The “Bronze Medal Mindset” (and 4 More Surprising Habits From Olympians)
The Mel Robbins Podcast
Listen to the Mel Robbins Podcast twice per week, every Monday and Thursday, to create a better life.
The Olympians are the best of the best, and today, Mel is revealing 5 habits that your favorite Olympic athletes use to win.
These 5 habits will change your life forever, and they all involve mindset, mental preparation, and simple tactics that you can instantly apply in your own life.
First, Mel will explain exactly how the most famous gymnasts use visualization to manifest specific outcomes and results.
Next, you’ll learn about the “Bronze Medal Mindset” and how it will create exceptional results in your everyday life. Once you know the science behind this, you will be more resilient, no matter what happens in your day.
Third, you’ll learn about a specific daily practice from Mel’s favorite Olympic swimmer that will make you happier (and make you more influential as well).
Fourth, you’ll learn why winners always quit. This habit is not what you think, and you’ll be surprised by what Mel shares with you.
And finally, there’s a very specific question that every Olympian knows the answer to. Mel shares a powerful story from the Paralympics that will make you understand how to answer it and use it in your life.
Answering this question will help you get clear about what you want and empower you to take the next step forward in your life.
And you don’t need to take the next step alone: Mel has created a free 26-page workbook that will walk you through a science-backed method that is proven to help you get to the heart of what you want right now in your life.
Just go to melrobbins.com/what and you can get your hands on it in less than a minute, and you will be one step closer to getting what you really want.
If you liked this research-packed episode, you’ll love listening to this episode next: 3 Small Decisions That Make You Feel Incredible: Do This Every Morning After Waking Up
Connect with Mel:
- Get Mel’s brand new free 26-page workbook, What Do You Really Want, to finally answer that question and redefine your future!
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- Disclaimer
In this episode:
- 02:57: The thing about visualization that everyone gets wrong.
- 05:07: The biggest learning from USA Olympian Stephen Nedoroscik.
- 09:28: The science behind the success of visualization.
- 12:09: How to use manifestation and visualization in your own life.
- 15:14: What you perceive to be a weakness could be your greatest strength.
- 20:15: The reason we all should strive for a "bronze medal mindset."
- 24:43: We ALL struggle with comparison.
- 30:59: Having this trait will always make you a winner.
- 36:10: Winners always quit.
- 44:55: Strength isn’t just physical strength.
- 54:55: THIS is what every Olympic and Paralympic athlete shares.
- 59:17: The power in knowing what you want.
Resources:
- Vox: Think like an Olympian
- Inc: Why Do So Many Olympic Bronze Medalists Seem Happier Than Silver Medalists?
- NPR: Why Bronze Medalists Are Likely Happier Than Those Who Win Silver
- Applied Sport Psychology: Cue Statements, Staying Focused at Critical Times
- National Library of Medicine: Counterfactual thinking and facial expressions among Olympic medalists
- Time: Preference Reversals of a Different Kind: The "More Is Less" Phenomenon
- National Library of Medicine: When less is more: counterfactual thinking and satisfaction among Olympic medalists
- Management Review: How do performance review characteristics influence recipient’s reactions?
- Journal of Science & Medicine: The effect of mental imagery on skill performance in sport: A systematic review
- American Psychological Association: Does mental practice enhance performance?
- National Library of Medicine: Imagining Success: Multiple Achievement Goals and the Effectiveness of Imagery
- National Library of Medicine: Positive and negative spontaneous self-talk and performance in gymnastics
- National Library of Medicine: The Enactive Approach to Habits: New Concepts for the Cognitive Science of Bad Habits and Addiction
- Frontier Psychology: Personality Predictors of Yips and Choking Susceptibility
- National Library of Medicine: Quitting to Win: Exploring the Paradox of Success Through the Lens of Disengagement
- National Library of Medicine: The Art of Knowing When to Quit: A Meta-Analytic Review of the Predictors of Goal Disengagement
- National Library of Medicine: The Opportunity Cost of Persistence: How the Pursuit of Unattainable Goals Predicts Stress, Health, and Well-Being
- National Library of Medicine: Be better or be merry: How mood affects self-control
- Psychology of Sport & Exercise: Passion and Performance: How Enthusiasm for a Cause Enhances Effort and Achievement
- Bronze medal mindset video, watch here.
Olympians Mentioned:
- Stephen Nedoroscik
- Stephen “Chair-flying Video”
- Bronze winning routine
- Stephen on his eye condition: Strabismus
- Henrik Christiansen
- Olympic Competition footage
- Meet the 'Olympic Muffin Man' Who 'Cannot Stop' Eating the Viral Chocolate Muffins in the Dining Hall
- One of Mel’s favorite muffin videos from Henrik
- Femita Ayanbeku
- Forbes: Paris 2024 Paralympic Games: The Inspiring Journey of Femita Ayanbeku
- Summary from her talk at Harvard
- 100M Photo finish (2021 Para-trials)
- Simone Biles
- Call Her Daddy: Twisties Clip
- Simone Biles: All Around Finals at the Olympics
- All-around routine win in 2016
- Simone opens up about the twisties with Hoda
- NBC News: Simone Biles says Tokyo bronze means more than all her golds
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