About the Performance Equation

“Grow potential and reduce self-interference. Don’t just be a doer in life; whatever you are doing, learn, evolve, and maximize your enjoyment of the limited time you are given.“
~ Tim Gallwey

In his "Inner Game" series, Tim Gallwey suggests that when trying to perform at our best and achieve our goals, an 'inner game' takes place in our minds whereby our progress can be hampered by self-doubt, fear, lack of focus or self-limiting beliefs. If we can win the inner game, then we can improve our relationships, performance, business, health and most importantly increase our personal satisfaction and wellbeing.

My approach is based on the inner Performance Equation to help individuals, teams and organisations unlock their full potential, overcome their internal barriers, and achieve their goals both personally and professionally:

Performance = potential - interference

P = p - i

This means that by magnifying and nurturing potential whilst managing or eliminating interference we can have a positive impact on performance (i.e. increased success, productivity, achievement of goals, productivity, personal satisfaction etc.).

This involves working with clients in two main areas:

1. Realising potential

Grounded in positive psychology, I help people to gain insight in to their strengths, virtues and motivations and to align them to their personal and/or organisational goals and values, galvanising effort, commitment and enjoyment in the pursuit of excellence. This can include work on developing a growth mindset, identification of individual and team strengths and how to use them, how to increase motivation, effective goal-setting and planning, how to foster flow or enjoyment of work/tasks, and how to increase innovation, creativity and/or ideation.

2. Reducing interference

Grounded in performance psychology, I provide people with the knowledge, tools and techniques to recognise and manage internal or mental obstacles to achieving their goals. This can include work on gaining insight into and reducing self-imposed barriers to progress such as self-doubt, fear of failure, perfectionism, procrastination, lack of confidence, stress and/or anxiety, unhelpful thinking patterns, personal biases, lack of control or poor self-management.

Whether you're an individual looking to improve your health or achieve your personal goals, an organisation looking to develop and empower your team, a coach who wants better outcomes for your clients or an athlete seeking marginal gains in performance, the Performance Equation can work for you!

Find out more

About me - Dr Marie Stopforth C.Psychol.

Psychologist, Coach, Facilitator

I'm a chartered and registered sport and exercise psychologist who now specialises in coaching, training and facilitation. I still work as a sport psychologist with a particular interest in motor sport. However, most of my work current work involves applying the knowledge and skills that I have in improving performance and wellbeing, helping individuals and organisations to fulfil their potential.

I have nearly 20 years experience of working in Universities both developing and delivering courses, and in senior leadership and management roles. This included leading a postgraduate coaching psychology course in London, UK. Alongside that, I worked as a coach and facilitator, coaching individuals and working with SMEs and their senior leadership teams. I became fully self-employed as a coaching psychologist and facilitator in September 2019.

For my PhD, I carried out research in to team functioning and motivation, and still particularly enjoy working with teams and working with groups to find effective, sustainable solutions to complex problems.

I'm a Committee Member on the British Psychological Society's Special Group in Coaching Psychology, leading on professional development. We're currently in the process of accrediting professional standards for coaching psychology so that individuals and organisations know that they are getting the most highly trained and skilled coaches.

I am also a qualified exercise instructor (mainly Pilates these days!), and I've worked in the health and fitness industry for many years with qualifications in weight management, cardiac rehabilitation and exercise referral for medical conditions. I'm passionate about applying the principles of evidence based behaviour change models to improve health and wellbeing.