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Getting Your Head Back in the Agility Game

Season #2

Getting Your Head Back in the Game

Episode [EP 18]  |  The Champion's Journey Podcast  |  Solo Episode — Christoffer Endresen

Episode Description

Coming back from a break with a head full of “should haves” is one of the most common and least talked-about challenges in agility. Whether you’ve had an injury, a life event, or simply a planned rest period - that gap between where you were and where you want to be can feel paralysing rather than motivating.

In this episode, Chris shares exactly how he’s switching his mental game back on after more than six weeks away from agility following the birth of his daughter. The tools he’s using aren’t complicated, but they’re specific, and they work. The first is pen and paper: a surprisingly powerful remedy for the inner critic that surfaces after any rest period, and a way to turn that critical noise into a concrete, constructive roadmap for the season ahead. The second is music - used not casually, but intellectually - to build emotional momentum and an internal movie trailer for the big events you’re building towards.

Together, these two tools capture the essence of dog agility mental training: anchor emotion to a clear goal, then let that drive the behaviour change that closes the gap between where you are and where you want to compete. As Chris puts it, emotion creates motion - and that’s the whole game.

 

Hit play if you’re stepping back into competition mode and want a framework that actually gets you moving - without shame, pressure, or wasted energy on what you didn’t do.

 

In This Episode

  • Why planned rest is part of serious competition prep - Chris explains the active rest period he and his partner took, and why stepping away from agility actually builds motivation for the season ahead.
  • The inner critic after a break - That nagging bad conscience about what you didn’t do? It’s not the enemy. It’s information - and it’s trying to help.
  • Pen and paper as a mental performance tool - The simple, science-backed method for silencing your inner critic and transforming it from chaos into a constructive coaching resource.
  • Using music to build emotional drive - How to use music intellectually to create an internal movie trailer for your coming agility season, generate real emotional fuel, and prime yourself to execute.
  • The success definition that builds momentum - A reframe that removes the pressure of perfection and turns every action into evidence that you’re on the right track.
  • World Agility Open follow-along announcement - An 8-week behind-the-scenes journey as Chris and his team prepare for WAO. Link in the show notes.

 

Timestamps / Chapters

 

00:00 Redefining Success 

00:33 Welcome Back New Dad 

02:07 Season Plans And Big Events 

03:55 Rest And Motivation Reset 

05:51 Pen And Paper Reset 

09:30 Turn Critic Into Coach 

11:45 Music For State Control 

16:13 Mental Training Drives Action 

17:58 Plans Friction And Momentum 

24:20 Follow Along And Wrap Up

 

Timestamps are approximate. Your podcast platform may auto-generate more precise chapters from the uploaded audio.

 

Resources & Links Mentioned

 

Join the DAP Community - 14-Day Free Trial

Ready to show up mentally and physically prepared — for every agility event, no matter how big or small? 

Join the DAP Community and get instant access to everything you need to develop yourself as a handler:

•       From Nerves to Confidence (6 weeks) — Transform competition anxiety into calm, focused performance

•       Agility Master Plan — Your complete handler development roadmap

•       Champion's Image (12 weeks) — Build an unshakeable self-image as a handler and competitor

•       Bi-Weekly Q&A — Live sessions with Chris to work through your specific challenges

•       WAO Follow Along — Train alongside the World Agility Open preparation journey

 

Coming soon: Agility Fitness Kick-Start — and much more. 

The 14-day free trial is your chance to explore everything, experience what the community feels like, and decide if this is the right step for you. No pressure. No risk.

👉  Start your free 14-day trial:  https://www.dogagilityperformance.com/offers/9ndFHsf3/checkout