The High Performance Podcast20 Aug 2025

The Habit That Stops Self-Doubt Controlling You

Standing on stage with nothing but a microphone, Sara Pascoe knows instantly if she’s succeeded or failed. Comedy doesn’t let you hide, if the joke doesn’t land, the silence tells you.

But what makes Sara remarkable isn’t just her success as a writer, actor, and stand-up. It’s the habit she’s built to handle failure and keep showing up: Unconditional Positive Regard. The belief that your worth isn’t defined by a single mistake, a bad night, or a difficult moment.

In this episode, I share what I learned from Sara about how self-compassion fuels resilience. She shows us why the way we talk to ourselves matters more than the outcome, and how reframing failure can turn doubt into progress.

Together, we explore:

Why comedians face some of the toughest performance pressure
How to separate who you are from what you do
The psychology of Unconditional Positive Regard
How self-compassion creates lasting confidence

If you’ve ever been too hard on yourself after falling short, this episode is a reminder that high performance isn’t about being flawless. It’s about having the courage to try again, and the kindness to believe in yourself when you do.

Here is more information on the studies referenced:

The necessary and sufficient conditions of therapeutic personality change. Journal of Consulting Psychology (Rogers, C. R. 1957)
Perceived Coach Empathy and Athlete Outcomes International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2023)
Alex Shevrin: Unconditional Positive Regard Video, Massachusetts Teachers Association.
Bringing Carl Rogers Back In: Exploring the Power of Positive Regard at Work, British Journal of Management, 2018

Listen to the full episode with Sara Pascoe: https://pod.fo/e/2b7c84

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(758)

My Life Fell Apart After 50: Lawrence Dallaglio Gets Brutally Honest (E436)

England Rugby World Cup winner Lawrence Dallaglio built his career on an extraordinary ability to create belief under pressure. But behind that drive was a deeply personal source of motivation: the lo...

7 Sep 1h 8min

Steve Hansen: Building The Greatest Team In History

Sir Steve Hansen won 93 of 107 Tests as All Blacks head coach — the most successful run in the history of professional rugby. We re-visit our chat with Steve where he takes it apart: why "culture" is ...

4 Sep 53min

Why You Attack Monday And Crumble By Friday

Why does a weekly to-do list feel so overwhelming on a Sunday night? Jake and Damian argue it's not because of your workload, it's because your capacity . Sleep, energy, confidence, clarity, control: ...

3 Sep 24min

Dina Asher-Smith: Why Britain's Fastest Woman Feels Unaware of Her Achievements (E435)

Dina Asher-Smith has just made history as the most decorated athlete in European Championships history. An MBE, multiple major titles and four Olympic Games within reach, but at 30, one of Britain's g...

31 Aug 1h 7min

Fernando Alonso: The Real Pain of Losing

We revisit our conversation with Fernando Alonso - two-time Formula 1 World Champion, 437 Grand Prix starts, 32 wins - recorded in a rare moment where the visor comes off completely. Jake and Damian g...

28 Aug 53min

Why Fewer Options Make Better Ideas

What do you do when every option is on the table and you still end up with the same idea you always have? Jake and Damian tackle one of the quiet traps of creative work, and land somewhere counterintu...

26 Aug 25min

Michael Owen: Ballon d'Or at 22, Retired at 33 - The Mentality That Nearly Broke Him

Ballon d'Or winner Michael Owen became one of the world's best footballers by developing an extraordinary ability to turn doubt, mistakes, and setbacks into self-belief. He joins Jake and Damian to re...

24 Aug 1h 12min

Bradley Wiggins: The Trauma Behind My Greatest Successes & Finding New Purpose

We re-visit one of the most emotional and gripping conversations we have ever recorded. Eight Olympic medals, five of them gold, and the first Briton ever to win the Tour de France. For one summer in ...

21 Aug 57min