How Can You Improve Your Mental Performance and Time Management?

Rene Sonneveld is a mental performance coach who works with athletes and teams as well as corporate leaders and family businesses. We had an interesting conversation about time loss due to mental interruptions as well as what you can do to re-engage your brain. You can watch the interview by clicking on the graphic below or read the highlights beneath it:

Rene Sonneveld was kind enough to share some mental performance tips, including:

*He learned from a psychologist with the Navy SEALS:

Elite performers don’t just manage time; they create it. They clear the internal noise so they can be fully present.

*Performance = Talent + Development – Interference

You have to be talented. You have to develop yourself – education, skills. The interference is that little voice in your head that keeps your mind from being fully present, and this needs to be quieted. This is mental performance.

*To build success in any kind of team, the fundamental principle that must be achieved is everyone needs to feel that they belong and can trust each other.

*Family businesses often do better than larger stock-held corporations because decision times are shorter. There are more conversations and less red tape.

*Often what we procrastinate on isn’t necessarily a task; it’s quite often a conversation that we’re avoiding. That mental looping causes a time loss. Figure out why it’s uncomfortable so you can move forward.

*When we operate in “flight or fight” (or freeze) mode, we make emotional decisions, which usually aren’t the best ones.

*Breathe! To help us move the blood from the back of our brain (flight or fight or freeze) to the smart part of the brain (frontal cortex), we can take slow, simple breaths in and out. We don’t have to hyperventilate or puff up. Just breathe intentionally for five seconds.

*Rub your index finger and thumb together. This brings our attention away from the perceived stress to the actual situation in front of us. Doing this along with the above breathing will help keep our mental interference to a minimum.

Connect with Rene Sonneveld:

Website: https://www.renesonneveld.com/

Book: https://amzn.to/46CG2o2  – The Elephant in the Family Room: Managing the Complexities of Legacy Businesses

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/renesonneveld/

About Rene Sonneveld:

Rene Sonneveld is a family business coach, mental performance strategist, and author of The Elephant in the Family Room. A former CEO, he now helps leaders, entrepreneurs, and legacy families perform under pressure without burning out. Through his coaching, Rene guides clients to build emotional clarity, decision-making stamina, and the mental space to lead with impact. His work is for those who want more than productivity and who are ready to grow from the inside out.

For other Time Management Revolution podcast episodes, visit:

YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAU3o93PRjlW9lca-YT38dVMADSARXUtK&si=CZWm8QGem-vc9R0l

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/your-time-management-revolution-productivity-tips-from/id1046485977

Audible: https://amzn.to/3T21QkK

…or wherever you get your podcasts!

For more recommendations on how to improve your focus and create more time for yourself, check out The Inefficiency Assassin: Time Management Tactics for Working Smarter, Not Longer.