The Champion's Mind

Looking to find the right Spartan Race and realize the champion within? In this series from the Spartan Mind Podcast, Dr. Lara Pence walks through the mental foundations at work within the champion's mind. 

Part 1: The Mind/Body Connection

Great competitors understand the importance of the mind-body connection. Our physical body can only be as strong as the mind that controls it and a healthy mind is impossible without a healthy body. Great competitors know that they can not focus on just one element, that both are critical for performance in and out of the competition.

The Champion's Mind #1 Lessons:

- Remember that you must focus on both your physical health AND your mental health.
- Working on physical strength and stamina without working to build a strong and healthy mindset can only get you so far.

Audio Only (Mind Body)

Part 2:  Capitalizing on Opportunity

Great competitors see the challenges they face and the hardships they endure as opportunities. We all experience difficult things but great competitors see those experiences as vehicles of wisdom, growth, and an opportunity to build obstacle immunity. They do not cower in the face of that which is difficult but rather rise because they know that in the end it will make them stronger and improve their performance.

The Champion's Mind #2 Lessons

- Remember that when a challenge is set in front of you, try to see it as an opportunity.
- Roadblocks and obstacles are there to build you up, give you a chance to test your limits, and assist you in self-reflection.

Audio Only (Capitalizing on Opportunity)

Part 3: Commitment  

Great competitors stay committed. There will always be excuses, always a reason to quit, move on to something else, or put it on the shelf for later. Great competitors commit. They move away from language like, “I’ll try”, that immediately gives them a way out, and they use more declarative statements like, “I will.” Having the mindset of completion allows them to move forward with stronger intention and will.

The Champion's Mind #3 Lessons

- Commitment is a key element to becoming a great competitor.
- Try to shift away from words that give you an out and become more proficient in the language of commitment.
- Commitment isn’t about perfection but it is about showing up and remaining on task.

Audio Only (Stay Committed)

Part 4: Ownership

Great competitors believe that they have control over the things that happen in their lives and they take ownership of those choices. They do not offload poor performance to circumstances outside of them. They take ownership for the choices - both those that make them stronger (both mentally and physically) and those that put them in circumstances of struggle. Ownership is about believing that you have a strong internal locus of control - that you can control the direction of your life.

The Champion's Mind #4 Lessons

- Try to remember that you always have a choice; that you have more control over your life when you believe that you have more control.
- Take ownership of the decisions that you make, whether they are your accomplishments or your poor choices.  

Audio Only (Ownership)

Part 5: Believe In Yourself

Great competitors believe that they have the capacity to win and compete in the way that moves them closer to their goals. They build themselves up with confidence and visualize accomplishments instead of defeats. Believing in yourself is a key part of pumping positive medicine into your brain and your body, as the power of positive thinking has been demonstrated across disciplines.

The Champion's Mind #5 Lessons

- A strong belief in your capacity to achieve and get things done is a critical part of being a great competitor.
- Building up self-confidence and relying on positive self-esteem will help you along your journey and give you an edge against those who don’t believe that they can.

Audio Only

CREDITS:

Production Team: Heather Knox, Knox Creative; Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc.

Host: Dr. Lara Pence

Synopsis: Dr. Lara Pence

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