Today Matters Podcast With Steve Pinkston

Every athlete has talent. Every team has competition. But the greatest separator isn't speed, strength, or skill—it's the conversation happening between your ears.
In this episode of Today Matters, Coach Steve Pinkston explores why your mindset may be your greatest competitive advantage and how your daily thoughts either build confidence or quietly sabotage performance. Through stories from sports, leadership, and everyday life, you'll discover why elite performers don't wait to feel confident—they choose thoughts that help them perform with courage and purpose. You'll also learn practical ways to replace excuses with empowering beliefs, reset your mindset after mistakes, and become intentional about the words you repeat to yourself. Because the strongest competitor isn't always the most talented—it's the one who consistently wins the battle within.
 
Today’s Action Step: 
"My mindset is my greatest competitive advantage. I choose thoughts that make me stronger, not excuses that make me weaker."
Number one: Audit your self-talk.
Number two: Replace every excuse with a solution.
Number three: Build a daily winning statement.
 
About Today Matters Today Matters is your 2–4 minute daily boost of motivation for athletes, parents, and coaches. Hosted by Coach Steve Pinkston, each episode delivers a simple mental performance strategy to help you win the day.
Learn More & Work with Coach Pinkston 👉 CoachPinkston.com for strategies, skills, and drills to improve your mental performance.
1-on-1 Coaching Programs
Team Consulting
Leadership Development
Sign up for the Trust The Process Newsletter, so you can wake up every Monday morning to a message that will motivate you all week.
Stay Connected Instagram: @Mental.Strength.Coach X: @CoachPinkston Facebook: Steve Pinkston
Enjoying the Show? Share this episode with someone who needs a lift today. And don’t forget to hit Follow so you never miss your daily motivation.

Most people think gratitude is something you practice after success. Elite performers understand it's often what creates success.
In this episode of Today Matters, Coach Steve Pinkston explores why gratitude isn't just a feel-good habit—it's a powerful performance tool. Whether you're an athlete chasing a championship, a coach building culture, or a parent supporting a young athlete, gratitude can improve resilience, increase confidence, strengthen relationships, and help you perform at your best under pressure.
Through stories from sports, leadership, adversity, and everyday life, you'll discover how gratitude shifts your focus from what's missing to what's possible. You'll learn practical ways to use gratitude to combat negativity, recover from setbacks, and build the mindset needed to thrive in competition and life.
Because when gratitude becomes your fuel, you'll never run out of reasons to keep moving forward.
Today’s Action Step: 
24-Hour Challenge
For the next 24 hours, eliminate unnecessary complaining.
Every time you're tempted to complain, replace it with one thing you're grateful for.
Notice how it affects your mood, your energy, and your interactions.
About Today Matters Today Matters is your 2–4 minute daily boost of motivation for athletes, parents, and coaches. Hosted by Coach Steve Pinkston, each episode delivers a simple mental performance strategy to help you win the day.
Learn More & Work with Coach Pinkston 👉 CoachPinkston.com for strategies, skills, and drills to improve your mental performance.
1-on-1 Coaching Programs
Team Consulting
Leadership Development
Sign up for the Trust The Process Newsletter, so you can wake up every Monday morning to a message that will motivate you all week.
Stay Connected Instagram: @Mental.Strength.Coach X: @CoachPinkston Facebook: Steve Pinkston
Enjoying the Show? Share this episode with someone who needs a lift today. And don’t forget to hit Follow so you never miss your daily motivation.

Every room has energy. Every team has energy. Every family has energy.
The question is: What kind of energy are you bringing?
In this episode of Today Matters, Coach Steve Pinkston explores one of the most powerful leadership skills in sports and life: choosing your energy. Whether you're an athlete, coach, parent, leader, or teammate, your attitude and energy affect everyone around you. You'll learn why energy is contagious, how elite performers manage their mindset during adversity, and practical strategies for becoming a positive force in every environment you enter.
Through stories from sports, leadership, business, and everyday life, you'll discover how to stop being a thermometer that reacts to circumstances and start becoming a thermostat that influences them. Because when you learn to choose your energy, you don't just change your own performance—you change the people around you.
Today’s Action Step: 
24-Hour Challenge
For the next 24 hours, become the most encouraging person in every room you enter.
Look for opportunities to encourage.
Compliment effort.
Express gratitude.
Support others.
Watch what happens to the people around you—and to you.
About Today Matters Today Matters is your 2–4 minute daily boost of motivation for athletes, parents, and coaches. Hosted by Coach Steve Pinkston, each episode delivers a simple mental performance strategy to help you win the day.
Learn More & Work with Coach Pinkston 👉 CoachPinkston.com for strategies, skills, and drills to improve your mental performance.
1-on-1 Coaching Programs
Team Consulting
Leadership Development
Sign up for the Trust The Process Newsletter, so you can wake up every Monday morning to a message that will motivate you all week.
Stay Connected Instagram: @Mental.Strength.Coach X: @CoachPinkston Facebook: Steve Pinkston
Enjoying the Show? Share this episode with someone who needs a lift today. And don’t forget to hit Follow so you never miss your daily motivation.

What if your biggest setback could become your greatest advantage?
Every athlete, coach, and parent faces failure. A missed shot. A tough loss. A season-ending injury. A dream that doesn't work out the way you planned. The difference between those who stay stuck and those who succeed isn't talent—it's how they respond.
In this episode of Today Matters, Coach Steve Pinkston explores why failure isn't the opposite of success—it's part of the process of becoming successful. Through powerful sports stories, real-life examples, and practical coaching insights, you'll learn how elite performers use mistakes, losses, and adversity as fuel for future growth. You'll discover how to reframe failure, develop resilience, and build the confidence that comes from overcoming challenges.
If you've ever felt discouraged by a setback, this episode will help you turn that experience into your next breakthrough.
Today’s Action Step:
24-Hour Challenge
The next time something doesn't go your way—today, tomorrow, whenever it happens—pause and ask:
"What is this trying to teach me?"
Not:
"Why is this happening to me?"
But:
"What is this teaching me?"
Watch how that changes your perspective.
About Today Matters Today Matters is your 2–4 minute daily boost of motivation for athletes, parents, and coaches. Hosted by Coach Steve Pinkston, each episode delivers a simple mental performance strategy to help you win the day.
Learn More & Work with Coach Pinkston 👉 CoachPinkston.com for strategies, skills, and drills to improve your mental performance.
1-on-1 Coaching Programs
Team Consulting
Leadership Development
Sign up for the Trust The Process Newsletter, so you can wake up every Monday morning to a message that will motivate you all week.
Stay Connected Instagram: @Mental.Strength.Coach X: @CoachPinkston Facebook: Steve Pinkston
Enjoying the Show? Share this episode with someone who needs a lift today. And don’t forget to hit Follow so you never miss your daily motivation.

Many athletes think confidence is something you're born with. You're either confident or you're not. But that's not how confidence works.
Confidence isn't a personality trait. It's a skill. And like any skill, it can be developed.
In this episode of Today Matters, Coach Steve Pinkston explores why confidence is more like a muscle than a feeling. Through stories from sports, leadership, and everyday life, you'll learn how confidence is built through preparation, experience, courage, and repeated action. You'll discover why waiting to feel confident is a mistake, how elite performers develop belief through reps, and one simple daily action you can start using immediately to build unshakable confidence.
If you've ever doubted yourself, struggled with fear, or wondered how great athletes seem so confident under pressure, this episode will show you the truth:
Confidence isn't found.
It's built.
Today’s Action Step: 
24-Hour Challenge
For the next 24 hours, do one thing you've been putting off because it feels uncomfortable.
One thing. Not ten. One.
Then ask yourself:  "Did I survive?"
The answer will almost certainly be yes.  And that's how confidence grows.
One courageous rep at a time.
About Today Matters Today Matters is your 2–4 minute daily boost of motivation for athletes, parents, and coaches. Hosted by Coach Steve Pinkston, each episode delivers a simple mental performance strategy to help you win the day.
Learn More & Work with Coach Pinkston 👉 CoachPinkston.com for strategies, skills, and drills to improve your mental performance.
1-on-1 Coaching Programs
Team Consulting
Leadership Development
Sign up for the Trust The Process Newsletter, so you can wake up every Monday morning to a message that will motivate you all week.
Stay Connected Instagram: @Mental.Strength.Coach X: @CoachPinkston Facebook: Steve Pinkston
Enjoying the Show? Share this episode with someone who needs a lift today. And don’t forget to hit Follow so you never miss your daily motivation.

One bad play doesn't ruin a game. One mistake doesn't ruin a season. One difficult moment doesn't ruin a day—unless you allow it to.
In this episode of Today Matters, Coach Steve Pinkston introduces the powerful concept of the 2-Minute Reset, a simple mental performance strategy used by athletes, coaches, leaders, and high performers to recover quickly from mistakes, setbacks, stress, and adversity. You'll learn how breathing, focus, visualization, self-talk, and intentional action can help you regain control in just minutes.
Through stories from sports, leadership, business, and everyday life, you'll discover why resilience isn't about never getting knocked down—it's about how quickly you get back up. If you've ever struggled with frustration, anxiety, mistakes, or feeling stuck, this episode will give you practical tools to reset, refocus, and move forward stronger.
Because champions aren't perfect.
They're just better at recovering.
Today’s Action Step: 
24-Hour Challenge
Over the next 24 hours, use the phrase: "Next Play."
Every time something goes wrong. A mistake. A frustration. A setback. A disappointment.
Pause. Breathe. Say: "Next Play."
Then focus on what comes next. Notice how much energy you save.
About Today Matters Today Matters is your 2–4 minute daily boost of motivation for athletes, parents, and coaches. Hosted by Coach Steve Pinkston, each episode delivers a simple mental performance strategy to help you win the day.
Learn More & Work with Coach Pinkston 👉 CoachPinkston.com for strategies, skills, and drills to improve your mental performance.
1-on-1 Coaching Programs
Team Consulting
Leadership Development
Sign up for the Trust The Process Newsletter, so you can wake up every Monday morning to a message that will motivate you all week.
Stay Connected Instagram: @Mental.Strength.Coach X: @CoachPinkston Facebook: Steve Pinkston
Enjoying the Show? Share this episode with someone who needs a lift today. And don’t forget to hit Follow so you never miss your daily motivation.

Athletes spend countless hours worrying about things they can't control: playing time, opponents, officials, rankings, injuries, weather, coaches' decisions, and outcomes. But confidence isn't built by controlling everything—it's built by mastering what you can control.
In this episode of Today Matters, Coach Steve Pinkston explores one of the most important mental performance principles in sports and life: focusing on effort, attitude, preparation, and response. Through powerful stories, practical coaching lessons, and real-world examples, you'll learn why worrying creates anxiety, why focusing creates confidence, and how elite performers stay locked in on what matters most.
If you've ever felt overwhelmed by pressure, uncertainty, or expectations, this episode will show you how shifting your focus can transform your mindset, your performance, and your peace of mind.
Today’s Action Step: 
24-Hour Challenge
For the next 24 hours, every time you catch yourself worrying about something outside your control, pause.
Write it down.
Then identify one action that is within your control.
Shift your focus immediately.
Notice how much lighter, calmer, and more confident you feel.
About Today Matters Today Matters is your 2–4 minute daily boost of motivation for athletes, parents, and coaches. Hosted by Coach Steve Pinkston, each episode delivers a simple mental performance strategy to help you win the day.
Learn More & Work with Coach Pinkston 👉 CoachPinkston.com for strategies, skills, and drills to improve your mental performance.
1-on-1 Coaching Programs
Team Consulting
Leadership Development
Sign up for the Trust The Process Newsletter, so you can wake up every Monday morning to a message that will motivate you all week.
Stay Connected Instagram: @Mental.Strength.Coach X: @CoachPinkston Facebook: Steve Pinkston
Enjoying the Show? Share this episode with someone who needs a lift today. And don’t forget to hit Follow so you never miss your daily motivation.

Most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a day and underestimate what they can accomplish in a year.
Championships aren't won in a single game. Great grades aren't earned in one night of studying. Confidence isn't built through one perfect performance. Success is the result of small wins stacked day after day after day.
In this episode of Today Matters, Coach Steve Pinkston explores the hidden power of small victories and how tiny daily actions create extraordinary long-term results. Through stories from sports, business, education, and life, you'll learn why momentum matters, how elite performers focus on the process instead of the outcome, and practical ways to build confidence one win at a time.
If you've ever felt overwhelmed by a big goal or discouraged by slow progress, this episode will help you discover the secret that separates dreamers from achievers: learning to win today.
Today’s Action Step: 
24-Hour Challenge
For the next 24 hours, stop worrying about next month.
Stop worrying about next season. Stop worrying about next year.
Focus on winning today.
Ask yourself: "What does winning today look like?"
Then go do it.
About Today Matters Today Matters is your 2–4 minute daily boost of motivation for athletes, parents, and coaches. Hosted by Coach Steve Pinkston, each episode delivers a simple mental performance strategy to help you win the day.
Learn More & Work with Coach Pinkston 👉 CoachPinkston.com for strategies, skills, and drills to improve your mental performance.
1-on-1 Coaching Programs
Team Consulting
Leadership Development
Sign up for the Trust The Process Newsletter, so you can wake up every Monday morning to a message that will motivate you all week.
Stay Connected Instagram: @Mental.Strength.Coach X: @CoachPinkston Facebook: Steve Pinkston
Enjoying the Show? Share this episode with someone who needs a lift today. And don’t forget to hit Follow so you never miss your daily motivation.

This powerful final episode explores time management through a spiritual lens. Using Biblical stories, scripture, and faith-centered coaching principles, listeners learn how discipline, preparation, stewardship, and intentional living align with purpose and calling.
Today’s Action Step: 
Spend ten quiet minutes each day without distraction. Just reflection, prayer, breathing, journaling, or scripture.
Identify one distraction stealing time from your purpose.  Then remove or reduce it intentionally.
Ask yourself nightly:  “Did the way I spend today reflect the person I’m trying to become?”
About Today Matters Today Matters is your 2–4 minute daily boost of motivation for athletes, parents, and coaches. Hosted by Coach Steve Pinkston, each episode delivers a simple mental performance strategy to help you win the day.
Learn More & Work with Coach Pinkston 👉 CoachPinkston.com for strategies, skills, and drills to improve your mental performance.
1-on-1 Coaching Programs
Team Consulting
Leadership Development
Sign up for the Trust The Process Newsletter, so you can wake up every Monday morning to a message that will motivate you all week.
Stay Connected Instagram: @Mental.Strength.Coach X: @CoachPinkston Facebook: Steve Pinkston
Enjoying the Show? Share this episode with someone who needs a lift today. And don’t forget to hit Follow so you never miss your daily motivation.

The same habits that build elite athletes also build successful students, leaders, parents, professionals, and spouses. In this episode, we bridge sports performance principles into everyday life and reveal how organization, structure, and priorities shape relationships, careers, education, and personal growth.
Today’s Action Step: 
Ask yourself:  “What truly matters most in this season of life?”
Look honestly at your schedule.  Does your time reflect your priorities?
Create intentional space for recovery and relationships this week.
About Today Matters Today Matters is your 2–4 minute daily boost of motivation for athletes, parents, and coaches. Hosted by Coach Steve Pinkston, each episode delivers a simple mental performance strategy to help you win the day.
Learn More & Work with Coach Pinkston 👉 CoachPinkston.com for strategies, skills, and drills to improve your mental performance.
1-on-1 Coaching Programs
Team Consulting
Leadership Development
Sign up for the Trust The Process Newsletter, so you can wake up every Monday morning to a message that will motivate you all week.
Stay Connected Instagram: @Mental.Strength.Coach X: @CoachPinkston Facebook: Steve Pinkston
Enjoying the Show? Share this episode with someone who needs a lift today. And don’t forget to hit Follow so you never miss your daily motivation.