High Performance Mindset | Learn from World-Class Leaders, Consultants, Athletes & Coaches about Mindset - 550: The ABCs of Self-Awareness

Episode Date: July 14, 2023

In this week's podcast, Dr. Cindra shares the ABC method to better understand yourself. You can use the ABC method to increase your self-awareness and change your thoughts, emotions, and actions when needed. Consider what people or situations push your buttons. What can you do to stay in control in those situations? When you feel pressure or stress, you can pay attention to what led you to feel that way.  Quote of the Week: “I think self-awareness is probably the most important thing towards being a champion.” —Billie Jean King  This Week’s Power Phrase: “I master myself to reach a new level.”    

Hi friends, my name is Dr. Sindra Kampoff, a national leader in the field of sport and performance psychology. Every week I'm on the local radio sharing my top tips on exactly how to develop the mindset of the world's best, so you can accomplish all your dreams. Get ready for a jammed, packed episode focused on practical tips to help you get after your goals and step out of your comfort zone. Let's go. Time to check in with Cyndra Kampoff this morning. We have the ABCs of self-awareness.

Cyndra, start us off with a quote. I love this quote by Billie Jean King. She said, I think self-awareness is probably the most important thing towards being a champion. What's inspiring your topic today? Well, I've been thinking a lot about, you know, what are, you know, what's the one thing that changes everything in terms of mental performance and mindset and people having and achieving success? And I think one of the things is self-awareness. And what self-awareness really means is being able to understand your tendencies, being in tune with your emotions and your thoughts and your actions really in the moment. And so why do we need to have self-awareness? Well, I think it's really important, essential into everything that we do. And I would say it's the foundation of high performance. It's the

foundation of our ability to deal with challenges and adversity. And when we have a high amount of self-awareness, we're really in tune with what's going on with our body in moments of adversity or challenge. And so when we are self-aware, we really understand ourselves. We know what we do well. We know how we can improve. We know what jazzes us and the things that pushes our buttons. For example, there's a book called Emotional Intelligence 2.0. And the two authors, basically in this book, talk about 83% of high performers in sport, business, and in life are self-aware. And they suggest two people with a similar talent who apply for a job, the one with the higher self-awareness is more likely to get it. So when are we self-aware? How does it help us out?

Well, it helps us out because we know from the research that when you're highly self-aware, you have more life satisfaction, you have a higher ability to reach your goals. And when we are self-aware, we really understand ourselves. So we can work through emotions even when they're difficult. And we know, for example, self-awareness can improve performances in like sports. Let's say the final play in a game or in a job interview or a presentation or a championship game or even a surgery or a negotiation or even, Lisa, when your child is throwing a tantrum. All of these moments, right, can be, we do better navigate through them when we're highly self-aware. So in your book, Beyond Great, you talk about a method called the ABC of self-awareness.

Can you tell us about what that is? Sure. And so what it helps you do is just really understand yourself and grow in your own awareness of yourself. So A stands for awareness. And this just means like taking a moment to be aware of your thoughts, your emotions, your actions, just kind of notice what you're thinking and feeling and doing. And then the B stands for take a breath. And this helps you slow down and just kind of notice, you're thinking and feeling and doing. And then the B stands for take a breath.

And this helps you slow down and just kind of notice, all right, what's going on with my mind? What's going on with, you know, my body? And then the C stands for just showing yourself some compassion and nonjudgment. You know, every emotion is meant to be felt. And you can make some adjustments to your thoughts and your emotions and your actions when you're, you know, seeing yourself with just some compassion. And I'm going to encourage everyone to try this just a couple of times throughout your day. Just, you know, stop and notice the awareness, take a breath, and just show yourself some compassion and non-judgment. And this will help you grow in

your own awareness of yourself. Would it help at all to like journal that at all or have something to write down when you start noticing things? Yeah, I mean, I think for sure, you know, I think anytime we're journaling, we can take a step back and really just understand ourselves more and particularly the things that really push our buttons or frustrate us. So how does the ABC specific exercise help us out just by being given time to be aware of it? Absolutely. And it helps us really get unstuck from our emotions. You know, I think every emotion is meant to be felt. It's meant to be felt and then release it. And the ABCs can help you just take a breath, not get frustrated, decide how you want to intentionally act. And it helps you choose your response instead of just, you know,

letting your response be an autopilot, maybe because that's what you're used to or how you've seen other people react. Cinder, how would you summarize today for us? You can use the ABC method to increase your self-awareness and change your thoughts and your emotions and your actions when you need it. And I think also just taking a step back and consider what does push your buttons and what could you do just to, you know, continue to grow in your self-awareness? And when you feel pressure or stress, just pay attention to how you're feeling, and that will help you grow in your awareness of yourself.

What is this week's power phrase that you're going to leave us with? I master myself to reach a new level. The ABCs of self-awareness today with Sindra. Sindra, if we want to follow along or grab beyond grit or learn a little bit more about what it is that you do, where can we go? Absolutely. You can head over to DrSindra cindra if we want to follow along or grab beyond grit or learn a little bit more about what it is that you do where can we go absolutely you can head over to dr cindra so dr c-i-n-d-r-a.com and free shipping on the book beyond grit and this section is from that book about knowing yourself to master yourself way to go for finishing another episode of the high

performance mindset i'm giving you a virtual fist pump cow, did that go by way too fast for anyone else. If you want more, remember to subscribe and you can head over to Dr. Sindra for show notes and to join my exclusive community for high performers where you get access to videos about mindset each week. So again, you can head over to Dr. Sindra that's Dr. Sindra.com. See you next week.