From Special Forces to Performance Psychology with Simon Jeffries

From Special Forces to Performance Psychology with Simon Jeffries

From The Triathlon Brick Session by Mark Livesey

May 16, 2026 · 1h 30m

About this episode

Mark Livesey interviews Simon Jeffries about mindset and resilience in high-pressure situations.

What really happens when the pressure hits, and you’ve got nowhere to hide? In this episode, I sit down with former Special Forces operator Simon Jeffries for a raw, unfiltered conversation on mindset, resilience, and what it actually takes to perform when it matters most. From the realities of selection to the unseen struggles that follow high performance, this isn’t theory, it’s lived experience. We break down why the physical side is only half the battle, and how your mindset, habits, and self-talk will either carry you through, or quietly unravel you. We get into the uncomfortable truths, why people choke under pressure, why success doesn’t guarantee fulfilment, and why so many driven individuals end up stuck in cycles of stress, distraction, and burnout. Simon shares the frameworks he now uses to rebuild performance from the ground up, not just for elite operators, but for anyone who wants to take control of how they show up in life. No fluff, no shortcuts, just what actually works. In this episode, we cover: Why most people fail under pressure, and how to fix it What Special Forces selection really exposes about you The hidden cost of high performance, stress, identity, and…

People in this episode

Host: Mark Livesey

Guest: Simon Jeffries

Topics covered

  • mindset
  • resilience
  • performance psychology
  • pressure
  • high performance
  • burnout

Keywords

  • performance
  • mental toughness
  • stress
  • identity
  • habits
  • self-talk
  • discipline

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Special Forces

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