Simone Biles is the embodiment of mental resilience.
The world-class gymnast recently helped Team USA earn a gold medal–her eighth overall and fifth gold in three appearances — making her the most decorated American gymnast in Olympic history. ESPN reports that final total score of 171.296, Team USA won over Italy, the silver medalists, by nearly six points. It was the fourth time that the American women have claimed gold in the event, but the first since 2016. Biles has consistently proven herself to be a generational talent, so it’s unsurprising that she is partnering with Masterclass to offer the insight into how she gets her mindset Olympics-ready.
Biles’s with MasterClass is giving viewers exclusive insight not only her gymnastics tactics but how she gets her mind prepared for her job, and life in general.
Here are some of the biggest takeaways from her session.
“Discipline goes a long way”
She speaks specifically about the sport of gymnastics but this adage is applicable to any profession. Many of us conflate the motivation and discipline but there is a fundamental difference.
While motivation is great when getting started, its a fleeting feeling that can’t relied upon alone when aiming for long-term success in your profession.
Writer and author of Embrace the Suck: The Navy SEAL Way To An Extraordinary Life Brent Gleeson wrote that “People with a higher degree of self-control spend less time debating whether to indulge in behaviors and activities that don’t align with their values or goals. They are more decisive. They don’t let impulses or feelings dictate their choices. They are the architects of their own beliefs and the actions they take to achieve a desired outcome. As a result, they aren’t as easily distracted by temptation and tend to feel more satisfied with their lives.”
“The number one thing you can do is make sure you show up to practice on time or at least 10 minutes early”
If you live by the old adage, on time is late and early is on time, you’re clearly on the right track.
Like Biles, success stories like Apple CEO Tim Cook and Michelle Obama are masters of their time and are generally early risers. Obama and Cook have shared they wake up around the 4 o’clock morning hour to get their day started and ensure they’re early for daily appointments.
“Every year, I actually try to write down my goals… I try to focus on short term and long term, because if you look at your overall goal package, it can get a little bit stressful and overwhelming”
Biles is attesting to a tried and true method of manifestation that many goal getters have adopted over time.
A study conducted by Academy of Management Journal tracked the impact of recording goals on performance in a corporate setting. The research revealed that employees who wrote down their goals had higher levels of productivity and were more successful in achieving their goals than those who did not write down their goals.
More of Biles’s insights can be found at MasterClass.