{"id":2059656,"date":"2026-07-24T09:00:46","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T06:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2059656"},"modified":"2026-07-24T09:00:46","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T06:00:46","slug":"we-asked-13-athletes-for-the-best-mental-advice-theyve-ever-received","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2059656","title":{"rendered":"We asked 13 athletes for the best mental advice they\u2019ve ever received"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Peak newsletter<\/strong> \ud83e\udde0 | This is an excerpt from The Athletic\u2019s weekly newsletter covering the mental side of sports. Sign up here<\/a>\u00a0to receive the Peak newsletter directly in your inbox.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Sometimes the most valuable advice comes from people who have lived through the process: trying, failing, learning and trying again.<\/p>\n

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With that in mind, I asked 13 successful athletes to share the single best piece of mental advice they\u2019ve ever received.<\/p>\n

I hope you might find some insight that stays with you somewhere in their answers.<\/p>\n

Steph Curry: Next play<\/h3>\n

Curry is a four-time NBA champion and two-time NBA MVP who has spent his entire career with the Golden State Warriors.<\/em><\/p>\n

Curry:<\/strong> Coach Bob McKillop at Davidson always preached \u201cnext play\u201d mentality. I needed it in college because I used to turn the ball over all the time.<\/p>\n

And he was like, \u201cDon\u2019t let that linger to the next play.\u201d<\/p>\n

You know, intentional amnesia.<\/p>\n

Next play mentality is a life principle, too. You\u2019re not always going to get it right, you\u2019re not always going to get it perfect, but you do have another opportunity, God willing, to make the necessary changes. So next play mentality, keep your confidence.<\/p>\n

I think it keeps a level of control amongst the uncontrollable. That\u2019s what life is. There are so many things and factors and variables that you don\u2019t control, but you do control how you respond to them. That was his way of bringing that idea to life.<\/p>\n

Austin Reaves: Be true to yourself<\/h3>\n

Reaves is a guard for the Los Angeles Lakers. After going undrafted out of Oklahoma, he signed a new contract this offseason.<\/em><\/p>\n

Reaves:<\/strong> LeBron James told me that my rookie year. I don\u2019t smoke, I don\u2019t drink, I don\u2019t like going out. I stay in the house, and that was the first thing he told me.<\/p>\n

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He was like, \u201cDon\u2019t try to fit in with anybody that you\u2019re not. If you want to do something, do it. If not, do what you like to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

I felt like a weight off my shoulders because I could just be myself every day instead of trying to act like somebody else.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not even necessarily anything to do with basketball or sports. I think it\u2019s just life in general. Be yourself and be a good person, and at the end of the day, good things will happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Charles Barkley: Don\u2019t worry about other people<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Barkley is an NBA Hall of Famer and 11 time All-Star.<\/em><\/p>\n

Barkley:<\/strong> You handle your business, and you\u2019ll be successful.<\/p>\n

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You can\u2019t worry about other people because sometimes you play with people who don\u2019t have a great work ethic, or you work with people who don\u2019t have a great work ethic.<\/p>\n

You can\u2019t get frustrated. You just have to do your part.<\/p>\n

Suni Lee: You\u2019re the only person that knows all of the work you put in<\/h3>\n

Suni Lee is a six-time Olympic medalist and two-time Olympic gold medalist in gymnastics.<\/em><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t listen to outsiders and enjoy the process. A lot of the time, I found myself not enjoying the process. I stressed myself out so much that I got lost in the moment, so I learned to be present.<\/p>\n

Dion Dawkins: Go confidently in the direction of your dreams<\/h3>\n

Dawkins is a Pro Bowl offensive tackle for the Buffalo Bills.<\/em><\/p>\n

Dawkins:<\/strong> My mom always said that. I have it tattooed on the back of my head.<\/p>\n

Jason Kelce: Embrace losing<\/h3>\n

Kelce played 13 seasons in the NFL, all with the Philadelphia Eagles, and was a six-time All-Pro.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Kelce:<\/strong> As much as that sucks, you don\u2019t like losing \u2014 the goal is to go out and win \u2014 but you learn a lot in those losses and in those training days. It\u2019s a feedback loop of how to improve.<\/p>\n

I think sometimes people get so down on themselves because in the moment they had a poor performance.<\/p>\n

In reality, yeah, that was a bad game, you didn\u2019t do what you were supposed to do, and that sucks. But it\u2019s also an opportunity to now do better the next time.<\/p>\n

Seth Curry: Walk your own path<\/h3>\n

The younger brother of Steph, Seth Curry is a guard in the NBA who has played for 10 teams across 12 seasons.<\/em><\/p>\n

Curry:<\/strong> Don\u2019t look to your left or your right. Don\u2019t try to compare yourself to other people.<\/p>\n

Chase Utley: Trust yourself<\/h3>\n

Utley made six All-Star teams and won a World Series with the Philadelphia Phillies.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Utley:<\/strong> At a certain point, you get to a level where there\u2019s a reason why you\u2019re there. At that point, you need to trust your ability.<\/p>\n

Larry Fitzgerald Jr.: Sleep is underrated<\/h3>\n

Fitzgerald is a Hall of Fame wide receiver who spent his 17-year NFL career with the Arizona Cardinals.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Fitzgerald:<\/strong> It\u2019s an important aspect in being able to regulate your emotions and all those things. I\u2019m an eight-hour-a-night guy, and if I don\u2019t get that, I don\u2019t do well. I\u2019m not as nice, I\u2019m not as punctual, all those things. I need my rest and being able to get that keeps me in a good mindset.<\/p>\n

Faith Torrez: Take the time on the hard days if you need it<\/h3>\n

Torrez is the 2026 NCAA all-around champion and a five-time NCAA champion for the Oklahoma Sooners.<\/em><\/p>\n

I think that\u2019s such good advice. You need to be mentally there and mentally prepared. Especially with gymnastics, it has been so important. So even journaling, I think it\u2019s a great thing to do. Taking care of yourself.<\/p>\n

I journal a lot. I love it. I think people don\u2019t do it enough. It\u2019s a little intimidating. You\u2019re like, My feelings. Oh my gosh.<\/em> But honestly, it\u2019s amazing<\/p>\n

Jim Abbott: Understand your strengths<\/h3>\n

Born without a right hand, Abbott pitched for 10 years in the major leagues.<\/em><\/p>\n

Abbott:<\/strong> I think it\u2019s important to focus on what you\u2019ve been given, rather than on what you don\u2019t have. And understand what you bring to the table.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t care (about) the challenge or the team or the competition; if you can focus on what you can do, amazing things are possible.<\/p>\n

Baker Mayfield: You\u2019re never alone<\/h3>\n

Mayfield won the Heisman Trophy in college and is the starting quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Mayfield:<\/strong> I think asking for help is something that people feel ashamed of doing. But you have more people that care about you than you think. I\u2019ve gone through things myself, and I\u2019ve had teammates go through certain things, but you always have people in your corner.<\/p>\n

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Dexter Fowler: Enjoy it<\/h3>\n

Fowler is a former MLB All-Star and World Series Champion with the Chicago Cubs.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Fowler:<\/strong> My dad used to always tell me, \u201cHave fun playing the game.\u201d And then I realized in life, if you\u2019re going to have fun with it, you\u2019re going to succeed.<\/p>\n

Sign up here<\/a>\u00a0to receive the Peak newsletter directly in your inbox.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Peak newsletter \ud83e\udde0 | This is an excerpt from The Athletic\u2019s weekly newsletter covering the mental side of sports. Sign up here\u00a0to receive the Peak newsletter directly in your inbox. Sometimes the most valuable advice comes from people who have lived through the process: trying, failing, learning and trying again. Advertisement With that in mind, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,241],"class_list":["post-2059656","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nytimes-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2059656","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2059656"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2059656\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2059656"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2059656"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2059656"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}