Let's Go Mental!

Podcast by Barbara Cortella

Let's Go Mental!

A podcast for young athletes and their parents to unlock the power of the mind: You have the talent—now let’s build the mental edge. Discover key pillars and get simple, actionable tools to kickstart your journey. Tune in for short weekly episodes, each month focused on one topic, perfect for the car ride to your game. Grab quick tips, worksheets, and join our community as we grow and level up together. Let’s Go Mental! I am Barbara, Family and Mental Coach. I am Italian and you will love my accent!

Latest episodes

09 January 2026

The One Word That Guides Your Season.

🎧 The One Word That Guides Your Season

A Mental Reset for Athletes and Parents.

What if this season didn’t need more goals…more resolutions…or more pressure?

What if it only needed 'direction'?

In this episode I invite athletes and parents to pause, reflect, and simplify. Instead of chasing motivation or adding more to your plate, you’ll explore the power of choosing one intentional word: a word that becomes your compass when emotions run high, routines get busy, and pressure takes over.

Whether you’re a youth athlete navigating competition, confidence, and setbacks, or a parent trying to support without controlling, this episode offers a simple but powerful mental performance tool to guide your decisions, reactions, and growth throughout the season.

In this episode, we explore:

Why motivation fades, and why direction lasts.
The difference between setting goals and choosing an identity
How one word can anchor athletes during tough games, bench time, and pressure
How parents can use one word to respond instead of react
Why mental training should be part of daily life — not just game day
How to choose your word with intention and clarity
Practical ways to make your word visible and actionable

This episode is for you if:

You’re tired of starting every season with big intentions that fade
You want mental clarity without adding more pressure
You’re an athlete who wants to perform with confidence and presence
You’re a parent who wants to support your child with purpose, not emotion

Before the season starts, give it a title. Choose your word.

And when you do — share it.

📩 Send me a message, a DM, or a photo of where you placed your word.

I’ll walk with you, support you, and help you stay connected to it — one intentional choice at a time.

✨ **My word for this season is: ________**

Contact me: b_cortella@yahoo.it

Instagram

Nas.io

00:00

07:39

12 November 2025

The Importance of Mental Training for Young Athletes.

🎧 Shownotes

Behind every athlete, there’s a story no one sees — the thoughts, the doubts, the pressure.

In this episode, we explore why mental training is essential for young athletes, and how parents and coaches can help build confidence, focus, and resilience — both in sport and in life.

👉 The goal isn’t to “fix” anything, but to train what’s invisible — emotions, awareness, and the ability to reset and bounce back.

Because everything is trainable: the body, the mind, and the mindset.

🎯 In this episode:

• Why the mind is the machine that makes everything possible

• The taboos and misconceptions still tied to the word “mental”

• The key mental skills every athlete can train: confidence, focus, motivation, emotional control, leadership, and more

• How to make mental performance a natural part of everyday life

💬 Training your mind is a choice, not an obligation. But it’s the choice that changes everything.

📩 Email me at b_cortella@yahoo.it or follow me on Instagram

🎙 Let’s Go Mental — where everything is trainable.

00:00

06:07

05 November 2025

Perchè allenare la Mente Cambia Tutto.

🎧 Shownotes – Episodio 36

Il perché dell’importanza dell’allenamento mentale per i giovani atleti

Dietro ogni atleta c’è una storia che nessuno vede: i pensieri, i dubbi, la pressione.

In questo episodio scopriamo perché l’allenamento mentale è fondamentale per i giovani atleti, e come genitori e allenatori possono aiutare a costruire fiducia, concentrazione e resilienza — dentro e fuori dal campo.

👉 L’obiettivo non è “aggiustare” qualcosa, ma allenare ciò che non si vede: le emozioni, la consapevolezza, la capacità di reagire e ripartire.

Perché tutto è allenabile — il corpo, la mente e la mentalità.

🎯 In questo episodio parliamo di:

• perché la mente è la macchina che rende tutto possibile,

• i tabù e i pregiudizi che ancora circondano la parola “mentale”,

• le abilità mentali che ogni atleta può allenare (fiducia, motivazione, concentrazione, gestione dello stress, resilienza, leadership),

• come l’allenamento mentale diventa uno stile di vita.

💬 Allenare la mente è una scelta, non un obbligo. Ma è la scelta che cambia tutto.

📩 Scrivimi a b_cortella@yahoo.it o seguimi su Instagram @letsgomentalpodcast

🎙 Let’s Go Mental — il podcast dove tutto è allenabile.

00:00

05:07

16 October 2025

4) From Procrastination to Action! Mini-series

You’re ready. Dressed, playlist on point, shoes tied…

and yet — you’re still sitting there.

We’ve all been there — that invisible space between ready and go. That’s procrastination.

It’s not laziness — it’s the moment your brain fights the start.

In this episode, Barbara Cortella, Family and Mental Performance Coach, breaks down what procrastination really is — and how to train that moment before action. You’ll discover the Anti-Procrastination System that helps athletes move from overthinking to doing, one small step at a time.

You’ll Learn 🧠

• Why procrastination is an emotion problem, not a time problem

• How to deconstruct any big task so it feels doable

• The secret behind Mel Robbins’ 5-Second Rule

• How to build accountability and momentum daily

• Why starting before you feel ready is a mental superpower

Key Moments 🎙

• 00:00 — The warm-up freeze: why starting is the hardest part

• 03:00 — What procrastination really hides

• 06:00 — The Anti-Procrastination System: Awareness • Deconstruct • Plan • Action

• 08:30 — The 5-Second Rule for everyday courage

• 09:30 — Challenge of the week: start before you feel ready

Weekly Challenge ⚡️

Pick one thing you’ve been avoiding.
Break it down into 3 micro steps.
Count down 5-4-3-2-1- and start!

Contact me if you want to know more b_cortella@yahoo.it

Instagram

My Community

00:00

05:50

10 October 2025

3) Be Indistractable: Your Commitment! Mini-series

How many tabs do you have open in your mind right now?

Between school, sport, friends, messages, and social media — your brain is constantly switching. In this episode, Barbara Cortella breaks down what it really means to become indistractable — to train your focus like a skill, to recognize when you’re escaping through distraction, and to build traction toward your goals instead.

You’ll Learn 🧠

• Why the opposite of distraction isn’t focus — it’s traction

• How distraction turns into a habit (and how to reverse it)

• The link between distraction, avoidance, and procrastination

• Why FOMO disconnects you from yourself

• How to use “Plan – Protect – Practice” to train your focus

Key Moments 🎙

• 00:00 – The “Open Tabs” story: your mind as your browser

• 02:20 – Traction vs Distraction → pulling toward your goals

• 04:00 – How distraction becomes automatic

• 06:30 – Awareness + simple focus habits that actually work

• 08:30 – The 3-step system: Plan • Protect • Practice

Tools + Challenges ⚙️

• 📋 Distraction Audit: identify your top 3 distractions

• ⏱ Create one Focus Zone a day (start with 10 minutes)

• 📲 Use “Do Not Disturb” or Study Mode while you work

Contact me: b_cortella@yahoo.it

Instagram

My Community

00:00

06:39

02 October 2025

2) Time: Block it! Mini-series

How do you fit school, sport, friends, family, sleep, and everything else into your day without going crazy? In this episode, Barbara introduces the Big Rocks system — a simple but powerful way to set priorities and protect your time.

You’ll learn how to:

• Shift your mindset: time isn’t a clock, it’s a choice.

• Choose your priorities so you don’t drown in distractions.

• Protect your time with tools like Pomodoro and Timeboxing.

• Find your MIT (Most Important Task).

• Build a weekly system that frees energy, reduces guilt, and gives you more control.

This episode is for athletes — but also for parents and anyone who wants to stop feeling “busy all the time” without moving forward.

Key Takeaways

• Big Rocks first. Put your non-negotiables (school, sport, sleep, eating) in place before everything else.

• Not everything is important. If everything is important, nothing is important.

• Time is a choice. Protect it with focus blocks and boundaries.

• System > chaos. When you create structure, you gain more freedom.

This Week’s Challenge

1. Do the Big Rock Exercise → list your rocks, pebbles, and sand.

2. Pick your daily MIT (Most Important Task): one school, one sport, one life.

3. Protect it with a time-box.

4. Share this system with your parents — plan your week together and see how priorities align.

Contact me: b_cortella@yahoo.it

Instagram

Be part of my Community

00:00

06:04