#85 Courage Over Confidence: Building Habits That Win with Dr. Mitchell Greene

What if confidence isn’t the key to peak performance?

In this episode of College Is Fine Podcast, Sarah and Liz sit down with sports psychologist Dr. Mitchell A. Greene to unpack one of the biggest myths in athletics: that you need to feel confident to perform well.

From college athletes to Olympians, Dr. Greene shares what’s actually happening inside the minds of high performers—and why the most driven, prepared athletes are often the ones struggling the most.

What We Cover:

Why high performers feel the most pressure
Performance anxiety isn’t a sign of weakness—it often shows up because athletes care deeply and have put in the work.

The truth about “mind chatter”
Dr. Greene introduces his concept of mind chatter—the doubts, second-guessing, and mental noise that show up in high-stakes moments.

Confidence myth
Many athletes are taught they need confidence to succeed—but chasing confidence can actually make things worse.

Outcome goals vs. action goals

• Why shifting your focus from outcome goals to action goals can actually improve your performance

📚 Resources & Links

• Learn more about his work at Greene Psych (sports psychology & performance coaching) https://greenepsych.com/our-team/mitchell-greene-ph-d/
• Dr. Mitchell A. Greene's Book

https://www.amazon.com/Courage-over-Confidence-Managing-Chatter/dp/B0BYC2NQVT/ref=sr_1_1?adgrpid=185685790705&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.SG07gzxNmvxFoo6K9q9gH60Xo1kKs8xcPeNEOMNwJgVmAG4grN97nlAk4Li4gwS5oIArR6q8ma-PlG4kSeOb86vdpMHCMzgyK8MrZkmCn_mFlrxX90XFRoX25t-YtHCrvv0bdebYwWkiLLVKX2OUNTlxUFJsQVcp49BaWnpkS6bpzkMod1rngsLa9llDXJgh8sB3Co2TQyFncbfXxwm2CbuPRquwkvg2eECe-d7T7XE.emcDsyvEh66B6kPsLdFMYtj0URTd68-aX4y6dpTeXbk&dib_tag=se&hvadid=779570049283&hvdev=c&hvexpln=0&hvlocphy=9001853&hvnetw=g&hvocijid=4570656352206099733--&hvqmt=e&hvrand=4570656352206099733&hvtargid=kwd-1849565868624&hydadcr=20366_13322219_2282818&keywords=courage+over+confidence&mcid=17ea770aa9053e41bf4d618457019844&qid=1773859643&sr=8-1

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