High Performance Survival

In the very challenging set of current circumstances around you, I’m inviting you to break away from the myopia of single definitions of success and move into what is going to be a much healthier mindset for the weeks and months to come.

During my time working in elite sport, I noticed the importance of shifting mindset for athletes to match different phases of the training programmes designed by their coaches.

• Very infrequently, when peaking for competitions, the athletes needed to know how to make the most of a period of opportunity, energy and fine tuning – a time to thrive.
• A lot of the time, they were in periods of Consolidating, where it was important to recognise their strong foundations and ensure upgraded versions of everything were being embedded into their performance DNA.
• Finally, there were periods of training designed to over-stress all systems so that everything was given a stimulus to grow back stronger. In these periods, their challenge is to be world class at Surviving; managing the training load with sufficient control that it creates a stimulus for growth, but doesn’t totally overwhelm them.

These three periods of training require the ability to define success very differently for each one, and the failure to make the shift effectively typically results in unnecessary stress, poor recovery and suppression of overall potential for when it really matters.

The Surviving component is most relevant right now. It requires a realisation that unless we shift our myopic desire for one specific kind of success, we’re going to spend the rest of the year feeling like we’ve failed.

When it comes to the benefits of a High Performance Surviving Mindset, here’s what you’re going to find very useful personally and collectively. It gives you a different lens through which to view the current challenge:

• When it comes to surviving, you shift into a mindset where your primary focus is to be delighted at not failing. Every day that you take on the challenge and don’t go backwards, or compromise future potential, is a resounding success. Gone are the days of feeling the need for momentum and progress. You approach every day with an equanimity that allows you to be ready to soak up whatever you face, with a focus of trust that you have the will and the skill to cope and a desire to see what you learn about yourself.
• You have a clear agenda of self-sabotaging thoughts and behaviours to avoid, because you know indulging in these is personally and/or professionally not acceptable. You celebrate getting through a day where you’ve noticed your self-sabotagers early and avoided them, or they’ve not had to be responded to. Because you’ve clearly defined Unacceptable Failure you harness the powers of ‘away-from’ motivation, where your drive is focused on making sure you avoid own-goals and unnecessarily hampering your efforts.
• You know fatigue is par for the course and you’re likely to feel close to being overwhelmed and on the edge of coping. Because of this, there is always a starting point of ‘self-care first’; you know that every day is going to require additional focus on rest, recovery, good nutrition and hydration, and a commitment to strong mental health habits. You know the stressors you will be facing are high and constant, which will result in ill-health and burnout if you don’t seek to respond to the toll they take with the highest level of proactivity.
• You know that as a result of the period of Survival, you will become stronger in the future. However, you know you won’t really appreciate the benefits of the challenge until a long time in the future. Therefore, you stay focused on delayed gratification and knowing the full value will only be appreciated when you’re well beyond the period. Although the future is compelling, you know you have to commit to being in the present and coping as effectively as possible, one day at a time.