This month in the Q-Membership, we are talking about how we lie to ourselves when measuring our progress. The weird thing is, we don't lie to ourselves on purpose; we just aren't very honest about how we're doing.

For instance, we are much harder on ourselves than the facts show....

We are taught that this world is explainable and has a reason for everything. The moon's phases, weather, and even math (inside joke) have logical reasons for being. Then, a grade school teacher tells us that if we work hard, our efforts will be rewarded, and our parents back this up. Our lives...

Have you ever felt worse after a successful weekend of showing? Ever felt terrible though your dashboard is decorated with ribbons?

It's a weird feeling, but it happens more than you might think. We have a fantastic weekend only to wake up Monday with the after-trial blues. How could that...

Every once in a while, I get kinda fixated on a concept. Right now, that's our energy as handlers and how it impacts every aspect of our dog sports.

Spoiler alert: This week's podcast and the Q-Membership for August are all about energy.

Energy is a huge...

If only we had any control over other people! But we don't, and sometimes people can be downright awful to us and others. It's that yucky part of our sport that we could all do without. And while I wish it were fading away, bad behavior will probably always stick around. Sigh.

This is on...

Ever have a really good day and feel less confident as a result? It can happen for a few reasons: 

• We fear we can't repeat the excellent performance, that it was just a fluke (imposter syndrome).
• We're afraid we set a new standard that we have to live up to (pressure).
• We want to...

I did something I never do. I entered an agility trial where I only entered one games class each day for all four days. No standard or jumpers classes, just FAST and T2B.

(For those of you who don't do agility, stick with me for a minute.)

If you know me, you know I enjoy competing;...

Not too long ago, I did a podcast episode on why everyone needs a mantra (Ep #96). Lucky for me, Susan Garrett's team liked it so much that they wanted me to do a shorter version for their Agility Nation (yay!). And while that was super cool, rethinking that topic reminded me of how often we...

Mental stamina is on my mind. I just finished my week-long national specialty in Sacramento, plus the two cross-country (mostly) solo drives. It was a three-week journey that required a LOT of mental stamina.

At every juncture, how can we expect to perform well in our next event if we're too...

Elite athletes talk a LOT about "the zone."

"I was just really in the zone today."

"Everything was just flowing for me."

But what in the h-e-double-toothpicks is this "zone?" And what does it feel like to be "in flow?"

Performing "in the zone" refers to a state of optimal performance where we are...

My back is killing me. It's day two, and I have zero patience for it.

I'm doing a nine-week workout program, and this girl likes to stay "caught up." I carefully pushed through yesterday, but today I popped a muscle relaxer, slathered on magnesium, and put on comfy clothes instead.

This is what...