a new concept that can change your life. I can’t wait to reread so the ideas soak in.

The philosophy articulated by Dr. Beecham has changed the way I approach my work as a trial attorney and relationships with peers. I've played competitive sports my whole life, and Dr. Beecham's philosophy shed some light on why I've been successful in sports and also on how I might be more successful in professional settings and help others do the same. In sports, I was never afraid to at least try. The more I tried, the more I failed. But the more I tried, the better I got. I've started to approach my work with the same philosophy. I'm not afraid of failing. I'm afraid of not trying the things that might show me just how good I am. And I try to encourage my peers by suggesting the same approach. I think about Dr. Beecham's philosophy every time fear creeps into my thoughts and every time I hear it in someone else's thoughts. Don't be afraid. Give it your best. You're good enough today.