Olympic psychology that works for your money

Why do so many smart, motivated people struggle to stick to money goals?You set the intention to save more, invest properly, or finally get organised, and then, a few weeks or months later, it falls apart.It’s not that you don’t care or don’t know what to do. It’s that your mindset and financial habits get in the way.In this episode of Making Cents, financial journalist Frances Cook is joined by Dom Vettise, a clinical and performance psychologist who specialises in helping people move from “pretty good” to world-class performance.Dom has worked in some of the most high-pressure environments imaginable, including with Olympic athletes, New Zealand Rugby, and the All Whites. These people who simply have to perform when the stakes are highest.What’s surprising is how directly that same psychology applies to everyday money decisions.The mental habits that determine whether an athlete performs under pressure are the same ones that shape your financial habits, from sticking to a savings plan, to following an investment strategy, to breaking the cycle of “I’ll start again next month.”In this conversation, we unpack:Why mindset matters more than motivation when it comes to moneyHow stress and pressure sabotage financial decision-makingThe role of perfectionism in derailing progressWhy self-sabotage shows up just as you’re starting to do wellPractical ways to take control of your mental habits so your money goals actually stickFollow me everywhere!Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookNZInstagram / https://www.instagram.com/francescooknzTikTok / https://www.tiktok.com/@francescooknzJoin the Money Memo newsletter for a free weekly money tip in your inbox each week https://www.francescook.co.nz/subscribeThis podcast was filmed & produced by FanaticalsVideo editing & content production by Lana ByrneAudio engineering by Tash Chittock#MakingCents #FrancesCook #Investing #SavingMoney #GoalSetting #Mindset #HighPerformance #SportsPsychology #PerformancePsychology #NewZealand #OlympicsChapters00:00:00 Introduction00:02:12 Meet Dom Vittice: from forensics to Olympic psychology00:03:20 What it's really like working with elite athletes00:07:26 Success leaves clues: learning from what goes right00:11:29 The framework: understand me, be me, stay me00:13:32 Reframing pressure: distress vs eustress00:16:44 Breathwork and staying present under pressure00:22:45 Mental filtering and disqualifying the positive00:24:09 Staying motivated on long-term goals00:28:54 The MILK reflection tool: memory, improvement, learning, courage00:31:22 Courage requires fear: normalizing the hard stuff00:40:56 Radical self-responsibility without self-blame00:43:57 Self-compassion vs self-criticism in setbacks00:45:40 ACT framework: acknowledge, calm, towards00:47:44 The number one skill: attention00:50:06 Perfectionism and good enough00:52:28 Outro