My daughter and I have been binge-watching past seasons of The Amazing Race for some months now, and the psychology nerd in me has become increasingly fascinated by one particular aspect of the show.The participants’ self-talk.As in, what do participants say when they run into a task that feels impossible or beyond their abilities?“I can’t”When participants start saying “I can’t,” they often stop trying and appear to be on the verge of quitting altogether. After all, “can’t” is a pretty disempowering word.The reality of course, whether it’s eating snake meat or swimming laps in a bog or bungee jumping into a ravine, is that when push comes to shove, they discover that they absolutely can do these things.So how much of an effect does self-talk like this have on us, actually?Well, a 2011 study found that when participants replaced the word “can’t” with 🫢🫢🫢🫢, they were eight times more likely to achieve their goals!Get all the nerdy details here:A Self-Talk Tweak to Boost the Odds of Achieving Your GoalsMore from The Bulletproof Musician Get the free weekly newsletter, for more nerdy details and bonus subscriber-only content. Pressure Proof: A free 7-day performance practice crash course that will help you shrink the gap between the practice room and the stage. Learning Lab: A continuing education community where musicians and learners are putting research into practice. Live and self-paced courses

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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