Perfection is Not A Reality
Dr Kristin Neff [Twitter @self_compassion] of the University of Texas at Austin specializes in self-compassion. As a psychology professor she has spent much of her time researching and studying the idea. Not to be confused with self-esteem, self-compassion is not predicated on any previous success. It’s merely the deep understanding that perfection is an illusion and that failure is a part of the pursuit of something great. This does not mean that we strive to fail, but that we learn how to overcome it showing ourselves a bit of grace during the process. Perhaps most interestingly, Dr Neff explains the science behind why we show ourselves so little compassion when mistakes are made versus the compassion we show for others’ faults.
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Ask yourself this simple question: What do you say to yourself when you fail? Your inner monologue and self-talk may tell you everything you need to know about how you deal with setbacks. Not only that, it can explain why you struggle with your performance. Despite The Crew’s mantra that shame is an incredible motivator, we learn from Dr Kristin Neff [Twitter @self_compassion] that we may have been approaching motivation from a very poor angle. Shocker. This week, the meathead mentality takes a backseat to a little something called “self compassion”.
Empower Your Performance
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SOURCES
Tagged: Dr kristin Neff / Kristin Neff / Mindset / Performance / Self Compassion / Self Talk / sports psychology
AUTHOR
John
John Welbourn is CEO of Power Athlete and host of Power Athlete Radio. He is a 9 year starter and veteran of the NFL. John was drafted with the 97th pick in 1999 NFL Draft and went on to be a starter for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999-2003, appearing in 3 NFC Championship games, and for starter for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2004-2007. In 2008, he played with the New England Patriots until an injury ended his season early with him retiring in 2009. Over the course of his career, John has started over 100 games and has 10 play-off appearances. He was a four year lettermen while playing football at the University of California at Berkeley. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in Rhetoric in 1998. John has worked with the MLB, NFL, NHL, Olympic athletes and Military. He travels the world lecturing on performance and nutrition and records his podcast, Power Athlete Radio, every week with over 800 episodes spanning 13 years. You can catch up with John as his personal blog, Talk To Me Johnnie, on social media @johnwelbourn or at Power Athlete Radio.
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