Monday Mentorship

In the midst of a stressful moment? Trying to overcome a recent failure? Have an important event coming up? Russell Wilson says to “shift into neutral.”

Russell Wilson's "neutral thinking" is a mental conditioning technique, learned from his late coach Trevor Moawad, focused on observing facts - without assigning positive or negative judgment - and seeking to stay present and avoid emotional highs or lows.

Neutral thinking is a skill crucial for athletes, or leaders, to process mistakes, address challenges, and focus on the next play or next decision. It involves a clear, process-oriented mindset, rather than focusing on the past, on outcomes, or on external noise. Neutral thinking enables calm, decisive action. 

Watch Wilson talk about shifting into neutral here:

The Read

Russell Wilson’s “shifting into neutral” is aligned with Dr. Mitch Abblett’s "Momentology"—the science-based art of noticing and owning moments by meeting the "raw experience" of what is actually happening, then moving with it.

By stripping away the emotional "highs and lows," you stop focusing on the past or "nexting" your life away by thinking about the future, and free up your brain to solve the problem directly in front of you.

To put Momentology into practice, Dr. Abblett uses a three-step protocol to "own the moment":

1. Listen: Attune to what your body and mind are feeling right now (anxiety, frustration, heat) without trying to change it or judge it.

2. Look: Name three objective realities of the situation—one inside you, one outside you, and one about the whole situation. (e.g., "I feel my heart racing. The board is looking at me. The slide deck just crashed.").

3. Leap: Take one small, resonant action that fits what is truly needed now, rather than reacting from habit or fear.

The Opportunity

Identify one "moment" on your calendar this week — a difficult call, a performance review, or a high-stakes pitch. Before you begin, shift into neutral; perform a Momentology Scan: Stop the "time travel" into the past (regret) or future (anxiety). Name three objective facts about the situation. No judgment, no emotion—just the raw data. Then make your play.

The Ask

Do you have any other QBs you think would be interested in being a part of QB Connections? If so, please send them this message, as a way of letting them know you are thinking about them. They can subscribe to this email newsletter here and they can join the LinkedIn Group here.

There is strength in numbers.

And … we are officially kicking things off on January 9th, at Noon EST, and we want you in the QB Room. Here is the link: https://us05web.zoom.us/j/87002459146?pwd=JJoEsanhoyvHG5b7CoSgz7ZnCVXffb.1

Please add it to your calendar - we hope to see you there!