Mindset Shift
This morning, I woke up thinking about a mindset shift that changed everything for me as a professional triathlete. It was in the year 2000 and I had just choked at the Olympic trials. Choked in that I really was kind of a shoo-in for the Olympic team by the way that I had been racing, and I choked. I had a horrible race and I ended up just being an alternate for that 2000 Olympic team. I was absolutely devastated and when we have a disappointment like that, it leads us to reflect on what's working and what's not working.
Welcome to the Bed Head Chronicles.
This morning, I woke up thinking about a mindset shift that changed everything for me as a professional triathlete. It was in the year 2000 and I had just choked at the Olympic trials. Choked in that I really was kind of a shoo-in for the Olympic team by the way that I had been racing, and I choked. I had a horrible race and I ended up just being an alternate for that 2000 Olympic team. I was absolutely devastated and when we have a disappointment like that, it leads us to reflect on what's working and what's not working.
That's the gift in any disappointment.
I started thinking about what my mindset was going into these races. I wanted to make the Olympic team. It was a be all, end all. I needed to earn a paycheck so I can support this passion of mine. These things were not driving me or inspiring me in the way that really resonated with me, and thus, it wasn't bringing out the best in me – wasn't serving me.
I started thinking about how grateful I was for where I was on this journey. I started the sport at 23. I didn't know how to swim. I wanted to be the best in the world. How crazy is that? But I had literally worked so hard, trained so hard, done everything in my power to make it to that level which was a high level. I was an alternate on the Olympic team, but at the time, I'm coming in, you know, top five in the world in major World Cup races, and I thought I really need to appreciate how far I've come at this point in time.
I started thinking about how grateful I was for my determination and my drive and my hunger, my relentlessness. And I thought about the quote by Prefontaine, to give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift. And I thought, "God, I'm so grateful for how far I've come.” And I thought, "what if every single day in training and especially on race day, I am so desperate to want to show God – so, when I talk about this, you, whatever your belief is – God, the universe, infinite intelligence, you can really do a sweep up for me. I thought I am so grateful to God for having blessed me with this hunger, this drive, this relentlessness, and the abilities and the opportunities to do what I love and to do what I'm passionate about. And I thought I need to show -- I was so desperate to show my appreciation, show my gratitude for all these gifts and blessings that I had. I thought what -- the way that I can show my thanks and appreciation is every day to get out there in and lay everything I have inside me out on the race course or out on the training course. Whatever it is. And, in doing that, that's my way of showing thanks.
So race day would come and all I would ask for from myself is to be able to lay everything I had out there. Heart, soul, mind, body, spirit – everything I have to show my thanks, to show my appreciation to God for all the wonderful blessings that I feel I've been given: my hunger, my drive, my determination, my relentlessness—all of that.
That changed everything for me. That inspired me. That resonated so deeply inside of me and it brought out the very best in me. So, that's simple shift in mindset, simple but powerful potent changed everything from you started winning races. I became the number one athlete in the world and ultimately, I retired at number one in the world in 2003. So, guys, sometimes think about what your mindset is. Is it leading to your best performances? Your best results? Your happiest life? Or is it not serving you? Think about how you can shift your mindset. Look at things differently. Reframe something to bring out the best in you. Just serve you and to serve everything that you're going after your life. I hope that helps everybody have an amazing day.
For more tips and advice about living an authentic life go to https://www.sirilindley.com/authentic/
This morning, I woke up thinking about a mindset shift that changed everything for me as a professional triathlete. It was in the year 2000 and I had just choked at the Olympic trials. Choked in that I really was kind of a shoo-in for the Olympic team by the way that I had been racing, and I choked. I had a horrible race and I ended up just being an alternate for that 2000 Olympic team. I was absolutely devastated and when we have a disappointment like that, it leads us to reflect on what's working and what's not working.
That's the gift in any disappointment.
I started thinking about what my mindset was going into these races. I wanted to make the Olympic team. It was a be all, end all. I needed to earn a paycheck so I can support this passion of mine. These things were not driving me or inspiring me in the way that really resonated with me, and thus, it wasn't bringing out the best in me – wasn't serving me.
I started thinking about how grateful I was for where I was on this journey. I started the sport at 23. I didn't know how to swim. I wanted to be the best in the world. How crazy is that? But I had literally worked so hard, trained so hard, done everything in my power to make it to that level which was a high level. I was an alternate on the Olympic team, but at the time, I'm coming in, you know, top five in the world in major World Cup races, and I thought I really need to appreciate how far I've come at this point in time.
I started thinking about how grateful I was for my determination and my drive and my hunger, my relentlessness. And I thought about the quote by Prefontaine, to give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift. And I thought, "God, I'm so grateful for how far I've come.” And I thought, "what if every single day in training and especially on race day, I am so desperate to want to show God – so, when I talk about this, you, whatever your belief is – God, the universe, infinite intelligence, you can really do a sweep up for me. I thought I am so grateful to God for having blessed me with this hunger, this drive, this relentlessness, and the abilities and the opportunities to do what I love and to do what I'm passionate about. And I thought I need to show -- I was so desperate to show my appreciation, show my gratitude for all these gifts and blessings that I had. I thought what -- the way that I can show my thanks and appreciation is every day to get out there in and lay everything I have inside me out on the race course or out on the training course. Whatever it is. And, in doing that, that's my way of showing thanks.
So race day would come and all I would ask for from myself is to be able to lay everything I had out there. Heart, soul, mind, body, spirit – everything I have to show my thanks, to show my appreciation to God for all the wonderful blessings that I feel I've been given: my hunger, my drive, my determination, my relentlessness—all of that.
That changed everything for me. That inspired me. That resonated so deeply inside of me and it brought out the very best in me. So, that's simple shift in mindset, simple but powerful potent changed everything from you started winning races. I became the number one athlete in the world and ultimately, I retired at number one in the world in 2003. So, guys, sometimes think about what your mindset is. Is it leading to your best performances? Your best results? Your happiest life? Or is it not serving you? Think about how you can shift your mindset. Look at things differently. Reframe something to bring out the best in you. Just serve you and to serve everything that you're going after your life. I hope that helps everybody have an amazing day.
For more tips and advice about living an authentic life go to https://www.sirilindley.com/authentic/