Getting to Neutral by Trevor Moawad and Andy Staples Summary

Getting to Neutral explores Trevor Moawad’s mental conditioning philosophy, focusing on neutral thinking—a strategy to avoid emotional highs/lows by staying focused on actionable steps. It combines sports psychology, military resilience tactics, and neuroscience to help readers overcome setbacks and optimize decision-making under pressure. The book uses case studies from NFL athletes, Navy SEALs, and corporate leaders to illustrate its principles.

This book is ideal for athletes, leaders, and professionals seeking to improve mental resilience. It’s particularly relevant for those facing high-stakes environments (e.g., sports, military, or corporate roles) or anyone struggling with anxiety, negative self-talk, or decision paralysis. Moawad’s methods are backed by his work with Russell Wilson, Nick Saban, and Special Operations teams.

Neutral thinking involves replacing optimism/pessimism with fact-based, solution-focused analysis. Moawad argues that negativity amplifies stress (4–7x more impactful than positivity) and teaches readers to “starve distractions, feed focus” by avoiding emotional reactions to setbacks. Examples include NFL players reframing game-day pressure and coaches adapting to COVID-19 disruptions.

Moawad’s approach complements these works by addressing the mental barriers to executing habits or leadership principles.

• Negativity’s cost: Voicing fears magnifies their impact (e.g., Bill Buckner’s World Series error).
• Decision hygiene: Use “if-then” plans to bypass emotional reactions during crises.
• Focus loops: Redirect mental energy from problems to actionable steps, as Nick Saban did with Alabama’s football program.

The book provides tools to reframe deadlines, conflicts, and uncertainty using neutral language. For example, replace “This project is doomed” with “Here’s the current status, and these are our next steps.” Moawad cites executives who improved team morale by eliminating catastrophizing during mergers.

Some reviewers argue the book oversimplifies trauma recovery and underemphasizes professional mental health support. However, Moawad clarifies it’s a performance enhancer, not a replacement for therapy.

In an era of AI-driven disruptions and remote work instability, Moawad’s strategies help individuals adapt without burnout. The book’s COVID-19-era examples (e.g., Mel Tucker’s coaching adjustments) remain applicable to hybrid work challenges.

• “Starve your distractions, feed your focus”: Prioritize actionable data over emotional noise.
• “The mind is not a vacuum”: Negative thoughts persist unless replaced with neutral tasks.
• “You can’t guarantee positivity works, but negativity works the wrong way”: A core thesis.

Moawad advises using neutral language during conflicts (e.g., “Let’s address what happened” vs. “You always mess up”). This reduces defensiveness and fosters collaborative problem-solving, as seen in his work with military families.

Unlike generic positivity guides, Moawad’s evidence-based tactics stem from 15+ years with elite performers. The book merges sports psychology (e.g., Russell Wilson’s routines) with combat-tested resilience strategies, offering a hybrid framework absent in most self-help literature.

Yes, including:

• Distraction audits: Identify and minimize 3 daily negativity triggers.
• Pre-performance scripts: Write neutral action plans for high-stakes scenarios.
• Language swaps: Replace “I have to” with “I choose to” to regain agency.

Moawad suggests noticeable changes in 2–4 weeks using daily 5-minute focus drills. Long-term mastery requires 90+ days of consistent practice, as demonstrated by NCAA athletes improving composure mid-season.