The Q Coach Pod | Mindset Coaching for Handlers with Julie Bacon

Struggling repeatedly with your performance is NOT fun (understatement!). But unless you understand WHY you feel this way, you will continue to ride that bus for too long. Today we unpack the most common reasons we ride the strugglebus and what we can do to get off at the next stop! Really like this episode? Say thanks with a coffee or slice of pizza! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theqcoach Don't f...

One of the clear things that separate elite handlers from struggling ones is mindset, of course. Specifically, they have a growth mindset and believe that with effort, they can improve. Let’s all be more like elite handlers and adopt a growth mindset - I’ll show you how. Really like this episode? Say thanks with a coffee or slice of pizza! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theqcoach Don't forget, if yo...

Beliefs are powerful stuff. Like hidden-superpower-level. What we believe about ourselves we create in our lives, so we need to be careful what we think. Thoughts become beliefs become action become results! So let’s get control of those beliefs and harness their power for good! Really like this episode? Say thanks with a coffee or slice of pizza! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theqcoach Don't forge...

So excited to talk to my friend, Kim Bennett of Stablemate Massage for this episode! Kim launched the Canine Bodywork Membership to help all of us be able to work on our own dogs! Learn about Kim and what she hopes to teach us, PLUS get a good answer on when to use cold and when to use hot! (If you know, you know!) Go to Kim’s FB page to learn more: https://www.facebook.com/stablematemassagellc/ O...

Call them rituals or habits, just make sure you are protecting those things you do that help set the tone for your day. Most of us have things we do without much thought, but being more conscious about how you get you and your dog to the ring can make a big impact in your mindset! Want more? Try Ep #57 & Ep #68. Really like this episode? Say thanks with a coffee or slice of pizza! https://www....

I’m kinda fired up about this one. I hear WAY too many stories about people being bullied in the dog world. Are we still in high school? Mean girls. Cliques. It’s dumb. And it’s getting in the way of us all enjoying our sports and spending time with our dogs. Because you’re my tribe, you’re probably not a bully, so let’s talk about what we all can do about it! Check out Episodes #64 (unsolicited a...

There’s actually science to explain why it’s easier for us to believe the negative things easier than the positive (in short, scanning our environment for the things that could kill us kept us alive). But when we don’t shed the negative, we end up lugging a LOT of baggage to the line with us. Let’s unpack that (see what I did there?) and get into a more productive head space. Really like this epis...

The concept of our “post-run rituals” came up in a recent member workshop, and after giving it some thought I realized that mine sucked. Now, I LOVE my pre-run rituals and have been espousing their importance for years! But my post-run … well, it turns out that needs some attention! Really like this episode? Say thanks with a coffee or slice of pizza! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theqcoach Don't f...

Last month in the Q-Membership we had a special event in the form of a workshop led by special guest Lizzie Larock. Lizzie walked us through the ways stress can be used to focus us for great performance and also how we can recover when things go sideways. This was an incredible workshop on stress and now you can listen in! Learn more about Lizzie HERE . Really like this episode? Say thanks with a...

It may sound cliche, but the present moment is the only one we can do anything about. Elite athletes and handlers know this - it’s the key to getting into that coveted “zone” where the rest of the world falls away and all that exists is the task at hand. Yet getting into the zone takes practice (sorry!) and in this episode, I share one of my favorite ways to practice being present. Really like thi...

Dog sports can be a surprisingly lonely endeavor in that we often are the ones who have to pick ourselves up on tough days. Well, this week I give you a little pep talk and give you a few ways you can help yourself into a better mindset and find your joy in playing with your dogs! Really like this episode? Say thanks with a coffee or slice of pizza! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theqcoach Don't for...

Ever walk out of the ring and directly into some unsolicited “observations?” While the person giving the advice probably means well, timing is everything and the message may not be invited. So this week we take on what to say and do in those moments as well as how to make sure we are helping to create the kind of supportive competitive environment that we all want to play in. Really like this epis...

It’s easy to get into a funk: take a less-than-stellar weekend, add a bad night’s sleep, and top it off with a sobering news story and it’s a wonder we are positive at all! But we can’t accomplish anything positive from a negative mindset, so I’ll share my two favorite ways to pull myself out of a funk all by myself! Really like this episode? Say thanks with a coffee or slice of pizza! https://www...

Call it ring nerves or performance anxiety or a case of the jitters … whatever your name for your nervousness, it’s likely based in one of five common sources. I will unpack those sources and give you a little insight into how nerves become fear in our body. Really like this episode? Say thanks with a coffee or slice of pizza! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theqcoach Don't forget, if you want more s...

It’s not uncommon for people to measure their self-worth by their external successes - be those from the dog ring, career, or home. But when we tie our self-worth to successes or outcomes, not only do we devalue ourselves, but we put WAY too much pressure on our performances and ribbon racks. Really like this episode? Say thanks with a coffee or slice of pizza! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theqcoa...

According to really smart science types, we are wired to focus on the negative. And while that may have saved our lives in the forest, it’s less handy when it comes to running our dogs. So let’s get a grip on the best way to improve in the ring by placing the right values on our performance. Really like this episode? Say thanks with a coffee or slice of pizza! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theqcoac...

We can gain a LOT of confidence and clarity by looking backward in the *right* way. This week I challenge you to give yourself a little credit for how far you’ve come and create a framework from which to improve in the next 90 days! The book I reference: The Gap and the Gain by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy. Several formats are available, and there’s a workbook too. Really like this episode?...

Our ability to be truly aware and present to what is happening is critical to shaping the choices we make. Our dogs live in this space - present and aware - and we are better, more responsive handlers when we join them instead of spinning out about the future or living purely in our complicated headspace. Let’s start building this habit of being truly aware. If you want the book (Kindle and Paperb...

Okay, I’m just a lot excited about this episode as it stems from a great talk an author gave about her new book (link below). It gave me a whole new outlook and vocabulary about how we transition our dogs (and ourselves) in and out of various environments. It’s given me another layer and perspective that I cannot wait to share!! If you want the book (Kindle and Paperback), get it here: The Human H...

We are awesome at setting goals - especially results-oriented ones. We know the titles and Qs we want, and we have it all planned out. But what about our mindset goals? Do we know how we are going to strengthen our mental game? Or how we will reduce or ring nerves? Improve our consistency? It’s time to make some goals for our minds! Really like this episode? Say thanks with a coffee or slice of pi...

Having a “plan B” is NOT about thinking you might “fail.” On the contrary. A good Plan B means you recognize there are variables in your environment that you cannot fully control, and you’re willing to be flexible enough to respond accordingly. Let’s dive in! Really like this episode? Say thanks with a coffee or slice of pizza! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theqcoach Don't forget, if you want more...

People tend to equate having a good mental game with being mentally tough. I can get behind resilient, but the word “tough” trips me up. This week I had a reason to be mentally “soft” and it was exactly what my dog needed! Really like this episode? Say thanks with a coffee or slice of pizza! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theqcoach Don't forget, if you want more support, check out the Q-membership!...

When I was a kid, to say that someone was a “good sport,” has a ver specific connotation. Today, I’m not sure that we would agree on that definition as words evolve over the decades. For me it’s about deciding what kind of handlers we want to be and striving to fulfill that vision. Really like this episode? Say thanks with a coffee or slice of pizza! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theqcoach Don't fo...

We all do it - define ourselves by our problems. When we say things like “I am” or “I have,” we wander into a fixed mindset and are in danger of limiting our potential. Instead, a growth mindset believes that we can improve with effort. Really like this episode? Say thanks with a coffee or slice of pizza! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/theqcoach Don't forget, if you want more support, check out the...

Ever come out of a disappointing weekend or run and say, “But I really felt ready! We did everything right! I don’t know what happened!” I have. It happens when we have unmet expectations hidden in our goals. We think that if we do X, then Y should reasonably happen. Only sport and dogs (and humans) aren’t robots so stuff happens. Let’s have a chat about all of that. Really like this episode? Say...