“Inner Excellence is an instruction manual that will teach you how to perform under pressure and live the best possible life. It’s something I’ll refer to the rest of my life.”
Teddy Scott
PGA Tour Caddie for Scottie Scheffler, (World #1), 25 years on PGA Tour
Thousands of hours of research
In 2003 I got rid of over half my possessions (including my TV) and moved to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona. I went to live a life of relative solitude, to make sure that when it came time for me to die, that I truly lived.
While in the desert, I began researching the answer to this question: “How can an Olympic athlete train for four years, for an event that may last less than 60 seconds, and perform with complete peace and confidence?” The next five years were spent in full-time research and writing (post Master’s degree), 60-80 hours a week (or more) to answer that question.
The thousands of hours of research and writing became the book Inner Excellence (McGraw-Hill, 2009). While interviewing over 50 sport psychologists and professional and Olympic coaches, I had an astonishing discovery: the heart is the key to extraordinary performance under pressure. And not only that, but training it (the heart) is the foundation for everything you could ever want: inner strength, love, joy, and peace, amazing relationships, incredible experiences, and a deep, meaningful life.
The first version of the Inner Excellence book came out in 2009. After 9 years, I realized I had a lot more stories to share and things I learned. So I spent two more years working on a revised edition, which was released in April, 2020.
My experience as a professional athlete
As an outfielder in the Chicago Cubs organization, my sense of worth and identity revolved around my performance. I was obsessed with stardom but also afraid of failure, and the fear in my heart kept putting my mind in the past and future.
When I was hitting, I wanted so badly to get a base hit, my intense desire created the fear of not getting a hit; of not becoming a superstar; of not being good enough; of not being ok. I had to be successful. My entire identity—my entire life—was riding on it.
If only I had known what you are about to learn.
Extraordinary success of Inner Excellence clients
Inner Excellence is unquestionably one of the most powerful training systems in the world. The majority of Inner Excellence clients—in any sport—individuals or teams—have had the best year of their careers, or at least in the past five years, in their first year with Inner Excellence.
Why Inner Excellence is extraordinarily unique
It’s the only system in the world that teaches you world-class methods and secrets of the best performers in the world—how they think, how they train, what their routines are like—as well as how to live with deep contentment, joy and confidence, independent of circumstances.
There is no other training system that brings you the mastery, grit, and mental toughness of Inner Excellence, as well as the peace and joy of living the best possible life.
Perhaps best of all, it’s a system we can all use, not just professional athletes. We all have a mind that thinks negative thoughts, tries to constantly judge (deliver a negative verdict) on our circumstances, selves, or others, and we all have limiting beliefs. Every day, I’m working on the same skills, developing the same disciplines in my life as the performers I coach—the same skills, disciplines, and routines you will learn.
“I read the first edition of Inner Excellence ten times. I’ve practically memorized it. Incredibly, this revised edition is even better.”
Jonathan Michael, adjunct professor
Trinity Western University, Governor General’s Gold Medal award winner
How Inner Excellence will impact your life
Learn how to manage your thoughts & feelings
Discover how to get out of your own way and perform with freedom
Develop daily habits for a clear mind and unburdened heart
Learn the deep needs of the heart and how to train it
Find out how to master the ego so it doesn’t master you
Learn the exact tools, principles, and exercises I teach my professional athletes and CEOs that have achieved extraordinary success
Sign up for my VIP list to get tips and tools, techniques and interviews on how to train your mind for extraordinary performance and live the best possible life.
“Inner Excellence changed my life.”
Ryan Dodd
World #1 ranked water ski jumper
How is Inner Excellence different from sports psychology?
Sports psychology teaches essential mental skills (like the ones I share with my VIP list) such as visualization, self-talk, affirmations, and relaxation techniques. These are skills we can all use.
Inner Excellence…
takes the best of sports psychology and adds incredible depth by showing you, step-by-step, how to train your mind for extraordinary performance—and the best possible life.
teaches a ground-breaking way of reprogramming the subconscious and eliminating mental blocks, fears and painful memories from trauma.
is in-depth training of the heart—where all your hopes and dreams, fears and anxieties, fade or flourish.
teaches you how to be fully engaged in the moment, heart, mind and body, unattached to the results of your work.
is the most powerful system in the world for training your heart and mind to have peace and confidence under pressure, and achieve extraordinary results.
“Jim is an expert in his field. Inner Excellence transcends athletics and will have a profound effect on everyone who applies these methods in their life.”
John Kehoe
Author of Mind Power into the 21st Century
A little more about Jim
I grew up with a deep love for animals (especially dogs), nature and sports. And board games, of course (Settlers of Catan anyone? Splendor? Ticket to Ride?). Although I’ve been coaching PGA Tour players for many years, I just started to get into playing golf myself a few years ago (more than the couple times a year I had been playing). Now I’m super excited to learn how to hit a smaller white ball that only curves after you hit it, not before.
One of my passions is to learn and grow in every area of my life: mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. I want to live with absolute fullness of life—and share that with you.
I love to travel abroad—I’ve been to over 50 countries—mostly because I love to experience different cultures, foods, and ways of doing things. Traveling abroad has taught me so much on how to live. I’m fairly multi-cultural. For example I coached in the Sydney Olympics as a (1/2) Japanese, Irish, Canadian-American, coaching for South Africa.
What I’m most passionate about, however, is our non-profit charity that started in 2019, the Inner Excellence Freedom Project. The purpose of The Inner Excellence Freedom Project is to serve the disadvantaged. Currently our primary focus is on building houses for the homeless. We focus on these groups:
homeless and/or disabled
orphans and widows
prisoners and their families
refugees
So far we’ve been building houses in Mexico (with an amazing group called Youth With a Mission – Homes of Hope) and in 2019 did our first ever Inner Excellence Freedom Project retreat at the Monroe Correctional Complex in Monroe, Wa. I’m also on the board of directors for an amazing organization called The Father’s Heart Foundation, which builds homes for orphans in El Salvador.
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