Training the Mind Early

Paddy Upton

When I asked Shane Watson what advice he’d give his younger self, his answer wasn’t about technique, training, or even cricket.
He said, “Educate yourself on mental skills as young as you can.”

It’s the kind of reflection that usually comes later in a career—after the highs, the dips, and the pressure have all left their mark. For Shane, like many elite performers, the turning point wasn’t another technical breakthrough but learning how to work with his own mind.

Most athletes pour endless hours into the physical side of their game. They train, refine, and repeat until their skills are second nature. Yet the mind that directs those skills often goes untrained. When pressure builds, that’s where cracks appear: overthinking, tension, the need to control every detail. It’s not lack of ability that holds people back; it’s interference from within.

Shane’s insight was simple—start early. Build awareness, calm, and focus before the stakes rise. Those inner habits become the foundation for consistent performance. They don’t guarantee success, but they do create the conditions for it.

He also spoke about yoga. Every day.
For him, it became a bridge between body and mind—a way to centre, recover, and regulate energy. Not just stretching, but strengthening attention. It helped him manage anxiety, release tension, and play with greater freedom.

That balance—between discipline and ease, effort and recovery—is something I’ve seen across the world’s best teams and individuals. The athletes and leaders who sustain excellence over time aren’t those who grind hardest; they’re those who’ve learned how to reset quickly and stay aligned internally when pressure mounts.

In the environments I’ve worked in—sport, business, or scaleups—the same principle applies. Technical skill is visible; mental skill is quieter, but it underpins everything.
Those who invest early in self-awareness and emotional literacy handle uncertainty with greater steadiness. They don’t collapse under failure or overinflate under success. They stay grounded, adaptable, and ready for the next challenge, for me, I refer to this as “the art of distraction management”. 

A practical way to begin
If you’re looking to build this inner foundation, start with two simple practices that many high performers use:

1. Name and notice.
Build awareness by observing your inner state during performance. Notice when pressure rises—your breath, heart rate, or self-talk. Awareness itself begins the regulation process.

2. Create daily anchors.
Yoga, breathwork, journaling—whichever practice you choose, make it consistent. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s creating a rhythm that recentres you each day.

For leaders and teams, this mindset travels well beyond sport. In business, those same habits create cultures where people perform with greater clarity and composure. Teams that normalise reflection, recovery, and learning tend to sustain high standards without burning out.

Because in the end, performance isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing with presence.
And presence begins long before the big stage. It’s built quietly, through everyday mental training and the willingness to understand yourself as deeply as you understand your craft.

Shane’s advice to his younger self captures that perfectly: educate yourself on mental skills early. Because the real advantage isn’t in what you do under pressure—it’s in how prepared you are before it arrives.