Ep. 38 - How to Think Gold and Never Settle for Silver - with Dr Jim Afremow
Welcome to the last episode of the Champion’s Mindset series on The Impact Entrepreneur Show. Today’s guest, Dr. Jim Afremow, is a much sought-after mental game coach and the author of two great books about being a champion: The Champion’s Mind & The Champion’s Comeback.
“No one is born with a Champion’s Mind gene, but there’s nothing preventing us from thinking, feeling and acting like them – to be our best, and I think that’s the ultimate gold medal.”
Body language plays an important role in reaching peak performance and developing a champion’s mindset. Your body language affects your mood, so it’s not just fake it ‘til you make it – it’s also fake it ‘til you feel it.
Changing your attitude and body language isn’t just for show. Your testosterone goes up and your stress hormones go down, so the result is that you will actually be more confident and more focused.
“If you sit up straight and put a big smile on your face, it’s not going to make everything perfect – but it’s certainly going to help.”
Socialization also has a significant effect on developing a champion’s mindset. We’re taught to be confident, but not cocky, and conflicting messages from society can negatively reinforce successful behaviors. In a team environment, the person with the best attitude who is working hardest might be negatively singled out.
“When we start to change in different ways, or go outside the norm, and do things bigger and better than before, we get held back a little bit. Socialization really, really affects us much more than we think it does.”
We start to separate ourselves from average when we work to master the things we are most passionate about. This can be in a sport, a business or something else entirely, but at the end of the day peak performance is peak performance. You’ll never maximize your potential by working for the weekend.
When we’re pursuing peak performance, we don’t receive a lot of positive feedback. It’s important to realize that, when you are being tested a lot, you are on the right track.
“Life is supposed to test you, it’s not supposed to praise you.”
In The Champion’s Comeback: How Great Athletes Recover, Reflect, and Reignite, Jim explores the powerful experience of a comeback and how it relates to being reborn. Entertainment and social media can give us a skewed perspective on a champion’s peak performance, but this book reveals the disappointments and struggles that go along with achieving peak performance.
You can be a champion in anything you are passionate about, but it requires effort. Start acting and thinking like a champion, don’t stop when you’re tested and work hard every day.
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