On the back of an incredible Olympics and imminent Paralympics, there’s a lot of focus on excellence. I find myself wishing we had the same vision for what mental fitness and strength could be, that we do for our bodies.
In many ways, actually, elite athletes were the first cohort in society to truly understand that they would never reach their potential without having both.
Exactly what are we capable of, and is it trainable?
If so, why do we seem content focusing our resources on suicide, reducing stigma, and at best, mindfulness and meditation. Messages such as “there’s no shame in getting help” and “50% of us will develop a mental illness” are splashed across the media.
It needs to be said and goodness knows I’ve told that story most of my career and will continue to do so. But it has also served as a significant frustration as we start to believe that dodging illness and championing help seeking is the headline story of our minds. It’s somewhat like having a Ferrari and driving or insuring it like it was a 1995 Ford Focus. We deserve so much more than being ok.
Our mental fitness and psychological performance are a critical differentiator of a successful life.
Imagine if you could train like an Olympian to achieve:
Clear judgement and decision making
Cognitive and emotional agility
Knowing when to show grit and when to quit
Balancing alertness and being able to sleep
Fine tuned self awareness, and enough bandwidth to be exceptional at reading others.
Shifting our focus internally and externally, as effortlessly as a dial on a scale.
Strength and conditioning coaches aren’t only interested in asking “Is anyone injured?”
Exercise physiologists aren’t focusing on telling people there’s no shame in coming forward.
Our minds have as much or more capability to strengthen as our bodies.
I don’t know about you, but isn’t it time to lift the bar?
Comments