This is Mental!
I’ve decided that prepping for a triathlon is 80% mental and 20% physical. When it comes to a physical challenge, your body can adjust to just about anything you ask it to do and strengthens over time with practice. It is an amazing machine. The brain, another amazing machine, is the tougher putt for me. Getting 100 billion neurons to fire in the same supportive direction seems like a daunting task on most days. Negative self-talk, worry, judgment, exhaustion, etc. is capable of ruining any great intention and foiling any admirable plan.
I now need my brain to support what I want my body to achieve. Here’s the thing, I have never considered myself to be athletic. I was a “Student Council-Debate-Forensics-Theater” kid in high school. I much preferred to run my mouth than my legs. Same in college and Grad school. Know thy strengths, not thy locker room.
Now that I’m in unfamiliar territory, I find myself needing to rely on old practices in new ways.
Be ‘all in’: Truthfully, this has always been rather easy for me. When I commit, I commit. Be it church, conferences, or concerts…you’ll find me rather front and center. No jumbotron for me, I want to engage…not just attend. This can be an easy way to demonstrate commitment, tenacity, and loyalty. I also know it can become a detriment if I forget to analyze progress or confirm alignment with those who also said they were “in”. So far, commitment and tenacity are working in my favor.
No complaints: Attitude is everything in this journey. I try to look forward to formal training days (Mondays and Wednesdays). No complaining allowed and I reach for my mobile phone only to take a picture. I am early to on time for (almost) all practices. Once there, I do as I’m told, seek out feedback to get better, and learn as much as I can. No one is ‘doing this to me’. I chose this and own it.
Create a Tribe: The ticket to enter Team Phoenix is daunting and a strong community is expected. The organizers want to create an environment where women support the health and well-being of other women. You are asked not to miss more than 3 practices and are consistently put in pairs or small groups during drills. After our 3rd session, we were grouped into teams of 6 and asked to introduce ourselves by sharing our name, hometown and why we said ‘yes’ to this journey. The reasons offered were heartfelt: “I’m hoping this will prolong my life”, “I’m recently divorced and need to find myself again”, “To meet new people”, “I lost my confidence”, etc. One simple question, asked at the start of any team effort, is a best practice; it helps peers become empathetic to their teammate’s positions. The context in which you work always matters. Try it…start your next team meeting by asking one of these questions.
Time Management: A client shared an incredible metaphor with me recently. He said “in the Hourglass of Life, most of my sand is in the bottom. The sand that remains on top is extremely precious to me. I want to be intentional with each grain.” I’ve needed to make room in my life for this change. Like you, I have a busy home, work, and community life. I’ve always believed that happy, successful people make time for the things that matter the most to them. They live with intent and purpose. Watch Stephen Covey’s video on Big Rocks for a refresher on the concept. I have found enough time by reprioritizing my tasks, asking for help, and saying ‘no’ or ‘not now’ more often.
Generous gratitude: I stole a best practice from a colleague 10 years ago and have done it ever since. I carry 5 notecards in my briefcase at all times. By Friday of each week, those notecards need to be ‘spent’…offered to others with a handcrafted note of gratitude. Recipients might be airline attendants, hotel clerks, assistants to my clients, my clients, my kids, their teachers, etc. A consistent practice of appreciation reminds me to notice the talents of and kindness in others. Although it’s a bit awkward to craft and hand a note card off while on a bike trail with this group…I’ve gotten creative with texts, emails, and in-person ‘atta-girls’. It all counts toward building the Tribe I described in #3. I believe in the power of gratitude so much that at my previous company, graduates of my executive classes received personalized stationery as part of their graduation gift. We also erected a sizable ‘Gratitude Station’ in the lobby of our busiest building. Our customers would take pictures of it during company tours. I was exposed to the idea during an Airbnb visit a few years prior. Read the story that inspired us here.
We face challenges every day. Having the right headset is critical. How has yours been lately?
