High Performance Mindset | Learn from World-Class Leaders, Consultants, Athletes & Coaches about Mindset - 159: Lessons Learned from One of the World's Best

Episode Date: February 20, 2018

In this episode, Cindra talks with TJ and Lisa about the Winter Olympic Games using a world-class skier, Mikaela Shiffrin, as an example. Summary: High performers feel the fear, but don’t let it keep them from doing what they want to, have to, or designed to do.  They know it’s natural to have negativity – but they are aware of it and talk back to build their confidence. They don’t beat themselves up when they fail – but embrace the beauty of the emotions. Week’s Power Phrase: I keep a calm and clear mind. I tell myself anything is possible RIGHT NOW! Dr. Cindra Kamphoff is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant, Speaker and Author. She provide mental training for the Minnesota Vikings along with many other championships teams. Cindra speaks to and works with CEOs, businesses and organizations on how to gain the high performance edge while providing practical strategies that work. Her clients range from Verizon Wireless to Mayo Clinic Health System. Cindra's first book: Beyond Grit: Ten Powerful Practices to Gain the High Performance Edge was published in August. Her Ph.D. is in sport and performance psychology and she is a Professor in Performance Psychology at Minnesota State University. To book Cindra for your next speaking event, visit: cindrakamphoff.com For more information about Cindra's book, visit: beyondgrit.com 

Welcome to High Performance Mindset with Dr. Sindra Kampoff. Do you want to reach your full potential, live a life of passion, go after your dreams? Each week we bring you strategies and interviews to help you ignite your mindset. Let's bring on Syndra. Time for High Performance Mindset today with Dr. Syndra Kampoff. Good morning to you, Syndra. Good morning. How are you doing today? Pretty good. Road report. Be careful. Go slow.

And warm up your car. And put your visor down? That's what I just got. I was like, I've never heard that little life hack before. That's cool. They said if you put your visor down, it keeps the heat up on your windshield a little bit better because the windshields are freezing over pretty quickly. I could have done that because it was freezing over

at the top. So everyone driving, do that now. I like the life hack. If that works, then yeah, go for that. So yes, please be careful. A number of different reports are coming in via the text line now, and if you're southwest of the Mankato area, that's where it's really bad, and it's absolutely positively coming right this direction. And as Cinder said, she lives here in town, and she's already dealing with it coming in.

So please, please, please be careful today. I don't know that your boss is going to be terribly upset if you're a few extra minutes behind schedule, safety-wise, getting to work today because of it. So keep that in mind. Let's get down to our topic today, lessons learned from one of the world's best, which I like because it has to do with the Olympic Games.

And man, do I see and hear. And now that we've been doing this with you for a number of years, when you watch the Olympic Games, you really realize how good at the mental game a lot of these athletes are. Absolutely. And most of them have somebody to work with individually. And there's lots of cool references to the mental game throughout the last week or so. So we have a quote today. We're going to start with a quote from Lindsey Vonn, one of the world's best skiers. So she said,

if you go around being afraid, you're never going to enjoy life. You have only one chance, so you've got to have fun. Excellent. I like her. Did you see, was it yesterday? She did a training run, and when she got to the finish line, she stood up straight and put her arms out and basically slowed herself down.

And then when they interviewed her afterwards, she said, well, I didn't want to be the fastest one in training. I like other people to think that they can beat me. And it's a mental game she plays where she slows down in her training runs. She's like, whatever it takes, whatever advantage I can get. Nice. I like it.

That's good. So what's our example to start with today? So the example today is Michaela Schifrin. She's one of the top-rated skiers. She won 41 World Cups, which is phenomenal. Yeah. And she won the giant slalom in her first race at the Games. And so she had this really

eye-opening interview with Julie Foudy on ESPNW. And so Julie was asking her what it's like right before she starts. And then this is what she said. She said, I calm my mind and I just breathe. But then the thoughts start creeping in. And I think, oh my gosh, I'm going to die. And then I think, I'm not going to die. You know, I do this every day. You're fine. And then I think,

you know, I'm going to really die. This looks really icy and scary. And she said, you know, I have this angel on one shoulder and this devil on the other shoulder, and they're talking to each other. And then the ref starts saying, you know, the ref says, 10 seconds, and I get my mind clear. And I say, shut up, you two. Let's go for it. You know, and then she 10 seconds and I get my mind clear and I say, shut up, you two. Let's go for it. You know, and then she kind of just keeps on going in the interview and she says, you know, there are athletes who say, I have no fear. And she said, I call BS. You know, she said, I have fear. I'm just trying to overcome it every day.

And I actually think it helps me. I think it gives me a certain respect for the mountain. And if you get in a fistfight with the mountain, you're never going to win. Excellent. And that's true. I don't think anyone could say they don't have fear. It's just how they manage to process that. So what are your thoughts on what makes that statement so powerful?

Well, I think there's really three powerful things about it. I think it's powerful because she's real. And she explains what everyone can struggle with, this voice inside, you know, I think her self-awareness is incredibly high. You know, she describes this angel and this devil, which I, you know, I felt many times in my life. And then the third reason that I think is really powerful is she's explaining this fear and how it's part of the human experience. But really what she's working to do is channel it. So let's dig in a little bit more here. Tell us about the fear piece first. Well, you know, I like what she said is about, you know, you have to have a calm mind and to

perform at the Olympics, you have to have a calm and clear mind. Just like all of us, that's how we all perform at our best. But fear can get in our way. And especially in the world's biggest stage when everyone's watching, right? But what she said was, you know, she was describing how, you know, her thoughts were like, oh my God, I'm going to die. No, you're not, right? And so I think that's an example of how fear lives in the future, but it's really self-created. And we're just fantasizing about the future in a negative way.

And I think the key is to realize it's just your imagination and you're likely imagining the worst case scenario. But what the best do, and I think she's a great example of this, is they feel the fear, but they don't let it stop them from what they're designed to do or have to do or want to do. So I like that. It's not real. It's not real. Not real.

Yeah. You just got to kind of come to terms with that. So let's talk about this. She mentioned the devil on one shoulder and the angel on the other. How is that similar to what a lot of us experience? Well, I think we all have negative thoughts, but what the best do is they don't believe everything they think. And I think she was being really intentional with her self-talk. But when the time was there to start, she worked to have a clear and calm mind. And in my book, Beyond Grid, I talk about an acronym in terms of how to address that negativity. And I talk about CAR. So you got to catch it.

You got to notice it, which she did. Right. And then address it. She was working to talk back to it and then refocus on the next thing that you have to do. I like this. So something else that she said after she got fourth in her event, the slalom the next day. What did she say? Yeah.

So the next day she actually got fourth and she was expected to win because it was kind of like her best event. And, you know, she so she was over the overwhelmingly the favorite. And she talked about how that, you know, her emotions played a part in it and that she got too high in the day before where she won. And she said, you know, I've gone over it a thousand times in my head. And I don't think I would have done anything differently if I got a second chance. I wouldn't go back and take my emotions or take my excitement away in order to have a better shot today. And she said, some of us are going to leave here feeling like heroes. Some of us are going to leave feeling broken.

And some of us are going to feel both. But this is real. This is life. It's amazing and terrifying and wonderful and brutal and exciting and nerve-wracking. And, you know, honestly, I'm just grateful to be a part of it. What do you think is so important about what she said, though? Well, I think she's really showing that she, you know, has self-compassion, which is really hard to do when, like, millions of people are watching.

And I think she's also emphasizing that it can be really hard, like, when you have a really high day with lots of excitement and lots of emotion to rebound the next day. So I think about for the Minnesota Vikings, the Minneapolis Miracle. Right, right. Or this happens to me sometimes where I crush it in a speech and then the next day it's kind of hard to kind of have the same kind of excitement. Right. But what she's doing is she's embracing it all. The good, the wonderful, the beauty, the anxiety and the terrifying part.

So how is this an example of how we should approach failure in our lives? We're all going to fail at something. Yeah, you know, she wasn't beating herself up about the failure. And I think what she was really doing is embracing it. And, you know, I think just noticing that and taking the approach that failure is inevitable. But what the best do is they let go of the mistakes so it doesn't weigh them down. And I think, you know, it's important that we follow her lead because, you know, she's learning and then she's letting go. Awesome. Let's put a bow on it for today. So how do you summarize this whole thing? We kind of covered quite a bit. Yeah, we did. You know,

I'd say high performers, those people who are working to reach their greater potential, they feel the fear, but they don't let it keep them from doing what they want to do or have to do or designed to do, which is the first part we talked about. And then they know that negativity is natural, but to be aware of it and talk back to it to build your confidence and that the best fail. But they embrace the beauty of the emotions. I will tell my kids a lot when they talk about being nervous or scared or whatever. I'm like, that's good. It means it's important to you.

Nice. You got to be able to process it now and turn that into something good. What's our power phrase to wrap up with today? All right, here we go. I keep a calm and clear mind. I tell myself anything is possible right now. Perfect.

All right. Now that's going to get posted on social media later. You'll be able to find it on Twitter and elsewhere. And if we want to listen to your podcast, that also have a lot of great stuff from a number of the best in the business. Plus, we want to listen to your podcast, that also have a lot of great stuff from a number of the best in the business. Plus, we want to maybe grab the book, which I know I've still seen is doing very well.

Lots of people picking up copies of Cindra's book, Beyond Grit. How do we get in touch and keep up with you? You can find the book information at beyondgrit.com and also came out with a workbook a couple of months ago. So sending a lot of those out. And then you can find more information on the podcast just by heading over to iTunes and subscribing. And these are always posted the next day.

So if you'd like to re-listen to this one or share it with someone else, you can find that on Tuesday. All right. And drcindra.com. You betcha. The website, otherwise. All right. Cindra, camp off with us today for High Performance Mindset. Good to see you.

Thank you so much for having me. Thank you for listening to High Performance Mindset. If you liked today's podcast, make a comment, share it with a friend, and join the conversation on Twitter at Mentally Underscore Strong. For more inspiration and to receive Cindra's free weekly videos, check out DrCindra.com.