This mindset will help you move on from setbacks.
In December 2015, Trevor Moawad’s wife asked him for a divorce. Neutral thinking got him through it.
This practical, judgment-free mindset sits somewhere between the two states of thinking that have long been recognized by experts: positive and negative.
"Champions don't think negatively or positively—they think neutrally," says Moawad, a mental conditioning coach based in Manhattan Beach, California. Neutral thinking is based less on a construct of clear actions and more on the absence of negativity. The approach essentially helps you move on rather than become debilitated by negative experiences.
During his divorce, for example, Moawad embraced this mentality and acknowledged that his future would exist independently of his past. This mindset can help you remain calm and make the best of any less-than-ideal situation rather than ruminate on it, whether it's failing to hit a race PR, breaking up with your SO, or missing out on a promotion at work.
It’s so powerful that Moawad has made a career of teaching neutral thinking strategies to elite athletes and business executives since 2000. His newly released book, It Takes What It Takes: How to Think Neutrally and Take Control of Your Life, also focuses on the topic. Take one of Moawad’s longtime clients, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, as proof that the techniques can drive performance and success.
At 5-foot-11 and 204 pounds, Wilson was considered much too small to be a top quarterback in the 2012 NFL Draft. He was picked 75th overall. Since starting to implement neutral thinking techniques, he has surpassed expectations and holds the record for the most wins by an NFL quarterback through seven seasons.
"Great people become great through great behavior, mentality, and language—not great aptitude,” Moawad says.
Here, how to become a neutral thinker so you can foster all three.