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Steve Magness

@stevemagness

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I write about: Mental and Physical Performance.
Author of the new 📚: Step Into the Arena (Pre-order 👇)

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I’m excited to announce my new book: Step Into the Arena.

I’ve spent my lifetime helping people learn how to perform and compete, especially in the most difficult moments. What I’ve realized is that the best performers don’t have some mysterious clutch gene, they aren’t the ‘alpha’ top dogs of social media. They have range. They’re both/and competitors with fire and calm, me and we, control and letting go.

If you enjoy my work here and think you may buy the book when it comes out, it would mean the world to me if you pre-order it now. Pre-orders matter a lot. They help determine a books placement and support.

I’m offering some great bonuses, including a 4 hour video course on The Complete Competitor, the mastering the arena toolkit, a mental performance guide, and much more.

Get it at the link in my bio.

Or at www.stevemagness.com

I couldn’t do what I do without the support of so many of you, and this book is a culmination of two decades of research, coaching, and performing. I can’t wait for you to read it.

– Steve by @stevemagness

If there's one thing I'm world class it it's failure. But a specific kind of failure. One where you get really freaking close to the goal...But then fall just short. It's my specialty.

But those near misses have brought perspective and lessons that are invaluable. Here's a few from the near miss that stung for a long time.

-Steve by @stevemagness

The people who push us aren't the ones with the title. They're the ones beside us in the same pain. Sharing the same stakes.

A new study found that captains influence our performance more than coaches. nd they found authentic leadership outperformed every other style. Not transformational speeches. Not team-identity slogans. Just being real.

This is what I've seen over and over as a coach. The best teams are built around the culture. The coach's real job? Identify, develop, and empower the right leaders within the group. Then get out of the way.

-Steve

Study: Clare et al., 2025. "Do Leaders Actually Influence Sports Performance?" Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology. by @stevemagness

What holds us back? Most of us excuse, rationalize, or quietly give up before we've ever given ourselves a shot.

We all have something that gets in our way. The key is identifying it and then going to work on changing the story. That means giving your brain better information, and making sure you're interpreting it well.

-Steve by @stevemagness

Gabby Williams was suspended, traded, and found out through social media. Five years later, she’s the Finals MVP of a team in only its second season.

It was the people around her: “I just walked into a group full of love.”

The Golden State Valkyries just won the WNBA championship in their 2nd season in the league. And they did it with love.

We tend to treat culture as something soft and mysterious. It isn’t. When we feel like we belong, the alarm in our head quiets down, and we’re free to play to win instead of playing not to lose.

-Steve by @stevemagness

Jess McClain with an incredible race! 2nd at the NYC Marathon, competing for the win the whole way. First American to podium in NYC since 2018.

I've said it before, but her story is a wonderful example of finding your own path. Define success in your own way, figure out how to pursue the sport in a way that keeps the joy, and aligns with your own values.

My hats off to @jesstonn . Another incredible performance.

-Steve by @stevemagness

Show up. Do the work. Be consistent for a really long freaking time. That's the 'secret.' It's the only way to find out who good you can be. You can't hack your way there. There's no shortcut. It's the trial of miles.

-Steve by @stevemagness

Belief is transmitted at close range. And it's one of the most powerful things you can convey. When I surveyed 2,000 performers, it's also what helped people get through their toughest times.

-Steve by @stevemagness

Patrick Stewart passed away at 86. We lost a legend. From Star Trek to X-men to Shakespeare.

Stewart often talked about the freedom to fail. Early in his career he played it safe, trying to follow a directors precise instructions. He realized he had to let go to get the most out of himself.

Rest in peace, Sir Patrick. by @stevemagness

The Milwaukee Brewers are World Series Champions for the first time in franchise history.

I love the story of their manager Pat Murphy, who went from a tyrant to more of a parent. He’s filled with coaching wisdom we could all use.

His story about Ali is a gem. Everyone feels fear. Even the greatest. The key is to learn how to navigate it.

-Steve by @stevemagness

Fear dominates our society. It’s right there in all of the political ads. It’s there on the news and as you scroll on Instagram. It’s there in our neighborhoods, where every Nextdoor post turns an unfamiliar person into a potential threat.

This isn’t about politics. It’s about what happens when so much of what reaches us is designed to make us feel threatened.

Why would politicians, or the larger machine we’ve created, want to invoke fear? Because it pushes us to a quick action to eliminate the feeling. On social media, it’s to post, retweet, or respond with righteous indignation. To make it feel like we are doing something. We hit that retweet button to feel something even though it’s a cheap action that makes no difference.

Fear can be a short-term motivator. But eventually, when we have a constant alarm demanding a response, with nothing seeming to change, we move from outrage to apathy. Eventually, we seem to give up.

A fear and outrage based society doesn’t just push us to survival and protection, it never trains that hopeful muscle up.

None of this fixes the country. But on an individual level, all of these small steps train that hopeful muscle and send the message you aren’t a dog stuck in the box.

Hope we have to build ourselves. Let’s get to it. One small step at a time.

-Steve by @stevemagness

We lost a legend, a coach's coach. Someone who knew the job wasn't about the workouts themselves, but what changed while doing them, and the relationships you build along the way.

RIP Gags by @stevemagness