Today Matters Podcast With Steve Pinkston

Ep 162 Stop Thinking, Start Playing — Why Overthinking Kills Performance

Overthinking is one of the biggest silent performance killers in sports. When athletes think instead of react, they lose timing, instinct, and confidence. In this episode, we uncover how judgment and expectation trigger overthinking — and how to return to instinctive play. Perfect for athletes in any sport who feel stuck in their own heads during competition.
Today’s Action Step: 
1️⃣ Notice when you leave the present
When you start overthinking, ask: “Am I judging the past or fearing the future?”
2️⃣ Use one present cue
Pick one simple cue:
see the ball
quick feet
smooth swing
next play
That cue anchors you.
3️⃣ Trust the reps
Your body already knows.
Stop interrupting 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.

Ep 161 The Ultimate Question Guy — How Jesus Built Disciples, Not Dependents

Jesus didn’t lead through lectures alone — He led through questions. This Episode  explores how Christ used questions to shape hearts, invite agency, and build lifelong discipleship.
Today’s Action Step: 
What question might God be asking me right now?
Where am I being invited to choose — not just follow?
How can I lead spiritually with questions, not control?
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.

Ep 160 Beyond the Game — Raising Thinkers in School, Work, and Family

The Question Guy mindset isn’t just for sports. This Episode  bridges coaching into classrooms, homes, relationships, and leadership — showing how asking better questions builds confident, capable people everywhere.
Today’s Action Step: 
Pause before fixing.
Ask one question instead.
Let struggle be productive, not avoided
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.

Ep 159 Teaching the Bounce — How Questions Build Resilience That Lasts

Resilience isn’t about being tough — it’s about knowing how to respond. This Episode explores how questions build antifragile athletes who don’t just survive adversity, but grow from it.
Today’s Action Step: 
Ask, “What did that teach you?”
Ask, “What’s your response?”
Reinforce the bounce, not the breakdown.
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.

Ep 158 Hard Questions — Why Real Coaching Requires Courage, Not Comfort

Most coaches don’t fail because they’re too hard. They fail because they avoid the conversations that matter most. This Episode  dives deep into courageous questioning — how great coaches challenge athletes honestly, build trust through discomfort, and create cultures where truth is normal and growth is expected.
Today’s Action Step: 
What conversation am I avoiding because it feels uncomfortable?
What question would open that door instead of slamming it?
How can I show care before I challenge?
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.

Ep 157 Ownership Over Obedience — How Questions Create Leaders

If athletes only perform when coaches are watching, ownership hasn’t been built. This Episode  breaks down how consistent questioning builds accountability, leadership, and self-driven teams.
Today’s Action Step: 
Turn one team rule into a question.
Let athletes define excellence.
Reinforce peer accountability.
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.

Ep 156 When the Game Gets Loud — Why Questions Build Confidence Under Pressure

Pressure exposes how athletes think. This Episode  shows how great coaches use questions — not commands — to help athletes stay composed, confident, and adaptable when the moment gets loud.
Today’s Action Step: 
Ask before you instruct.
Use questions that clarify decision-making.
Praise confident thinking, not just outcomes.
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.

Ep 155 The Coaching Trap — Why Having All the Answers Is Costing You Growth

Early in their careers, most coaches fall into the same trap: believing their value comes from having all the answers. In this Episode, we expose why that mindset limits confidence, ownership, and long-term performance — and how great coaches shift from being answer machines to question masters.
Today’s Action Step: 
Notice how quickly you jump in with answers.
Replace one explanation with a question: “What did you notice there?”
Let silence work — even if it feels uncomfortable.
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.

Ep 154 Be Still Under Pressure — Faith, Focus, and Trusting God in the Moment

Pressure tests more than performance—it tests faith. In this final episode, Steve Pinkston connects 3 Keys to Keeping It Simple with spiritual principles from Scripture, showing how faith, trust, and presence help believers stay grounded when life feels overwhelming.
Today’s Action Step: 
1️⃣ Write 3 spiritual anchors Scripture, prayer, truth.
2️⃣ Use them when anxiety rises Not after—during.
3️⃣ Release what you can’t control Faith begins where control ends.
 
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.

Ep 153 No Teammates. No Excuses. Lead Yourself.

When there’s no huddle, no sideline, and no one to lean on, your mind becomes your teammate — or your opponent. In this episode, Steve Pinkston speaks to athletes in individual sports about how to stay present, composed, and confident using 3 Keys to Keeping It Simple when everything depends on you.
Today’s Action Step: 
1️⃣ Build keys you can feel Breathing. Tempo. Balance. Effort.
2️⃣ Practice using them in training Don’t wait for competition.
3️⃣ When doubt shows up, don’t negotiate Return to a key immediately.
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.