314. How Can Lawyers Achieve High Performance and Well-Being Like an MMA Champion?

The Free Lawyer

In this episode of "The Free Lawyer," host Gary interviews Jess Sargus, an accomplished lawyer, undefeated MMA competitor, and high-performance coach. They explore the intersection of law and personal development, focusing on mental skills necessary for success in high-pressure environments. Jess shares her journey in law and athletics, emphasizing a growth mindset, mindfulness, and practical habits like meditation, reading, journaling, and recognizing moments of joy. She offers actionable tips from sports psychology and neuroscience to help lawyers manage stress and enhance performance. The episode underscores the importance of balancing professional demands with personal well-being.Jess Sargus is the high-performance coach, speaker, and workshop leader behind The Legal Athlete. Through her talks, workshops, and coaching, Jess helps high-achievers to think, execute, and win like elite athletes. Drawing from her Ivy-League legal education and over 22 years of experience in law, business, and combat sports, Jess knows how to thrive in high-stakes arenas where the pressure is constant. Now she helps her lawyer and executive clients master high-stakes pressure, not just endure but thrive in the long game, and achieve extraordinary results—without burnout.

Her background is as unique as her coaching approach. A certified Mental Performance Mastery coach, Jess also has held executive legal and business roles at law firms, a unicorn startup, and at Marvel Studios and Disney over her two-decade-plus legal career. She’s also an undefeated former boxer and MMA fighter, and a former professional combat sports manager who has launched the careers of UFC pros and championship boxing contenders.

Using a powerful blend of science, sports psychology, and neuroscience, Jess equips overachievers with the mindset, strategies, and resilience to dominate their field, win more for their clients and businesses, and build fulfilling, sustainable careers and lives.

MMA Background (00:09:12)
Training Others in Combat Sports (00:09:28)
Diverse Legal Experience (00:10:15)
Current Coaching Approach (00:10:19)
Balancing Law and Personal Life (00:12:35)
Mental Skills for Lawyers (00:15:26)
Growth Mindset (00:15:26)
Focusing on the Present (00:18:36)
Curiosity in Learning from Setbacks (00:19:30)
Small Habits of Excellence (00:21:45)
Importance of Movement (00:22:03)
Mental Quiet and Meditation (00:23:41)
Meditation Practice (00:24:35)
The Challenge of Presence (00:25:47)
Importance of Reading (00:27:18)
Journaling Benefits (00:28:38)
Glimmer Practice (00:30:14)
Noticing Positivity (00:31:38)
Sports Psychology Tip (00:34:04)
Neuroscience Hack (00:36:05)

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