I am an Elite Athlete

By Jubaida Miami

My piece is about the GWN + NBCU Train Your Brain: Think Like an Elite Athlete workshop. This piece is a personal work on how I applied the elite athlete mentality to my career.

Career readiness falls in the same category as being an elite athlete. Elite athletes challenge themselves during every activity, consistently focus on good work habits, and pay attention to the little things. The elite athlete mentality helps us settle, refocus, and harness strength to succeed, and having a career is characterized as being successful. To have a career, you have to have that mindset to reach your goals. However, many people like me are held back from being elite athletes. The idea of wanting to have a career has always been a struggle. The elite athlete mentality teaches us to not give in to negative thoughts but that is exactly what I do. I am consumed by the stress of how to achieve a career and confused by all the steps I will have to take to reach the career I want. The introduction to “Six Ways to Train Your Brain Like An Elite Athlete” by author Cindra Kamphoff has greatly affected how I approach my daily life. This workshop allowed me to create a training plan for myself that would go on to help me achieve my elite athlete mentality.

The Elite athlete mentality teaches us to not give in to the negative thoughts but that is exactly what I do.

Being someone worried about the future, I am almost never enjoying the future. The idea of working towards a career is nerve-racking and so I shouldn’t stop until I am happy. The truth is I will never be dissatisfied with the work I have put in to achieve my goals. So, I have decided to think like an elite athlete and live in the moment. There will always be an issue to worry about that might impact my future but it is important to focus on the present. Additionally, I have implemented the belief in my purpose. Those career goals of mine seem so unreachable. I often doubt any of them would happen. Whether it be, not being smart enough or wondering if I will make it in that field. I tell myself I am a part of something big and that I should believe in my goals. As a growing “elite athlete,” I should use my mission as motivation and inspiration. These two ways have greatly developed my thinking about how I should approach my career. I choose where I want to focus my attention. I will concentrate on what makes me happy and energizes me. I will continue to apply the elite athlete mindset for many years to come as it is what will make me calm down, refocus, and gather strength to be successful.

Process

The lesson plan from the day of the workshop helped me out a lot. While I had jotted down various workshop notes, the lesson plan allowed me to reflect back on what I missed. I also used the “Six Ways to Train Your Brain Like An Elite Athlete” by Cindra Kamphoff to apply to my career goals.