Why is starting so hard?

In this episode of Set Your Mind, Dr. Stephen Ginsberg explores the psychology behind procrastination, motivation, and momentum—using an unlikely trio: a bowl of oatmeal, Isaac Newton, and Nike.

What begins as a simple household mistake becomes a powerful metaphor for human behavior. When we delay action, tasks don’t stay neutral—they harden. Just like oatmeal left in the sink, the longer we wait, the more resistant things become.

Drawing on Newton’s First Law of Motion, this episode reframes motivation entirely. The hardest part of change isn’t effort—it’s initiation. Contrary to popular belief, motivation doesn’t come first. Action does.

You’ll learn:

• Why procrastination is less about laziness and more about emotional avoidance
• How dread, uncertainty, boredom, and discomfort quietly keep us stuck
• Why “action precedes motivation” is one of the most important mindset shifts for performance
• How Nike’s Just Do It captures the psychology of hesitation better than any research paper
• Why the smallest first step creates momentum that carries you forward

Whether you’re staring at a blank page, avoiding the gym, putting off a difficult conversation, or leaving oatmeal in the sink, this episode offers a simple but powerful reminder:

You don’t need to feel ready to begin. You need to begin in order to feel ready.

Because once something is in motion, everything changes.

Key takeaway: Action is the spark. Motivation is the fire.

Music Credit: “Kong” by Bonobo; Courtesy of Ninja Tune Records

If you’ve ever felt like you’re “working hard” but not getting where you want to go, this episode is for you.

In this episode of Set Your Mind, Dr. Stephen Ginsberg explores why vague goals lead to vague outcomes—and how specificity is one of the most undertrained (and underestimated) skills in performance.

Using a simple GPS analogy and a powerful on-course story with an elite college golfer, Dr. Ginsberg breaks down the difference between knowing what you want and knowing exactly how you’re going to get there.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why most people set goals the way they give directions to a GPS—vaguely
• How specificity instantly improves focus, commitment, and execution
• The difference between outcome goals (the what) and process goals (the how)
• Why results are delayed feedback—and habits come first
• How vague daily habits quietly sabotage big goals
• A simple, actionable framework you can apply this week

Key Concepts

• Specificity as a performance skill
• Outcome goals vs. process goals
• Habits as leading indicators
• Clear targets create clearer swings—on and off the course

“Outcomes are a lagging measure of the habits that precede them.” — James Clear

This Week’s Mental Training Challenge

1. Choose one specific goal you want to achieve in the next seven days
   • Not a season-long goal
   • Not a someday goal
   • This week
2. Identify two specific habits you will commit to every day that move you toward that goal
3. Be:
   • Precise
   • Realistic
   • Consistent

Clear goal. Clear habits. Clear week.

Why This Matters

You don’t need a new swing. You don’t need more motivation. You need a clearer target.

Because vague goals deliver vague results—but specificity gives you a fighting chance.

About the Host

Dr. Stephen Ginsberg is a clinical psychologist and performance consultant who works with golfers, teams, and high performers to train the mind with the same intention they train the body.

*Music Credit: “Kong” by Bonobo; Courtesy of Ninja Tune Records

In this episode of Set Your Mind, we explore the Red Brain–Blue Brain model popularized by Sir Graham Henry of the New Zealand All Blacks—and why it’s not the full story. Learn why the best performers don’t just escape emotion but integrate it with intention, creating what I call Purple Brain: the ability to feel, think, and act with focus under pressure.

Discover practical strategies to notice your emotions, breathe, merge thinking and feeling, and stay present when it matters most—whether it’s a four-foot putt, a penalty shot, or a crucial free throw.

Mindset isn’t something you have; it’s something you set.

*Music Credit: “Kong” by Bonobo; Courtesy of Ninja Tune Records

Mindset is something we hear about constantly in sport and performance—and it’s often misunderstood. It’s treated as something you either have or you don’t, a fixed quality that defines success.

In this opening episode, I introduce Set Your Mind and share a simple but powerful reframe: mindset isn’t something you possess, it’s something you practice. Drawing on research from Stanford psychologist Dr. Alia Crum, I explore mindset as the “settings of the mind”—beliefs shaped over time that influence how we think, feel, and perform under pressure.

Set Your Mind is a sport and performance psychology podcast focused on mental training, resilience, courage, and performing when it matters most. Each episode offers insight into how athletes, executives, and high performers can build mental skills that actually hold up under pressure.

If you want to improve performance, manage pressure, and train your mind with the same intention as your body, this is where it starts.