Chapitre 1
The Mental Edge: How Elite Athletes Master Their Minds
In a world where mental toughness is often discussed but rarely mastered, Trevor Moawad's "It Takes What It Takes" stands as a lighthouse for those navigating the stormy waters of high-pressure performance. As Russell Wilson's personal mental conditioning coach, Moawad has been the silent force behind some of the NFL's most spectacular comebacks and steadiest performances. This isn't just another motivational book-it's a battle-tested manual that has shaped championship teams, guided Olympic gold medalists, and transformed the careers of countless elite performers. The book has garnered praise from sports icons like Nick Saban and business leaders alike, who recognize its rare combination of psychological depth and practical application. What makes Moawad's approach revolutionary is its rejection of both toxic positivity and debilitating negativity in favor of something more powerful: the unfiltered truth.
Chapitre 2
Neutral Thinking: The Champion's Secret Weapon
The cornerstone of Moawad's philosophy is neutral thinking-a judgment-free mindset that acknowledges reality without being consumed by it. Unlike positive thinking, which often involves self-deception, or negative thinking, which spirals into defeat, neutral thinking strips away emotional distortions and focuses solely on what's true and actionable.
This approach was vividly demonstrated during the 2014 NFC Championship game when Russell Wilson threw four interceptions against Green Bay, putting Seattle in a seemingly hopeless position down 19-7 with just over five minutes remaining. While most quarterbacks might have mentally collapsed, Wilson remained locked in the neutral zone, telling teammates: "We can still win this game! Let's go! Four minutes and fifty seconds!"
Wilson wasn't denying his poor performance or engaging in unrealistic optimism. Instead, he recognized three distinct states: what had happened (four interceptions), what was happening (down 12 points), and what could still happen (two scoring drives). By staying neutral, he led an improbable comeback and eventual overtime victory.
USC quarterback JT Daniels, who began working with Moawad at fifteen, embraced this philosophy early. After a disastrous performance against Stanford where he completed just sixteen of thirty-four passes with two interceptions, JT didn't catastrophize or make excuses. He simply acknowledged reality and focused forward: "What can I do to get better, fast?" Two weeks later, he delivered one of his finest performances with three touchdowns and no turnovers.
Neutral thinking requires recognizing that the past isn't predictive or prologue. Your brain naturally wants to operate in drive or reverse, making the shift to neutral challenging. But once mastered, this mindset creates a state of heightened awareness and calm-and the person who remains calm and aware in high-pressure situations generally succeeds.
This isn't merely mindfulness; it's a practical approach that enables swift, decisive action. When Georgia was down 31-17 at halftime in the 2018 Rose Bowl, head coach Kirby Smart confessed to Moawad: "I'm having a very difficult time staying neutral right now, bro." Yet he immediately demonstrated his grasp of the concept: "I do know that the first thirty minutes and the last thirty minutes are two distinctly different events." Georgia rallied to win in double overtime.
The power of neutral thinking extends beyond sports. When Apollo 13's oxygen tank exploded, the astronauts couldn't afford negative thinking or unrealistic positivity. Their neutral response-calmly confirming materials needed and asking practical questions-saved their lives. Neutral thinking replaces paralyzing emotion with productive behavior, shifting from "How do I feel?" to "What do I do?"
Chapitre 3
The Mental Game Plan: Preparation Meets Opportunity
Success in any endeavor requires more than talent-it demands a plan that identifies both the end goal and the behaviors needed to reach it. Choosing not to plan is actually planning to fail.
The night before Super Bowl XLIX between the Seahawks and Patriots, Moawad helped Russell Wilson create his mental plan. They began by identifying the goal-playing well and winning the Super Bowl-then worked backward to establish the necessary behaviors. Unlike less successful athletes who want to be told what to do, self-confident performers like Russell can objectively examine potential barriers to success.
Their preparation included watching videos set to film scores that showcased moments when Russell had been at his most commanding. Part was soundtracked with The Head and the Heart's "Down in the Valley" with its repeated lyric "These are the places I will always go"-reinforcing that Russell is at home in big moments.
After watching, Moawad asked key questions: "If it doesn't play out how we want tomorrow, what would stop it?" Russell acknowledged Belichick's adjustment abilities but committed to sticking with his core fundamentals. "If it plays out exactly as you see it, why would it? How would you influence that?" Russell's answers were clear and neutral: "I need to execute. To stay engaged. To keep us calm."
Notably, Russell spoke in "I's" rather than "ifs"-"I do this" versus "If I do this." "If" implies choice and gives your brain an out; "I" makes a commitment.
Twenty hours later, Russell found himself needing to lead a game-winning drive with just over two minutes remaining and 120.8 million viewers watching-the largest television audience in American history. Despite the pressure, his drive started brilliantly with completions of 31 and 33 yards, getting Seattle to the Patriots' 5-yard line. After Lynch powered to the 1-yard line, everyone expected another handoff. Instead, Russell's pass was intercepted by Malcolm Butler, securing New England's victory.
Minutes after throwing the interception, Russell faced the cameras with remarkable composure. Even in this devastating moment, he stayed neutral, thinking: "Whether it's me holding up the trophy or not being able to hold up the trophy-either way-I wasn't ever going to let that define my career."
Ten days later, Russell texted Moawad at 6 a.m.: "It's time to hit the reset button. Let's make this the best off-season yet." They immediately created a new plan, relocating to a quiet San Diego suburb where Russell could focus without the constant reminders of that interception. Each morning they'd watch his comeback highlights with specific music-what Moawad calls "imprinting"-reminding Russell of his historical precedent of success.
The following season, Russell had his best statistical year with career-high numbers in touchdown passes and yards per attempt-almost as if he'd planned it.
Chapitre 4
The Power of Choice: Small Decisions, Big Consequences
Working with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2014, Moawad met Vince Carter, who at 42 was still playing in the NBA-a testament to superior choices. During a conversation about college football players making poor decisions despite NFL aspirations, Carter was amazed that so many players could behave counter to their goals when only about 10% of college players find NFL success.
Nick Saban captures this principle perfectly when telling his players: "You can do what you feel, or you can do what you choose." This is the essence of sustained excellence-ignoring immediate comfort for long-term success. Marathon runners don't quit at mile twenty-two despite their pain because they've stacked up choices prioritizing their goal of finishing.
The transition from structured college environments to professional freedom often derails promising careers. JaMarcus Russell, a supremely talented quarterback at LSU, became one of the NFL's biggest busts after being drafted first overall by the Raiders. Without the structure provided by coaches like Saban and Jimbo Fisher, Russell made poor choices-showing up to training camp at 305 pounds and allegedly abusing codeine syrup. He later admitted, "I could have been in better shape...prepared more, watched more film."
The key to minimizing such regrets is being honest about your abilities, aligning with your life's purpose, and making decisions with higher goals in mind. Russell Wilson exemplifies this by accepting his height limitations while focusing on what he can control. Successful people across sports, business, and military share this quality-defining themselves by their behaviors, not others' opinions.
As circumstances change, you must evolve your choices. Many successful people make correct choices early but struggle after finding success because they don't understand why those choices brought success. Without this understanding and the ability to adapt, success becomes fleeting.
Personal guardrails help maintain discipline. When Moawad was 28, his former basketball coach bluntly told him to lose weight if he wanted credibility in the sports world. This harsh truth prompted him to eliminate fast food and exercise more, leading to a 21-pound weight loss and better health habits.
The first step toward improvement is often stopping negative behaviors rather than adding positive ones: stop negative self-talk, stop poor eating habits, stop consuming things that make you angry. Success starts with one choice.
Chapitre 5
The Verbal Governor: Words That Shape Reality
When Moawad began working with Nick Saban's Alabama football program in 2007, his focus was on building the team's mental architecture. Beyond training just the natural leaders, they needed to reach every player because each had an effect on the team. The key insight: individuals have ten times more influence on themselves than any external coach or mentor does.
Moawad's primary goal was deceptively simple yet profoundly challenging: get players to stop saying negative things out loud. Research shows the human mind absorbs negativity seven times more easily than positivity, and language is negativity's most powerful carrier. Verbalizing struggles amplifies their impact tenfold compared to merely thinking about them.
Humans are hardwired to respond more strongly to negative experiences than positive ones-an evolutionary trait that once aided survival but now often makes us miserable. Research consistently demonstrates negativity's harmful effects: worriers struggle with basic tasks; a few negative employees can poison an entire workplace; self-deprecating thoughts decrease happiness; negative thinking leads to poor impulse control and decision-making; and "cynical distrust" is even linked to higher dementia rates.
The sports world offers chilling examples of verbalized negativity seemingly manifesting in reality. Bill Buckner, nineteen days before his infamous 1986 World Series error, told a reporter his "nightmare" was letting a winning run score on a ground ball through his legs-exactly what happened. Even more unsettling, basketball star Pete Maravich told a reporter in 1974, "I don't want to play ten years in the NBA and die of a heart attack at age forty." He played exactly ten years and died of a heart attack at exactly forty. Moawad's conclusion is simple but powerful: "Stop saying stupid shit out loud."
Chapitre 6
The Negativity Diet: Controlling Your Mental Inputs
Moawad grew up with strict rules from his father, who believed in controlling mental inputs. They weren't allowed to watch national news (only local weather and sports), listen to country music or rhythm and blues, use the word "can't," or engage in "stinkin' thinkin'" (complaining). Looking back as an adult, Moawad realizes his father wasn't trying to control their thoughts but rather protect them from the constant flow of negativity from the outside world.
In late 2018, Moawad conducted a month-long experiment deliberately immersing himself in negativity to test whether his behaviors and language could outcompete it. He consumed 3-4 hours daily of negative stimuli: inflammatory news, hard-core metal music, and country music. The results were devastating. Over twenty-six days, his resolve steadily weakened, with country music hitting him hardest. The constant negativity made him doubt everything, fear the unknown, and emotionally crumble despite maintaining his professional obligations.
He experienced unprecedented anxiety, waking at night in tears. His text messages revealed a person he didn't recognize-seeking out preachers, expressing terror about uncertainty, and consuming media completely foreign to his normal habits. After twenty-six days, he broke down on a flight home and admitted defeat.
The experiment proved that negativity in any form we choose is poison-our internal language cannot overcome deliberate consumption of negative external content. The key learning: we must carefully choose what we bring into our lives, avoiding content designed to inflame, anger or depress us.
Chapitre 7
Your Internal Ad Campaign: Marketing to Yourself
Marketing is incredibly powerful-it moves products by moving people. But the most valuable selling isn't to others, but to yourself. Moawad's father taught him that no one would ever influence him more than he influences himself. This internal marketing is the gateway to success in our inner world and helped Moawad avoid clinical depression during his personal challenges in 2018.
We all have an inner conversation running constantly-try telling yourself you won't talk to yourself anymore, and you'll immediately disprove your own claim. These internal words matter tremendously. While influence comes from both external sources (commercials, what others tell us) and internal dialogue, our internal conversation influences us more profoundly.
While genetics determine about 25 percent of who we become, the remaining 75 percent comes from conditioning. Most view this as external environments beyond our control, but Moawad's father taught him a crucial truth: we all create our own internal environment and control how we interpret our realities.
Russell Wilson's internal dialogue demonstrates how mental marketing works beyond the Super Bowl. He emphasizes that "clarity is key" and staying present despite distractions. What we hear from Russell is essentially marketing-a scripted, clear ad campaign that steers his behavior, focuses his choices, and maintains neutrality.
This internal marketing is available to everyone. Start by identifying three behaviors that will help you reach your goals, then write them in first-person, present tense form. Like Nike's "Just do it," create your own call to action.
Chapitre 8
The Visualization Advantage: Seeing It Before You Achieve It
Growing up, Moawad's favorite nights were when his father would tuck him in, often singing "Stinkin' Thinkin'" on his ukulele. One night when he was eight, instead of singing, his father asked if he understood "the power of a dream." He guided young Trevor through visualizing biting into a lemon so vividly that he could taste its sourness despite nothing being physically present. This demonstrated what his father called "possibility thinking"-that nothing is impossible if we can first see it in our minds.
Our minds struggle to distinguish between what's real and imagined. Structured imagery programs both mind and body by recreating experiences using all senses. When you visualize an action, your brain strengthens muscle memory as if you were actually performing it.
Before winning Olympic gold in 1996, Michael Johnson would repeat four thoughts: "Keep my head down. Pump my arms. Explode. I'm a bullet." This "danger zone" technique developed out of necessity when he drew lane eight in 1992 Olympic qualifying. Without competitors in his field of vision, he needed to visualize success based on his own standards.
Johnson approached the 1996 Olympics treating every practice as an opportunity to improve, knowing these races might be his final chances at gold. He even chose gold shoes, never considering the possibility of failure. When the starter's gun fired in Atlanta, his visualization, neutral thinking and preparation culminated in a world record 19.32 seconds in the 200 meters.
Visualization isn't fantasy-it's about seeing the steps to better outcomes within your area of expertise. During national soccer team World Cup preparation, Moawad would conduct beach sessions using progressive muscle relaxation followed by guided imagery where players visualized everything from stepping off the bus to hearing the national anthem (with actual World Cup music and crowd noise).
With college football teams, Moawad has had players select words that describe their team's personality, creating powerful team affirmations that serve as mission statements. Visualization alone doesn't guarantee success, but it's part of the aggregate of marginal gains that provides a psychological edge complementing physical preparation.
Chapitre 9
Self-Awareness: The Foundation of Improvement
The hard truth in sports is that most organizations believe success comes only from selecting the right player, discarding those who struggle rather than developing them. When the Jacksonville Jaguars hired Moawad in 2002, they needed to maximize their investment in Fred Taylor, a rare talent whose injuries had earned him the nickname "Fragile Fred."
Initially skeptical of the mental conditioning team as management plants, Fred eventually trusted that they were there to help, not report back to Coach Coughlin. They introduced him to a framework of four states: unconsciously incompetent (don't know what you don't know), consciously incompetent (aware of what you don't know), unconsciously competent (natural ability without understanding why), and consciously competent (understanding why you succeed and how to repeat it). Fred had natural talent but lacked understanding of how to optimize his body.
Fred's transformation came from understanding what successful veterans did differently. By adopting their habits-arriving at 6:30 AM, following maintenance routines, and ending with ice baths-he eliminated the dehydration and soft tissue injuries that had plagued him. This shift from feeling helpless to taking control prevented him from slipping into hopelessness.
His commitment reinforced his routine, leading to an incredible 46 consecutive games without injury after previously being labeled "Fragile Fred." As Fred said, "Trevor and Chad didn't just save my career. They saved my life." The Ed Block Courage Award he received wasn't just for his on-field performance but for his willingness to become consciously competent about his body and career, ultimately playing 13 seasons and rushing for 11,695 yards.
Self-awareness isn't a one-time achievement but a continuous process that evolves as our circumstances change. Fred Taylor's success came from studying what worked for teammates who'd earned second and third contracts, then adapting those behaviors to his own needs. By arriving at 6:30 AM, he not only prepared his body but eliminated the possibility of late nights and dehydration.
This conscious competence extended beyond his football career into fatherhood, business, and community leadership. The process requires honest self-assessment and the willingness to adapt as life evolves, understanding that "we ultimately will be defined by our next decision, our next motion, our next behavior."
Chapitre 10
Embracing Pressure: The Privilege of Performance
Pressure isn't a burden but a privilege-it means someone cares about what you do. In high-performance environments like sports, everything is scrutinized and graded, leaving nowhere for habits to hide. The constant question is "Are you for real?" This applies beyond athletics to workplaces and relationships.
Greatness is available to anyone, including your competitors, creating pressure to seize it first. The right response isn't avoiding pressure but embracing it, as those who perform under the greatest pressure capture the greatest victories.
Psychological strength comes from repetition, not just inspiration. At Florida State in 2013, Moawad implemented his "Mindset" program where players confronted past results to build future performance. During their first session, linebacker Telvin Smith emerged as a natural leader, addressing the team about past losses to less talented teams: "UVA at home. No more. NC State. No more. Wake Forest? Nah. No way."
Throughout summer, players analyzed their own influence on wins and losses, applying internal pressure to improve before external pressure arrived. This preparation paid off dramatically when Florida State traveled to Clemson that October, dominating 51-14 in a game that was essentially over after the first few plays. The team had embraced pressure by adopting championship behaviors, ultimately winning the national title that season.
Pressure exists whenever we have ambition, whether you're Russell Wilson facing Tom Brady in the Super Bowl or a CFO preparing for an earnings call. As Billie Jean King said, pressure is a privilege because incredible feelings await on the other side.
When facing pressure, Moawad navigates it on two levels: assessing "Who am I now?" through neutral statements about current strengths and weaknesses, and determining "Who will I be?" by creating goals and behaviors for future pressure situations.
Pressure often appears at inflection points in our lives-sometimes chosen, sometimes forced upon us like a job loss. The key is steering into pressure rather than away from it. Your life isn't a rental car; you own it and must maintain it properly. Someone will get what you want-make sure it's you by behaving your way into readiness. The triumph on the back end of pressure is a feeling you can't buy or fake-you earn it through preparation and execution.
Chapitre 11
The Leadership Spectrum: From Incompetence to Mastery
Nick Saban's unprecedented success-winning six national championships between LSU and Alabama-stems from his ability to make 18-to-22-year-olds perform consistently every week. While his leadership style is demanding and standards unwavering, his willingness to adapt has been crucial to maintaining dominance.
Recognizing that players absorb information differently, he brought Moawad aboard to provide another voice and perspective. Despite appearing old-school from the outside, Nick is remarkably inquisitive, constantly seeking new approaches and stress-testing them against proven methods. After losing to Ohio State in 2014, he invited their offensive coordinator Tom Herman to Alabama-not to share his own wisdom but to learn from Herman's offensive system, later incorporating elements into Alabama's championship offense the following season.
Saban wasn't born a great leader-he developed his style over time. His process-oriented thinking approach, focusing on successive details rather than the big picture, evolved during his time at Michigan State in the 1990s, inspired by psychiatry professor Lonny Rosen. He refined this teaching at LSU and with the Dolphins, and by the time he reached Alabama, he had created an effective method for teaching players to focus on the next snap rather than the scoreboard.
Even then, he continued consulting with Dr. Rosen (nicknamed "Gandalf" by players for his bushy beard) and kept Moawad on staff for eight years, always seeking to improve his leadership approach. As an introvert, Nick worked hard to become an exceptional communicator because effective leadership required it-he valued being effective more than being comfortable.
Moawad categorizes leadership into four states, paralleling the self-awareness framework:
1. Unconsciously incompetent leaders don't know what they don't know, making them closed-minded to ideas outside their formative professional experiences. Moawad witnessed this firsthand when meeting with the Dolphins' new coach after Saban left, whose opening words were "Who the fuck are we meeting with today?" followed by "Did Saban also have this asshole on a ten-year contract?" His disrespect for institutional memory and unwillingness to consider valuable perspectives signaled imminent failure. He went 1-15.
2. Consciously incompetent leaders have recognized their roadblocks through job loss, barely holding positions, losing employees, or personal discovery. They know their issues exist but may not address them. Too many say, "I am what I am"-a statement of surrender showing unwillingness to learn, grow, and adapt.
3. Unconsciously competent leaders have moments of brilliance but can't reproduce or teach their success because they don't understand why they succeeded. Florida State football wasn't the same after Telvin Smith left-the 2013 championship team had personnel magic that couldn't be replicated.
4. Consciously competent leaders like chef Alain Ducasse and swimming coach Bob Bowman know exactly why they're good and how to implement their processes consistently. Bowman understood Michael Phelps's learning style perfectly, finding that threatening to throw him out of practice was the most effective way to correct his swimming technique.
When managing gifted but underperforming talent, the best leaders recognize that someone's 70 percent effort might outperform another's 100 percent. They challenge these employees while accepting that "good" can sometimes be good enough.
The failure to properly develop soccer prodigy Freddy Adu illustrates this principle. Despite phenomenal talent that had him competing successfully against players years older, Adu's transition to professional soccer faltered because MLS and US Soccer lacked both the humility and structure to properly nurture his gifts.
While talented people may drive you crazy, their gifts matter enormously. The paradox is that if they didn't have talent, they would likely try much harder. Great leaders don't judge peculiarities but help talented individuals see opportunities by cultivating proper behaviors.
Chapitre 12
Drawing Your Line in the Sand: The Final Step
In the book's culminating message, Moawad brings together all the principles through the powerful example of his father's cancer battle. When visiting his father in 2006, he found him reviewing first-person affirmations-the same techniques he'd taught Trevor since childhood. Their conversation revealed how his father naturally employed neutral thinking in life's most challenging moments, acknowledging reality while maintaining control over his responses.
Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell exemplifies neutral thinking at its most powerful. After being severely wounded in Afghanistan-shot eleven times with broken bones throughout his body-he needed to travel seven miles to survive. Rather than becoming overwhelmed by the total distance, Luttrell drew lines in the dirt and focused solely on crawling to each new mark. This pure neutral thinking approach-not positive, not negative, just "I am capable of crawling to this line"-demonstrates how breaking overwhelming challenges into manageable steps enables extraordinary achievement.
Life doesn't wear us down; we do it to ourselves. The cure is what Moawad calls "the comma"-placing a comma rather than a period after difficult events. This approach allows us to continue writing our own stories rather than letting others write them for us.
Once we see solutions clearly and adopt the right behaviors, we can approach life neutrally and do what's necessary to produce desired outcomes. At that point, we understand the book's core message: "It takes what it takes."
