How to Perform at Your Best When It Matters Most with Dr. Dana Sinclair
Today’s guest is Performance Psychologist Dr. Dana Sinclair
High performers often know what to do—but in decisive moments they get pulled into thoughts, feelings, fear, and outcome-focus, which breaks execution.
Dr. Dana Sinclair’s work solves the “pressure gap” by giving people a simple, repeatable plan to get calm-ish and refocus on task actions—so they can perform when it matters most.
In today’s conversation Dana Sinclair explores why pressure doesn’t ruin performance—drifting into feelings and outcomes does. She breaks down her practical “shift when you drift” approach: get calm-ish (often with breath), identify what’s getting in your way, and lock onto a small number of task cues you can execute right now. Together, Dana and Dr. Wells unpack why confidence and rituals can be overrated if they distract from execution, and how tiny in-the-moment behaviors create better results under stress.
You will learn… how to get “calm-ish” quickly using breathing (nose breathing + longer exhales), how to identify your top 2–3 pressure “hotspots” (fear, expectations, mistakes, outcome), and how to turn those into a simple sticky-note performance plan. You’ll also learn how to use performance cues (task actions), build a “facts list” to steady your self-talk, and use brief “daydreaming” (micro-imagery) to rehearse composure and execution.
You will discover… that great performance is less about building the “right” feeling and more about choosing the “right” actions—especially when pressure spikes. Dana’s core idea: calm-ish + task cues = results, and results are what eventually build confidence (not the other way around).
This episode helps the listener stop getting hijacked by pressure and outcome-thinking—and instead execute a simple in-the-moment reset that brings them back to what they can control: breathing, focus, and the next action.
This interview was recorded at Just Meeting Rooms. If you need a meeting space, boardroom or studio anywhere in the world check them out!
Key take aways:
Get calm-ish: nose in, longer exhale.
Performance is what you do, not how you feel.
Pick 1–2 task cues; execute them now.
Name your top hotspots; plan a workaround.
Use facts, not fear, to guide self-talk.
“Performing is all about what you do in the moments that matter the most.”
Today’s guest is Performance Psychologist Dr. Dana Sinclair
Dr. Dana Sinclair is a registered psychologist, founder and partner at Human Performance International, and the author of the national bestseller Dialed In. She holds doctorates from the University of Cambridge and the University of Ottawa, and serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor with the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia. Her work supports elite performers across professional sport and other high-stakes fields where execution under pressure is the job.
Dana’s approach is radically practical: she doesn’t chase perfect feelings, motivation, or “confidence highs.” Instead, she teaches people to identify what derails them (hotspots), then use a small, repeatable plan—breathing, task cues, productive self-talk, and brief mental rehearsal—to “shift when you drift” back to execution. It’s a behavioral, in-the-moment system designed for real pressure, not ideal conditions.
Key actionable takeaways:
1. Breathe 3–6 slow cycles (nasal inhale, longer exhale) until the edge comes off.
2. Name your #1 hotspot (fear of failure, expectations, outcome, mistakes).
3. Choose 2 task cues you can do immediately (e.g., “slow tempo,” “finish the sentence,” “move my feet,” “high toss”).
4. Execute the next rep focusing only on those cues—then repeat the reset as needed.
Follow Dr. Dana Sinclair on Instagram & Linked In.
Check out her website.
DIALED IN
Do Your Best When It Matters Most
For readers of Atomic Habits and Grit, a top performance psychologist, who has coached elite athletes, surgeons, and business leaders, shares her proven plan to getting the best results when the pressure is on.
What do a major league baseball catcher struggling with pop ups, an operating room doctor tense before a surgery, and a slumping sixteen-year-old tennis prodigy all have in common? They’re elite performers who are not achieving excellence, and they’re not sure how to improve.
Enter Dr. Dana Sinclair. For more than twenty years, Dr. Dana has worked with the best of the best to improve results, from NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL teams to IndyCar drivers and Olympic athletes. She helps performers shift their focus and deliver optimal performance in high-pressure moments that define greatness. Her methods also work for students and teachers, business leaders and managers—anyone motivated to improve. Her approach is simple: figure out what gets in your way, develop actions to address it in the moment, and then stick to the plan. It’s not about how you feel, it’s about what you do!
This podcast contains advice and information relating to health and wellness. It should be used to supplement rather than replace the advice of your doctor or another trained health professional. If you know or suspect that you have a health problem, seek your physician’s advice before embarking on any medical program or treatment. All efforts have been made to assure the accuracy of the information contained in this podcast / interview / article as of the date of publication. The author and publisher disclaim liability for any medical or other outcomes that may occur as a result of applying the methods suggested in this material.
