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Define performance psychology and its focus on optimizing human functioning.

Outline the key pillars of personal performance: motivation, strategy, focus, and resilience.

Assess your personal strengths and weaknesses across the key pillars of performance.

Distinguish between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation with personal examples.

Explain the three core psychological needs in Self-Determination Theory (autonomy, competence, relatedness).

Explain the 'overjustification effect' where external rewards can undermine intrinsic motivation.

Explain why specific, challenging goals outperform vague or easy goals, citing relevant research.

Distinguish between outcome, performance, and process goals, and structure a goal hierarchy.

Formulate a personal goal using the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) criteria.

Apply mental contrasting (WOOP technique) to strengthen goal commitment and anticipate obstacles.

Create implementation intentions (if-then plans) to bridge the gap between goals and actions.

Explain the three components of the habit loop: cue, routine, and reward.

Describe how repeated behaviors lead to automaticity through neural pathway changes.

Analyze an existing personal habit by identifying its cue, routine, and reward.

Design a new habit using strategies like habit stacking and temptation bundling.

Apply the 'law of least effort' to make desired habits easier and undesired habits harder.

Distinguish between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset.

Explain how mindset affects effort, response to feedback, and resilience after setbacks.

Define self-efficacy and explain its four sources (mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, verbal persuasion, physiological states).

Differentiate between an internal and external locus of control and its impact on agency.

Reframe a past failure or setback using growth mindset principles.

Explain the cognitive costs of multitasking and context switching on performance.

Identify your primary internal (e.g., mind-wandering) and external (e.g., notifications) distractors.

Design a physical and digital environment that minimizes distractions to support focus.

Apply the conditions for flow (clear goals, immediate feedback, challenge-skill balance) to structure a task.

Explain the role of strategic boredom and

Explain the dual-process model of thinking (System 1 vs. System 2).

Identify the confirmation bias in your own thinking and apply strategies to seek disconfirming evidence.

Explain the sunk cost fallacy and how to counteract it in decision-making.

Apply a 'pre-mortem' technique to identify and mitigate risks in a future plan.

Explain procrastination as a form of emotion regulation rather than a character flaw.

Identify the role of task aversiveness, anxiety, and fear of failure in driving procrastination.

Apply the 'five-minute rule' to overcome the initial resistance to starting a task.

Use self-compassion to break the guilt-procrastination cycle after a delay.

Describe the physiological stress response ('fight-or-flight') and its purpose.

Distinguish between the effects of acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) stress on performance.

Explain the role of high-quality sleep in cognitive function, emotional regulation, and memory consolidation.

Develop a personal 'recovery plan' incorporating evidence-based stress reduction and sleep hygiene practices.

Select a primary long-term goal to serve as the foundation for your performance system.

Structure the goal into a hierarchy of outcome, performance, and process goals.

Design keystone habits to support your process goals, specifying cues, routines, and rewards.

Create an obstacle plan for your goal using mental contrasting and pre-commitment strategies.

Design a weekly schedule that incorporates blocks for deep work, skill acquisition, and strategic recovery.

Create a weekly review process, including key metrics and reflection questions, to track progress and adjust your plan.

Simulate a weekly review to practice making data-informed adjustments to your performance system.