Win the Inside Game: How to Move from Surviving to Thriving, and Free Yourself Up to Perform

In this highly anticipated book, the bestselling author of Do Hard Things Steve Magness—“one of the giants of modern thinking about high performance” (Alex Hutchinson)—flips the script on the pursuit of excellence, shifting our thinking from high-stress survival mode to fulfillment-oriented thriving mode to creates sustainable success at the highest level, in what Amy Morin, author of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do calls “an essential read for anyone interested in self-discovery and meaningful success.”

Striving is in our nature. We all want to perform at our best when it matters most. But in today's world, many of us feel lost, isolated, and overwhelmed. We're paralyzed by fear of failure and crippled by insecurities. We know we’re capable of more, yet no matter how hard we try, we feel stuck. We’ve been sold the wrong path to success and personal fulfillment.

Renowned performance scientist and bestselling author Steve Magness reveals a new path to sustainable success. In Win the Inside Game, Magness argues that excellence and fulfillment are not mutually exclusive; we can and should seek both. When we measure our worth by our achievements, cement our identities to our careers, and sacrifice our well-being in the pursuit of external validation, it backfires. We default to survival mode, protecting and defending ourselves instead of being free to fulfill our potential.

In this, his most personal book yet, Magness draws on his vast wealth of experience as an Olympic coach and whistleblower, highly popular consultant, and premier expert on performance, as well as scientific findings, interviews, and case studies, to provide a three-part framework to help us learn to focus on what really matters and achieve success.

• Be—Clarity on Who You Are • Do—Clarity in Your Pursuits • Belong—Clarity on Where and How You Fit In

Redefining the trend carved by bestsellers such as Be Useful, Range, and Hidden Potential, Win the Inside Game seeks not only excellence but inner and personal growth. In realigning our focus from something externally motivated and fear-based to internally motivated and driven by personal conviction, Magness provides the tools for us to free ourselves up to perform and ultimately achieve a fuller sense of self and purpose.

© 2025 HarperOne (Audiobook): 9780063339958

Release date

Audiobook: 4 February 2025