Minute With Mallon: You’re Losing Before You Even Start!

Welcome to Minute with Mallon! 

Something I Taught:

From 1999 to 2005, I had a mentor named Colonel Harold Huff. Before mentoring me, Harold had served as a helicopter pilot for U.S. Presidents. He was calm, disciplined, thoughtful, and one of the most grounded leaders I’ve ever known.

One day, he said something to me that I’ve never forgotten:

“Winners don’t win because they’re the best. Winners win because they put themselves in a position to win.”

At the time, it caught me off guard. Like most people, I had grown up believing that winning was about talent, intelligence, effort, or working harder than everyone else. Harold helped me see something deeper.

Most people think success is about trying harder inside the same environment. Winners think about changing the environment itself.

They don’t just rely on willpower.

They design their life, schedule, habits, and surroundings so that the right decisions are easier and the wrong ones are harder.

That’s the difference.

Most people tell themselves they just need more discipline. I hear it all the time!  They believe they need to focus better or simply try harder next time.

Winners think differently. They ask themselves how they need to structure their day so success happens more naturally. They look for what needs to be removed so they stop fighting the same battles repeatedly. They think carefully about where they need to place themselves so the outcome becomes far more likely.

Think about it this way. People who consistently exercise rarely rely on motivation alone—they schedule it. They create the habit!  And once it's a habit, it becomes easy.

Leaders who think strategically don’t simply hope they will find margin—they protect it intentionally. 

People who grow spiritually don’t wait until they feel inspired—they build rhythms that keep them connected and grounded.

They put themselves in a position to win.

Over the years, I’ve seen this play out again and again with clients. The ones who make the most progress aren’t the smartest or the most driven. They’re the ones who are willing to redesign how they live, work, and lead.

They stop asking, “How do I try harder?” and start asking, “How do I make success more likely?”

That shift changes everything.

This week, stop trying to win through effort alone. Ask yourself: What position am I putting myself in right now? Then make one small change to your environment, schedule, or habits that makes the right outcome easier—and watch how different things begin to feel.

Winning starts long before the moment of effort.

Something to Ponder:

"Victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan."  

Coach Jimmy Johnson

Something I Learned:

Change Your Physical State to Stop the Downward Spiral!

A few days ago, a good friend texted me saying he was in a tough place mentally. Good for him for reaching out!

I called him and shared something I learned from The Art of Learning by Josh Waitzkin. He teaches that when people spiral mentally, sometimes the fastest reset is physical—deep breathing, cold water, or even stepping outside and moving quickly.

I encouraged my friend to try it.

Thirty minutes later, he texted me back saying he felt significantly better.

We all experience mental downward spirals. When it happens, stop trying to think your way out of it.

👉 Change your physical state. Move your body. Change your environment. Often, that’s the fastest way to change your mindset.

Something I Saw: 

Lobster!

Thank you for being a loyal reader.  I truly hope that these newsletters are having a positive impact on your life!!  It's the only reason I write them.

Have an incredible week! 

Robert