Mastering The Elite Athlete Mindset (Even If You're Not An Athlete)
In today’s fast-paced, competitive environment, the bar for human performance is at an all-time high. College admissions requirements are incredibly rigorous, athletic records are set weekly, and large numbers of highly qualified applicants are competing for available jobs. The pressure to perform is real, and it’s no surprise that people are feeling overwhelmed and burned out.
Despite all this, many people are reaching their goals and achieving their very best. While genetics, talent, and hard work play a role, oftentimes it’s the other things they have in common that produce results. Take a look at these tools that elite athletes use and see if you can incorporate any of them into your daily routine…even if you’re not an athlete!
1. Alternate between cycles of stress and rest. Whether you’re trying to learn something new, run faster, or grow your business, this is so important.
Practical applications:
a. Insert short breaks throughout your work over the course of the day.
b. Time your “off-days”, long weekends, and vacations to follow periods of heavy stress.
c. Identify when your work regularly starts to suffer. When you find that point, insert a break just prior to it.
2. Change the way you think about stress. Stress in well-planned intervals is a good thing. A muscle, for instance, must be stressed in order to grow strong. It’s when the stress is too large or lasts too long that the body fails to adapt. Then, it does the opposite of growing stronger, it starts to deteriorate. The effects of stress depend on the dose. When stress is applied in the right dose, we grow stronger both physically and psychologically.
Practical applications:
a. Think of a skill that you want to grow. Assess your current ability to perform this skill. Actively seek out challenges that just barely exceed your ability. Once you feel comfortable, make the next challenge a bit harder. If you feel so anxious that you can’t focus, lower your level of output.
b. Don’t allow yourself to give up without trying. Only seek support after you’ve allowed a brief period of struggling.
3. Work deliberately. It’s not how much time you put into working on or practicing something, it’s how focused and present you are while you’re doing it.
Practical applications:
a. Define your purpose and specific goals each time you are working on a task.
b. Focus and concentrate deeply, even if it’s uncomfortable.
c. Do only one thing at a time. Research has shown that multi-tasking is not effective.
d. Remove distractors – yes, your phone, computer, tv, or anything else that will not help you complete your task. This is so important!!
e. Depending on the task, alternate between 50 to 90 minutes of work and 7 to 20 minutes of complete rest where you are not thinking about your work at all.
4. Change the way you think about rest. Rest supports growth. Once you stop viewing rest as something that’s unproductive, you’ll start realizing how helpful it is to your level of productivity and performance.
Practical applications:
a. The more stressful the task, the longer you should rest.
b. For really draining tasks, consider stepping away until the next day.
c. For rest, you can: go for a short walk (helps us overcome mental blocks), listen to music, complete an easy chore, sit outside, talk to a friend, sleep, etc.
5. Follow a routine that supports your growth. Top performers don’t leave things up to chance. Rather, they actively create conditions that will support them in doing their best.
Practical applications:
a. Create a routine and stick to it consistently.
b. Mood has a huge impact on performance so show up with a positive outlook.
c. Create a comfortable environment and surround yourself with objects that help you perform at your best (i.e. soothing office, comfortable running shoes, favorite pen).
I hope these tools are helpful as you work to improve your performance. Practice them consistently and you’ll likely see results. If you’d like some additional support along the way, feel free to reach out and schedule a session.