Life coach Paul Forchione works with high school and college athletes on their mindset, the mental game to improve their performance. He developed this powerful approach dealing with his own personal challenges.

Paul was born with cerebral palsy. Because he had trouble moving the right side of his body, his mother took him to the doctor, who said he’d spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. His mother finally found another doctor willing to help, and with physical therapy, Paul began walking (Forchione, 2024). His journey to flourish reveals six keys to developing a stronger mindset.

6 Keys to a Stronger Mindset

1. Honor Your Commitments. Exercise was a vital part of Paul’s physical development. His mother signed him up for soccer when he was five. After running a few yards, his right leg would give out and he told his mother he didn’t want to play soccer any more.

She said, “Paul, if you don't want to play soccer anymore, that’s fine, but you need to honor your commitments, so you need to finish out the soccer season.” He finished the season, stopped playing soccer, and learned a valuable lesson, “Anything that I commit to do, I honor that commitment.”

2. Look for Solutions. Paul’s mother taught him to be a problem solver. When he’d come to her with a problem, she’d search for a solution. So he learned “that if I had a problem, there’s a solution.”

3. Positive Self Talk. When Paul was seven, he had surgery on his right foot, which made a big difference. One day, in gym class, the teacher said. “Okay,........

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