How to Win a Gold Medal

With the help of Jack LaLanne to Jane Fonda to the latest fitness influencers, we have a long history of trying to improve our physical health, from cardio to muscle strength. But mental health? Well, that's a different story.

Pre-pandemic, we whispered about mental health struggles while openly discussing physical ailments like a torn meniscus to elevated cholesterol. The pandemic helped us get more comfortable talking about our hidden challenges, but generally through the lens of "Houston, we already have a problem," rather than getting upstream as we try to do with our physical health. 

As I wrote last week, Simone Biles's vulnerability and that of other elite athletes have helped further the conversation - especially in sports where it was even more taboo. Today, Simone is Kintsugi (I need to get her on the pod), and we are all celebrating her golden symbols of strength and resilience and those shiny gold medals around her neck. 

For the other 99.9% of us who can't spin like a gyroscope or swim like a missile, our jobs, which support our way of life, depend more on our mindset or mental health than whether we can crush it on a Peloton bike.

I heard an elite athletic coach recently claim that we've gotten soft, which could be true for his athletes. I'm not sure about the rest of us, but it's clear that we all face growing mindset demands, given how much is coming at us today.

Unfortunately, our mental fortitude has yet to keep pace. This widening gap can make it appear that we've become softer, but the good news is that we can strengthen it.  

After this week, most of us will shift our attention away from swimming, gymnastics, and track and field until LA '28, but this doesn't have to be the case. We can celebrate and learn from the athletes, get upstream, and care for our mindset and mental health daily to honor their vulnerability. 

We can start with small, consistent Pause Breathe Reflect steps like fixed-awareness meditation, effective self-talk, gratitude, letting go of mistakes, goal setting, moving your body, eating real food, or visualization.

They will help you approach all that is coming at you with grace, energy, and a stronger mindset to set you up to win life's gold medal.

Until next week, have fun storming the castle!

Michael

I'm putting together a limited cohort for those interested in strengthening their mindsets to meet today's demands. If you're interested, reply here, and I will put you on the waitlist.

Download my app today for as little as $1 for your first year. 

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