Mindset Made Simple Tip #47
Our Mindset REALLY Matters…for Much More Than Just Our Performance!
To watch or listen, click HERE.
I think we can all agree that our MINDSET…or how we think… affects how we feel, the decisions we make and how we behave.
We can then extrapolate that our MINDSET will affect our PERFORMANCE…
More importantly, studies tell us that our MINDSET affect our health!
Coming off a week where most of my thoughts and conversations surrounded my dad’s health, I have thought a lot about a conversation we had on the way home from the Cleveland Clinic last week.
We were so happy to go home. I thought we may be there for weeks (literally, weeks!).
As we drove through Cleveland’s near east side and shared our joy in driving home together, my dad also shared that no matter what had happened during his time at the Clinic, he has had an amazing life. He went on talk about how fortunate he has been over the past 80 year.
Mind you, he suffers from Congestive Heart Failure. His wife of 50 years died as they were driving home from vacation out of the blue, and I am sure there are countless of other things that have thrown him off his game throughout his life.
Yet when he boils it all down…the good and the not so good…he is VERY GRATEFUL. He is so grateful that he is willing to have a MAJOR surgery to continue to live…because life is SO GOOD!
Listening to this made my heart SING!
Why? Well there are a lot of reasons, but one of them is because I have read a host of studies on how our MINDSET affects us…and this one is HUGE for my family!
According to JAMA, those with a positive outlook are less likely to experience serious heart-related problemsand optimism was associated with a 35% lower risk of heart related issues and death from cardiovascular issues.
HOLLA!
Keep being grateful, Dad! Keep counting your blessings and looking for reasons to live!
What can we learn from this as leaders of performers? This goes back to a recent article I wrote about PERSPECTIVE (you can read it HERE).
We can choose to look at things however we want to look at things and if looking at things with a “glass half full” perspective helps our heart health, just think of what it can do for our performance!
My Dad also read somewhere last week that if you think your glass is half empty, pour what you have in a smaller glass! In other words, change your perspective!
One way we can remind ourselves of how fortunate we are is to keep something in front of us that keeps this in the forefront of our minds.
Many years ago, my sister went on a missions trip to the Dominican Republic. She brought me back a bracelet that someone she met there made. I LOVED IT. It served as a constant reminder of how fortunate we are in the US and in our family, in particular. While driving and swatting a bee out of my window, I lost it. I looked for it on the side of the highway until I ran out of daylight. I needed that reminder.
Want your team to keep the fact that they are very fortunate (one of 6% of athletes to play in college)?
Have them make a “perspective poster.”
· Have them think of something in the world that is unfortunate – how others live, someone who has suffered, a situation they would like to avoid
· Find a picture or pictures that capture this situation
· Make a poster, a screen saver, something to put on their mirror, etc. where they can see it and get frequent reminders to count their blessings
This is a simple (and sort of morbid) exercise, but the truth is that we CONSTANTLY take things for granted!
Gratitude, optimism, perspective and positive emotion all affect how we think, how we act, our decisions, our relationships and our performance!
Sometimes we just need to remember how amazing our lives are…even, or especially when we are facing tough stuff!
So find your bracelet or make your poster and maybe when you are 80 and driving home from the hospital with your child, you will make her heart sing with your beautiful words, too!
Here’s to all of the good in our lives!
Have a great week!
Julie
Julie
P.S. Now is the time to plan for next season! I would love to bring the mental game to your program. Let’s set up a time to talk about how we can build your team’s mental toughness. Give me a call or text at 234-206-0946 or send me an email at juliej@ssbperformance.com
Certified Mental Performance & Mindset Coach
SSB Performance
www.ssbperformance.com
juliej@ssbperformance.com • 234-206-0946
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Be strong and courageous. Joshua 1:9