With the Olympics coming up soon, and team trials happening in many sports, there’s much talk of the Olympic mindset. This is the key to earning a medal; without it, contenders wouldn’t have a chance.
While I’m not an athlete, I’m always striving to achieve more, and I can’t help but feel that having something like an Olympic mindset would lift me to a higher level with my writing and other creative endeavors. So it was with great interest that I read the article Olympic legend Lindsey Vonn explains the mindset of a winner (bbc.com).
Oxymorons for the Win
In the article, gold medal winner Vonn says that her ideal state of mind while competing was, “aggressive yet calm. Ready and hyper-aware, but also relaxed.” I needed to know more. How did she get to that state of mind? What made sets of oxymorons so critical? How might this compare to the state of “flow” that helps artists and writers create? What should we do when we don’t have access to the same type of mental training that an Olympic athlete receives?
I don’t know the answers, but in the meantime, could I imagine myself “aggressive yet calm” and how might that affect my output? Could I get myself into a state of “hyper-aware, but also relaxed?” In a way, it reminded me of the advice of Joyce Carol Oates to write a first draft as rapid as wildfire.
Reading this article gave me something to think about. Articles and books feed my creativity, even when they don’t give me direct answers. When I was a marketing professional, reading business books also motivated me as I worked on proposals and marketing materials. Even when I saw nothing to act on immediately, reading them got me to think differently and spurred me on.
Happiness vs. Validation
Vonn says she absolutely loved skiing fast. “It made me so happy to my core.” Also, winning the Olympics was the “stamp of validation” that she’d been missing. She’d won “something like 45 World Cups before the Olympics – but no one cared until I won in Vancouver.” This was a gold medalist speaking! We mere mortals have even less chance of validation. Our most significant achievements aren’t likely to be celebrated at the Olympic level.
We love what we do, and so that should be the reason we do it. That isn’t to say we should sit quietly and let our achievements go unnoticed. It’s just a reminder not to take it to heart when our efforts aren’t validated.
Turn Emotional Stress Around
The article states that, “Emotional stress weighs more heavily on athletes like her than the physical adversities might.” Vonn herself says, “If you use pressure to your advantage, it can be a huge driving force.”
I’ll add that one way to beat the emotional stress is to focus on what you’re doing so that you don’t worry about the outcome. And while you’re doing that, perhaps you can even come full circle and try being, “aggressive yet calm” and “hyper-aware, but also relaxed.”
Here are my personal takeaways:
- Continuously read books and articles that feed your drive, creativity, and soul. A single written work might not change your life, but many of them put together will.
- Strive to achieve your best because you love what you do, and don’t judge yourself by the amount of attention you receive.
- Use pressure and emotional stress to your advantage by funneling it into the moment.
You can find my books here:
The Climate Machine–A Novel
The Time Philosopher
We Grew Tales–Short Stories
