Why you keep making the same mistakes and how to break the loop.

Let’s talk about something we’ve all experienced:

That frustrating moment when you realize you’ve made the same mistake again. Maybe you missed the same cross. Maybe you rushed the startline routine (again). Maybe you found yourself spiraling into negative self-talk after a tough run — even though you promised yourself you wouldn’t go there.

It’s easy to write these things off as one-offs or “just nerves,” but the truth is, most of us are caught in some kind of performance loop.

We train with good intentions.

We walk into the ring with a plan.

And somehow … we default back to the same old habits — the same rush, the same doubts, the same stories.

Why does this happen?

Because pressure tends to squeeze us back into our comfort zone — even when that zone isn’t serving us.

Our brains love efficiency. They cling to patterns, especially when we’re stressed. So unless we’ve actively built a new response to pressure — and reinforced it enough to trust it — we’ll likely revert to what’s familiar, not what’s helpful.

This is why just “trying harder” doesn’t work.

If you’ve ever left a trial weekend thinking, Ugh, I did it again…, I want you to know: it’s not because you’re broken or not good enough. It’s because your brain and body are following a loop they’ve practiced over and over again.

But here’s the good news — you can break the loop.

And it doesn’t require a major overhaul. It starts with awareness.

Start by tracking what keeps happening — without judgment.

What kinds of situations cause you to freeze, rush, overthink, or shut down?

Is it the pressure of needing a Q? A particular type of course? A certain level of competition? A specific judge?

Get curious. Write it down.

Next, pay attention to the stories you're telling yourself.

Maybe it’s, “I always mess up this part.”

Or, “Everyone else has their act together.”

Or, “I can’t let my dog down.”

These thoughts may feel automatic, but they are rehearsed. And we can rewrite them.

Then comes the moment of interruption.

When you notice yourself getting tight in the shoulders, or short in breath, or spiraling in your head — pause. Interrupt the pattern.

Breathe.

Touch your leash.

Say a new mantra.

Choose something grounding and repeatable that brings you back to now.

Finally, replace the old pattern with a new habit — one that supports the handler you want to be.

That might look like adjusting your walk-through to focus on intention, not perfection.

Or practicing post-run reflection that gathers data instead of dishing out shame.

This is the kind of work we’re doing all month long inside the membership — looking at the loops that hold us back and learning how to shift them. 

Because real progress doesn’t always come from “more effort.”

Sometimes it comes from noticing the quiet patterns we’ve accepted as normal — and making a different choice.

You’re not stuck because you’re incapable.

You’re stuck because your patterns are strong.

Let’s make sure the ones you’re practicing are the ones that move you forward.