Why Thinking Like A Gymnast Will Increase Your Chances Of Success
Hey! Welcome back to the 10.0 Podcast. The podcast designed for any athlete who knows they have more to give in this life to maximize their full potential. If you’re not familiar with 10.0, I recommend you subscribe to the podcast, start from the beginning, and work your way back here when you have the time!
So this season we’re going to take a different approach. Don’t worry, we’ll still have a bunch of your favorite guests on here, but we’re going to dive deeper in solo episodes too. On today’s episode I want to talk about what Train Like A Gymnast actually means... Because over the years, we've had a lot of people wonder what we actually do and the services we provide. It's actually pretty hard for me to explain that we are platform, but we're also a fitness and lifestyle brand. Overall, Train Like A Gymnast is really a concept. To embody every sense of that phrase.
Whether you were a gymnast or an athlete in another sport you understand. You are constantly working to master your mind and emotions to keep yourself performing at your best and you are training your body to be able to maximize its full potential. Mind, body, and spirit.
I went ahead and broke it down for you.
To train like a gymnast requires three sings; the first:
1. Mental Mastery
Thinking like a gymnast means understanding all of the consequences that could come from you not putting in the work, as well as understanding all of the benefits from the potential that you have within yourself to succeed. Being able to think like a gymnast means to find strength in your failures so that you can come back stronger. It means that you don't run from the the pain of conditioning, rather you face the pleasure of winning at a competition. It means you turn your limiting beliefs into empowering beliefs and constantly develop your growth mindset versus coming from a place of scarcity. Consistency is also such a huge part of thinking like a gymnast.
How many gymnasts do you know, or athletes in general, who aren't consistent? I could bet you they're probably not the ones who got selected for the Olympic team. To be an athlete requires consistency. As Tony Robbins says, “It's not what we do once in awhile that shapes our lives. It's what we do consistently.” So if you're consistently missing practice, guess what? That is what is going to dictate your results. If you are consistent with showing up, consistent with putting in the work, and consistent with your drive to get better, then there's no doubt that you will succeed if you just keep going.
I like to explain this to my clients like this: Imagine you're driving down a highway, right? The highway’s like a two-lane highway that has some stop lights here and there in the middle of nowhere. As you're driving, there may be obstacles that come up on the road. You might hit a roundabout, you might hit a stoplight, a tumbleweed or a squirrel might dart across the road. Those are all obstacles that get in the way, slow you down, make you stop, or take you on a detour, but as long as you just keep driving the direction that you're headed, you're going to get to your destination. Granted, you have a destination. That's the same thing as having a goal – if you do not have a goal or a purpose (which will get into as the second thing needed to train like a gymnast) then you're driving aimlessly and you won't know when you got into your destination. You may have passed it, but since you never set an endpoint you just keep driving into the distance. If you want more practice with this or need something to help you stay consistent, then I've got just the freebie for you. Go to trainlikeagymnast.com/consistency.
Consistency also means repetition, having daily practices, and constantly reprogramming your mind. Successful people have managed to reprogram their thinking to a point that allows them to not get caught up with what society or other people think they should be doing. We will get a lot more into these different topics throughout this season, you can be sure. So don't forget to subscribe and check in each week for the latest episode.
The second thing that you need in order to train like a gymnast is:
2. A North Star
What's a North star? It’s your purpose, your reason, your why, it's what your core values dictate. It's part of the story of your life. It reminds you to do what you love and say yes to yourself with a full body yes, not just a “yeah I think I like that”. It allows you to leave a legacy and it gives you the ingredients and the recipe for success. It tells you the action steps you need to take to get to where you want to be. It’s what you turn to when you feel lost. It’s your answer when you lose touch with what’s really important in life. It’s your core value system you use to get perspective of life. We’re all just on this pale blue dot suspended in space.
I personally used to think about that constantly when I had my desk job, clients would yell at me constantly or complain that they weren’t in the top spot on Google and I’d panic like it was my fault when really I was just the middle person. Remembering that every person we’ve ever known, learned about, or will meet has existed on this Earth. This Earth that is spinning on an axis in space around a giant star for billions of years. My client being in the number 2 spot on Google is not the end of the world. Sure, helping their business thrive so they can feed their families is important, but it’s also not worth me sacrificing my well being.
Your North star helps you remember that. What you value most. It also helps you set boundaries. If you know in your heart wholeheartedly what your purpose is, it'll be a lot easier to say no to things that do not serve that purpose or help you get closer to where you want to be. And the sacrifices you’re not willing to make.
If you look back at the past week or even just yesterday, are the activities you did and choices you made getting you closer to where you want to be? If so, keep at it. If not, time to take a step back and reflect on how you spend your time. Time is our most valuable resource we have. I want you to live your purpose and not just exist or go through the motions… Because life’s too short for that.
These words that make up your North star can change over time, but the actual guiding principle is always something that is related to your top three core values. If you don’t know what your core values are, don’t worry. If you’ve already snagged the Consistency Framework I mentioned earlier in this episode, you’ll get a little worksheet on core values with that too.
Even if the words and how you explain it to others changes, you know in your heart what that Northstar is. One of the most important things that I tell our clients and members of our community is to train with purpose. If you are an athlete and you are working out, going to practice, and you do not have a reason to be there, it's going to be so easy for you to slack off, to cheat, to not show up for practice, to not try your hardest because you don't have a reason not to. If you have that North star so deep inside of you, you know that the risk of not performing or following that Northstar is so much worse than that temporary discomfort of doing an extra set of strength.
The third component needed to train like a gymnast is
3. Community
Well yes, gymnastics is an individual sport, but you're also a part of a team. Whether it be the gym that you train at, whether it be Team USA, or the country you’re representing. Whether it be the group that you're competing with, or the people you train with, support is always needed to train like a gymnast. To be an athlete, there's always a community aspect. If you’re retired and making a comeback, you are a part of something bigger than yourself. And when you find that sense of community again, you regain the identity that you might have lost. You learn to trust the process because you see others just like you achieving the things that you want to do. You know the recipe for success. You see what it takes. You have that as an example. If you're going at it solo, you might not be as lucky when you have a sense of community. You're able to contribute. You're able to give back to the community for everything that they give you. And the more you give, the more you receive. You're able to anticipate speed bumps along the way which increases your chances for success. You're able to recognize the signs of getting closer to your goals. You see the power of visualization from your teammates.
We don’t appreciate or recognize the power of community when we’re in it. I’m gonna get preachy again here, bear with me because it’s true! It's only when we are removed from our sport and the identity that we've known our entire lives that we truly recognize the power it gave us... the quality friendships it built, the sweat tears and struggle put in from all of you as teammates. The shared memories and experiences you have with your closest friend on the team.
Haha, actually… Story time. I remember during one water break, one of my old teammates, Lee, she turned out to become one of my best friends and actually my roommate at one point. Anyway, we went to grab our water bottles and for some reason, we looked at each other and then we just started chugging our water like we were having a water drinking contest. I don’t know why but that memory sticks in both of our heads to this day. It's the stupidest thing, but that power of community as teammates after you just completed a 45-minute rotation of strength and conditioning is so unique... I haven't found anything like it other than in athletics. Sure, it's possible to have these kinds of friendships and relationships and experiences with people like business colleagues or in Greek life in college... But there's just something so special and different about it when it your physical body is involved... when you're exhausted, when you've been training for hours and hours, when you're all going through it together. Your central nervous system remembers it in a different way and it processes that differently so it sticks with you for the rest of your life.
So, to recap: the three things needed to train like a gymnast are 1) Mental Mastery, 2) A Northstar and 3) Community
So I want to know... how are you mastering your mind? What is your purpose and what is the environment like surrounding you in your health and fitness?
Grab Your Athlete Success Kit!
If you’ve loved everything in this episode or have any takeaways, be sure to leave a review. As a thank you, I’d like to send you our Athlete Success Kit. I’ve included everything in this guide that helps me stay successful and productive personally and professionally. If you want your copy, just leave us a review and send us a screenshot to team@trainlikeagymnast.com and we’ll shoot it over to you!
Until next time, train with purpose…
Cover photo from Unsplash.com