In this episode of The Mel Robbins Podcast, Robbins dives into the habits and mindsets of top athletes like Olympians and Paralympians. She explores the power of mental rehearsal techniques to prime the brain for success, and introduces the "bronze medal mindset" - focusing on gratitude for one's achievements rather than dwelling on what could have been.
Robbins also delves into the courage required to prioritize personal well-being, even in the face of immense pressure, as exemplified by Simone Biles. The discussion emphasizes the importance of gaining clarity on one's authentic desires—versus societal expectations—through methods like the "five whys" to foster fulfillment and peak performance.
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Olympians like gymnast Steve Netaroski leverage visualization and mental rehearsal techniques, focusing on feeling the kinesthetic sensations rather than just the visual outcomes. As Mel Robbins explains, this allows athletes to encode movement patterns into procedural memory and activates the same brain regions as physical performance, essentially priming the brain.
Robbins introduces the "bronze medal mindset" - bronze medalists feel gratitude for their accomplishment, contrasting silver medalists who often dwell on not achieving gold. She encourages adopting this mindset of comparing downward to one's progress, rather than upward to those "better," avoiding unproductive comparisons that breed dissatisfaction.
Simone Biles exemplified courage in withdrawing from Olympic events to prioritize her mental health, despite immense pressure. As Robbins states, sometimes quitting is brave when necessary for one's wellbeing, not a weakness. Biles' commitment to therapy highlighted the importance of addressing mental struggles for peak performance.
Olympic and Paralympic athletes demonstrate laser focus on their specific goals. Robbins emphasizes that even broad desires like "learning" can provide direction, seen with Paralympian Famita Iambeku. Gaining clarity on authentic wants, rather than societal expectations, is key to fulfillment. Methods like the "five whys" can help uncover deepest desires.
1-Page Summary
Visualization and mental rehearsal are powerful tools for athletes, and Olympians like Steve Netaroski use these techniques to prepare for competition with remarkable results.
Steve Netaroski, a member of the men's gymnastics team, was spotted leveraging visualization techniques as a part of his preparation strategy, demonstrating the power of mental rehearsal.
What sets apart Steve's visualization practice is his emphasis on the kinesthetic aspect—feeling the movements and sensations—rather than the visual outcome. As Mel Robbins clarifies, visualization is not necessarily about seeing the perfect routine in the mind's eye, but rather it's about feeling oneself executing each movement precisely as intended.
Robbins explains that athletes like Steve mentally rehearse their routines to such an extent that the movements become embedded in their procedural memory. This kind of memory is formed when a task is repeated until it becomes automatic, just like writing with a pen or pouring a glass of water. Robbins uses Steve as an example, noting that he has rehearsed his pommel horse routine so often that it's second nature to him, even with vision impairments.
This process of mental rehearsal doesn't just help store the routine in memory; it also activates the same brain regions as the actual physical pe ...
The power of visualization and mental rehearsal
Mel Robbins introduces the audience to the concept of the "bronze medal mindset," explaining that this approach is part of the surprising habits of Olympians that can significantly impact our lives when integrated positively.
Jeff Hayden, who was initially pleased with his progress after climbing from an entry-level position to a supervisor, experienced a decline in satisfaction when he found out a less cooperative, lazier supervisor made more money than him. Robbins draws a comparison between Hayden's feelings and silver medalists on the podium who dwell on missing the gold, leading to diminished happiness.
This dissatisfaction is attributed to "upward comparison," a process where comparing oneself with those perceived to be in a superior position can overshadow one's achievements. Silver medalists are often victim to this mindset, which can tarnish the value of their silver medal because of the proximity to the gold.
In contrast, Robbins explains that bronze medalists generally feel ecstatic just to be on the podium. This sense of gratitude leads them to compare favorably with those who didn't place at all, allowing them to cherish the success they've achieved.
The value of a bronze medal mindset vs. constant comparison
Simone Biles, heralded as one of the greatest gymnasts, underscored the importance of prioritizing personal wellbeing through her courageous decision to withdraw from Olympic events due to mental health concerns.
Simone Biles, the most decorated U.S. gymnast in history, faced immense pressure to triumph again at the Tokyo Olympics after her all-around gold medal win in 2016. However, during the 2021 Olympics team competition warmups, Biles confronted difficulties with moves she had typically executed flawlessly, signaling underlying issues and ultimately leading to her decision to withdraw. Despite negative feedback and accusations of weakness, Robbins emphasizes that quitting, when deemed necessary, is not an act of fear but one of bravery.
Robbins interprets Biles' withdrawal not as a retreat but as an exemplar of courage, asserting that winners know when to quit to preserve their wellbeing. Biles faced intense global scrutiny after her withdrawal, yet was able to return to compete and win additional medals, proving her resilience and strategic approach to competition and self-care.
The courage to quit when necessary for one's wellbeing
Understanding and being clear about personal ambitions is crucial. Olympic and Paralympic athletes exemplify this laser focus. Mel Robbins underscores that this clarity propels commitment and directs action toward accomplishing goals.
Mel Robbins observes that every Olympic and Paralympic athlete knows precisely what they want and is very clear in their goals. This is why they maintain such a focused approach in their training and daily actions.
Famita Iambeku's journey illuminates the power of clarity in purpose, even when one’s goals initially seem broad or undefined. Famita, who lost her right leg at age 11, attended a running clinic hosted by the Challenged Athletes Foundation. There, she was selected to receive a free running blade and met Jerome Singleton, a Paralympic medalist. When Singleton asked her what she wanted to do with the blade, Famita voiced her desire to "learn how to run" and to "do something meaningful." While these aspirations may seem general, they grounded Famita in a direction and provided the motivation needed to make progress.
Robbins stresses the significance of recognizing an ...
The Importance of Clarity About One's Goals and Desires
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