Over the last several months, we've talked about a lot of ideas together.

We've talked about why goals aren't really about goals.

We've talked about becoming instead of achieving.

We've talked about fear of embarrassment.

We've talked about judging yourself versus evaluating yourself.

We've talked about Competitive Joy and why one performance should never become a verdict about who you are.

We use this newsletter to talk out loud about the things we are learning in our own work. So, they were all pieces of something much bigger.

We’ve been building a tool for coaches that we believe is foundational for athletes.

A Mental Performance Index.

At first, we thought we were creating an assessment.

But over time we realized we were really trying to answer one question:

But very few stop to ask:

"Where am I today?"

You can't improve from who you wish you were. You improve from who you honestly are.

That's what this assessment is designed to help you discover.

A few reminders.

This is not a test. There are no right answers. There is no score that makes you a "good" athlete. And there is certainly no score that determines your future.

The goal isn't to impress anyone. It’s honesty. Answer based on who you actually are today.

Not who you were six months ago. Not who you hope you'll become. Not who you think your coach wants you to be.

This is meant to be a snapshot of today.

Awareness always comes before improvement.

For Coaches: the link above is shareable. Send it to anyone who you’d like to take it, and they can screenshot their results or download a results page to send back to you.

Whatever your score is...

Don't judge it. Get curious about it.

One of the biggest lessons we've learned while building this assessment is that almost every athlete has one or two areas quietly shaping the rest of their performance.

Improvement looks like being observant about yourself more than judgmental.

You're not supposed to be perfect. You're supposed to become more aware.

Remember, a score doesn't define you.

It gives you information.

Don't skip this part.

Take two minutes and answer these honestly.

There are actually athletes that we have refused to work with. And it’s because we realize quickly that they lack the foundational thing that unlocks the rest of our work.

It’s self-awareness.

Self-awareness isn't glamorous.

And we think it might be the most important skill an athlete can develop. Every improvement begins with it.

With honesty.

The courage to see yourself clearly.

That's why we've spent the past several months writing about fear, purpose, drift, and Competitive Joy.

It’s not about mental toughness. But because they help you understand yourself.

And understanding yourself is where real growth begins.

This assessment isn't the finish line.

It's the starting line.

We’ve built a course for athletes of all ages to grow in Fear, Purpose, Drift, and Competitive Joy.

You'll learn how to:

We are extremely excited about it and almost ready to show it to anyone who’s interested.

If you would like to preview the course, share it with an athlete, or be notified when the first version opens, join the Game Within Early Access List below.

Join the Early Access List

Today wasn't about getting a score. It was about getting a starting point.

See you next week.