È It is normal to feel fear (hesitation, doubt, uncertainty) and end up walking away from a situation or avoiding it altogether; It's common for people to not pursue their goals because they fear failure, which could just come with taking bold action.
However, athletes and people who succeed and achieve greatness are the ones who they know that failure is a real possibility and they are committed to it anyway.
I'm sorry to tell you but, to become a high level athlete, you will have to force put yourself in situations where you may experience disappointment.
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Pat Vellner: An example of a CrossFitter
A real example of all this is Pat Vellner! He definitely he felt let down after the Rogue Invitational this year, where he hit 2 no reps in the WOD Heavy Grace (30 clean and jerk at 225lbs).
Vellner had come to that round second in the standings and was fighting to finish on the top step of the podium. He was on track up until those last few reps…then he started to lose ground as other competitors finished before him.
His placing in this race cost him a whopping $188 and he finished 4th overall. Well, what to say?
Pat Vellner he took risks and pushed himself beyond his limits, instead of playing it safe. He aimed for victory and gave his all, to the point of failure.
In fact, after the race on his Instagram profile, he posted JFK's quote:
“Only those who have the courage to fail miserably can achieve great results”.
Pat stated to suffered and that his weekend was far from perfect, but he also said he was proud of the decision to move forward and that there were many positives to profit from.
His actions have been in line with the kind of person and athlete he wants to be. Surely this failure will help him continue to be more successful in the future.
Now I ask you: What if it's your view of failure that gets in the way of your success?
Is there anything you can learn from Pat Vellner and that JFK quote that can positively impact your performance? I bet yes.
I don't think a no one really likes to fail, but we need to clarify what exactly we mean by "failure" and what our expectations are.
It is iImpossible not to fail if you want to achieve great results in sport or in life. You can't avoid it, but you can change your perspective, redefine it, and use it to propel yourself forward.
Sure, disappointments hurt, but failure doesn't have to be bad.
3 key steps to change the way you view failure
- Instead of the word "failure," use something more useful like "stepping stone," "learning lesson," "growth moment," "eye opener," or "a way to help you clarify what works and what doesn't." .
- When you anticipate an upcoming event or situation where you don't want to "fail," take 5-10 minutes to identify and specify exactly what would be considered failure for you.
- After defining what exactly "failure" would mean to you, write down what thoughts and behaviors you can control in that circumstance.
How you define failure matters. How you talk and think about failure matters. Failure can be helpful, meaningful, and a catalyst to your greatest successes.
It's all one matter of perspective. Identify your view of failure and see if your thoughts are helping or holding you back.
Besides improve your perception of failure, you can also start practicing failing, on purpose. You can intentionally put yourself in situations where you will look silly, feel like a beginner, fail in front of others, struggle, lose, and feel let down.
You will be amazed to learn that sooner or later you will start to feel comfortable with failure, because it will become part of your process. It will be a stepping stone to gaining more experience, clarity and better skills.
When you fail, make a mistake, or finish lower than you would like, it's crucial to be able to bounce back quickly, especially if you're in the middle of a race weekend.
Some methods that will help you recover from a workout that didn't go well
Let go of the emotions. Take 5-10 minutes for yourself or someone you trust to talk about how you are feeling at the moment.
Take note of what you have learned. Identify what you can do differently or better from both a physical execution standpoint and a mental performance standpoint.
keep working, based on a plan that feels good to you, so that you are best prepared for the next workout or the next competition.
This type of mental preparation helps athletes and their team navigate setbacks smoothly and adjust well to achieve the best possible performance in the future.
Failure and rejection carry as much weight as you give them. You may perceive them as negative and therefore give them greater pinch (made with three fingers) on you. Or, you can see them as positive, as efforts and learning lessons, and you can even be enthusiastic about them.
The choice is yours!