The Fast Track to Performance Excellence.
“Just like in bodybuilding, failure is also a necessary experience for growth in our own lives, for if we’re never tested to our limits, how will we know how strong we really are? How will we ever grow?”
~Arnold Schwarzenegger~
How does the mindset of the world’s elite performers differ from the mindset of those who are, well, less elite?
This question lies at the heart of the sport and performance psychology industry. Seemingly every week, a new bestseller hits the shelves touting the latest greatest approach that will put you on the fast track to success.
There’s just one problem: you do not have time to read them all. Let’s face it. No one does. What you really need is for someone to distill that vast sea of information down to the absolute essentials.
That’s where I come in. In this article, I am going to go as far as possible with this distillation process and try to crystallize it all down to the single most important mental trait of elite performers – the most essential ingredient of performance excellence.
I wish I could distill it down to just one word for you. But, the truth of the matter is, I am unable to find a single word in the English language that perfectly encapsulates what I have in mind. Therefore, I will begin by describing the mental habits of elite performers, and then proceed to play around with finding an adequate label.
Testing the limits
Elite performers enjoy testing the limits of their current capabilities, and they are undaunted and undeterred by the prospect of mistakes or failures. In fact, failure is actively sought out as a way of gathering important information on how to improve.
Part maverick, part researcher, they are constantly putting themselves in unfamiliar, challenging environments, trying to locate the edge of their current physical, mental, and emotional capacities.
Individuals who are more risk-averse might call them “gluttons for punishment.” But to these folks, failure can hardly be called punishment. On the contrary, failure is thrilling and invigorating because it signifies that they are on the cusp of learning or growing.
Loving the process
Elite performers also have a high tolerance for risk and uncertainty – particularly with respect to outcome. Like the rest of us, they have no guarantee of ever receiving any tangible reward for their efforts, that they will ever reach any particular level of excellence or be recognized and acclaimed by the world.
But, for them, it is not really about recognition. The greatest joy in life is simply seeing the needle move – to know that the boundary has shifted ever so slightly, even if imperceptible to an external observer.
It’s not that they don’t have lofty goals or visions for themselves. They typically do. But the focus is more on progression – moving forward a little at a time. Evidence of incremental improvement is all that is necessary to trigger the feel-good chemicals in the brain that keep them coming back for more.
Getting a grip
Okay, now we need to find the right word or phrase – a verbal handle for this quality of seeking continual improvement by regularly getting outside of one’s comfort zone and learning to adapt.
What we are aiming at is a sort of an aggregate of an entire constellation of mental qualities that are frequently touted as being part of a champion’s mindset – including self-confidence, optimism, courage, self-discipline, and mental toughness, to name just a few.
In one way or another, each of these concepts by itself falls short of capturing the mindset that supports such a relentless daily assault on the discrepancy between what currently is and what possibly could be.
In trying to come up with a single phrase that captures this quality, some candidates that I came up with were boundary-testers, edge-seekers, and envelope-pushers.
“Boundary-testing” sounds like the activity of a petulant four-year-old, and “edge-seeking” is too closely associated with sexual play of the sadomasochistic variety. Thus, “pushing the envelope” is ultimately the best I could do.
Pushing the envelope
Looking at the history of this phrase, it actually works quite well. The expression entered the popular lexicon following its appearance in Tom Wolfe’s 1979 book, The Right Stuff, about the U.S. space program:
“One of the phrases that kept running through the conversation was ‘pushing the outside of the envelope’… [That] seemed to be the great challenge and satisfaction of flight test.”
Within the context of aircraft design and testing, the envelope is the set of limitations governing safe operation of an aircraft. Inside the envelope, the aircraft is able to function normally, while moving outside the envelope stresses the aircraft and threatens system failure.
“Pushing the envelope,” then, is a phrase that refers to the process of testing a new aircraft by taking it right up to the theoretical limits of performance and, if possible, beyond. This is done partly to test the calculated limits and partly to observe the consequences of transgressing those limits.
This sounds about right for our purposes, doesn’t it?
Summing up
So there you have it. Elite performers are first and foremost envelope pushers, not to be confused with paper pushers.
In order to grow and improve as quickly as possible, we need to continually test and stretch the limits of our current capacities. Weaknesses must be transformed into strengths.
This cannot happen without stepping outside of our comfort zones on a regular basis and being willing to be vulnerable – physically, mentally, and most importantly, emotionally.
The process is simple (but not easy). Push Your Envelope, Recover, Repeat. Over and over again.
Are you ready to push your envelope?
With you in the pursuit,
Dr. Dave
