Mental Toughness Mastery Podcast with Sheryl Kline, M.A. CHPC

Whether you consider yourself a world-class performer or not, you have a lot in common with those among the elite either professionally, academically or athletically. You may sometimes fall off your purpose or lose it entirely. ‘Is this really what I am meant to do in the long-term?’ ‘What is my purpose or the best way for me to make progress today?’ ‘I need to switch gears , so how do find my (new) purpose?’ Athletes retire or get injured, senior leaders switch careers, academics change fields of interest, so they are not immune either! Lacking clarity on purpose can feel like the middle place, and it doesn’t tend to be too comfortable (at least not in my experience). Partly because we are not making progress towards something where we are making an impact for ourselves and/or for others. The good news is that we can learn from what world-class performers do a little differently to be more purposeful, so we can move towards being world-class at what’s important to us. Here are a couple of tips to get started: Believe purpose is possible. Sounds simple and like a no brainer, right? Not so fast! When we are not confident that something is possible, we tend to have very narrow focus. For example, if you are frustrated and tell yourself over and over again that purpose (short or long-term) is not possible or unlikely, you will have on blinders to the things that light you up or the things that are meaningful. Negative Self-Talk (a topic for another day!) is like practicing something over and over again in your head that that re. Think of it as walking through a beautiful field with a frown on your face, looking down at your shoes. You miss all the beautiful flowers! Consider this. On May 6, 1954 Roger Bannister ran the first sub-four minute mile when no one thought it was possible. Just 46 days later, Mr. Bannister’s record was broken. Once he ran a sub-four minute mile, others started to believe they could do the same. They did. Start to believe in your ability to find and live into your purpose which will help you to be aware of the possibilities. Others have and you can too. Here are a few tips to get you started. Slow down. If you don’t, you are avoiding putting in the work. Do Olympians win gold medals without putting in the time? Of course not. If you want to live more purposefully, you must put in the work too, and that means creating the time to be still, reflect or the time to possibly try new things or gather information. In our busy lives, we must ask, ‘What is most important to me right now and why?’ If becoming more purposeful tops the list, start scheduling time with yourself for this very endeavour or with other people who have what you want. Get intentional. Now that we believe becoming more purposeful is possible, we have created the space to allow for progress, we must get intentional about going after it. That means we create a daily or weekly routine to make progress. Here’s an example: ‘I want to grow my business, but I am not an experienced business owner. I lack purpose on my daily activities, so I will meet with a business coach once a week or with a mentor.’ Maybe you have no idea what your purpose is (You are not alone btw.), so you may set an intention to try something new once a month or meet up with someone who is passionate about what they do. The more detailed the better. What, when, who and what level of presence will you have? Bring your ‘A’ game! I consider all of you world-class performers who can next level your ability to be more purposeful. It’s more than that actually, we all must next level our sense of purpose. The world needs you to be as amazing as possible, especially now. Mental Toughness is the tool belt or catalyst which helps you to make consistent progress and to be happy along the way. Please check out the library of (free) resources on my website (SherylKline.com) or schedule an appointment with me if you’d like to learn more! Here's to you being amazing!

Have you ever had a week where the sh%@t hits the fan? If so, you are most definitely not alone. Here’s a world-class tip on how to best get through it. This tip will also help make those normal but busy days feel a bit more relaxed, in control and rewarding! One habit that world-class performers have that you can learn too is: develop clear boundaries. For me, #1 is that I need to get sleep. No sleep means I’m not able to be my best. I can’t serve my 1:1 clients, monthly subscription-based clients or deliver in my corporate workshops and trainings. Full transparency, I am not that fun to be around either (or so I’ve been told :). I set clear boundaries around when I shutdown screens (8:30 pm on weekdays) and when I start my evening ritual (chamomile tea, ice water, meditation). There are exceptions to the rule, but not often. When it does happen, I take a nap during the day, even for 15-20 minutes. Another example of a boundary is when I schedule a one hour lunch-time break to walk, read, eat and meditate (even for 5 minutes!) I may have lunch with a friend, but no work, errands, etc. What do you NEED to be your best self throughout the day, and how do you protect it? Here are a couple tips to help you to be world-class at what’s important to you by setting boundaries and taking a little control of your day: Plan out what boundaries you will need to set to accommodate your new ambitions: Whether it’s planning out an important conversation, planning how to accelerate your progress on an important project, or planning your new workout routine, planning is key. Commit and don’t feel bad about it: Do you want to eat cleaner? Want to get more fit? Always wanted to write a book? Set some boundaries, so you can do it! You will be happier and be a better friend, colleague, and family member for it. Unless your goals and dreams would put a severe hardship on someone else, the time is now. World-class performers are conscientious but determined, and you can be too. Fill in the crew: Let those around you know your new routine, why it’s important to you, and that you would be incredibly appreciative if your request was respected. For example, you want to go to bed at 9:30 pm, so you can work out in the morning. If anyone depends on you at home, you will gladly help them before that time. Do you want to go for a walk, read or meditate during lunch, so you can get recharged? Invite your crew along or let them know that you want to spend time with them ... but you need an hour to yourself during lunch. Boundaries help you take control of your day, so it doesn’t control you. We have all had those days where we gave up on what’s important to us, and gave into others requests that could have been delegated or deferred. Again, we want to be conscientious but determined, so we can be world-class at what’s important to us. I am here to support you and to make this content real. Here’s to you being amazing!

It’s very common for us to judge ourselves based on other people's sizzle reels rather than what's real. We don't see the struggle, insecurities and messiness of others. Rest assured, it's there at any level whether an amateur athlete or Olympian, whether an intern or CEO, or whether a new mother or the household CEO of 4 teens. So, how do we focus on progress not perfection to be world-class at what's most important to us? Today we are going to focus on one thing you can do to get started: Practice saying Affirmations daily. Consider that we become what we constantly tell ourselves. Evidence-based research shows that affirmations, actually change the brain on a cellular level—in other words, what you think about matters—a lot. “Thoughts have a direct connection to your health.” says Dr. Joseph Dispenza, author of Physics, the Brain and Your Reality. Here are a couple tips for you to use Affirmations to be world-class at what's most important to you: 1.Develop a ‘can-do’ attitude. Sometimes we have to be actors or actresses! Maybe it’s unlikely a goal will happen or uncertain if you will perform at a level that you hope for. Even so, it’s important to believe you can reach your biggest dream or achieve rockstar status when it really matters. Why? You will become more aware of what it takes to get there, you’ll be more confident, more motivated, AND less distracted. Keep affirmations positive and encouraging. You got this! As Amy Cuddy, a Harvard Psychologist and TED speaker says, ‘Fake it until you become it.’ 2.Keep it positive. When you repeat affirmations to yourself (‘I am smart enough to reach my biggest dream.’ or ‘I am only limited by what I think is possible.’), positivity is more than just making you feel good. It will help you believe you are capable, or raise your self-efficacy, and that’s can be a huge motivator and cheerleader especially when if it gets difficult or if you suffer a setback. 3.Check out ThinkUp(™). I’ve had the pleasure of working with Irit Wald, CEO/Founder of the positive affirmations app, ThinkUp. Essentially, ThinkUp combines positive affirmations with your own voice and with music to change the way we think which helps us DO differently too. You can try ThinkUp here: https://itunes.apple.com/app/apple-st.... There is a paid and free version. Try creating and listening to these every night before bed for 10 minutes. What change or transformation do you want to see? Remember to dream big and do small. Positive affirmations are a great way to start. You have it within you to be amazing, and it starts with believing you can!

We all face the threat of someone or something disrupting our status quo. The mere thought of disruption can be paralyzing or it can be a secret weapon. With the proper mindset and tools, you (or your team) can take control to use disruption as a superpower. I had the opportunity to catch up with Michael Alf of the Disciplined Disruption Podcast. Here are a few of Michael’s rules to be proactive surrounding disruption, so you can capitalize on an uncertain situation. In future episodes, I will talk about the mindset and planning required to execute these amazing tips: Developing the proper mindset is a vital component when it comes to planning for disruption. One of the biggest challenges as businesses, industries and roles are changing is: ‘How do I expand my tool belt to be as prepared as possible?’ The answer to this question starts with being confident in what’s possible and having the mindset to make clear and actionable progress even when it gets challenging. Becoming more agile is key, within an industry as well as becoming personally more agile. Women especially in traditionally male industries, need to have a heightened awareness of how to deal with disruption in an organization and have a structure in place to do so. Networking and taking control can make a huge difference in the end game, and the planning should start sooner rather than later. Specifically, networking groups should be inclusive of men and women and not limited to one gender group. If women, do not have an inclusive networking group, one should be formed. Women can step into and take control of this process for the best outcome for themselves and their male colleagues. I encourage you to reach out to me, so you can gain clarity and get a plan in place for you to use disruption as a superpower. Let's talk, because putting a pen to paper is where the transformation takes place! I am here to support you and to make this content real. Here’s to you being amazing!

There is a common misconception that being world-class is reserved for the elite few. We can’t all be in the top .01% at work or in our sport, but we can learn how to think like those who are. The result? We start to make consistent progress at what’s important to us even after setbacks, failures and disappointments. One secret to get the ball rolling is to be at peace with getting outside your comfort zone. According to Dr. Anders Ericsson, an international expert on the science of expertise and the author of Peak (http://amzn.to/2uXOX1Q), getting outside of your comfort zone is one of the most important factors in ‘purposeful practice’. Keep the following in mind if you want to dream big, do small and make consistent progress on being amazing at what’s important to you: Try something you couldn’t do before. Maybe you’re told to try a two-handed backhand to improve your tennis game, or at work you need to take on new responsibilities. In your pursuit of your personal best, it’s important to take action even when you’re not sure how it will work out. Try Different. Rather than try harder, it may be time to try different. In other words, when the going gets tough, find ways to maneuver the obstacles. Get a teacher, coach, or mentor. Just like it’s difficult to prick our own finger, it can be challenging at best to push ourselves beyond our comfort zone. Dr. Ericsson Recommends someone who has already experienced the obstacles you are experiencing, and can offer advice on how to make adjustments. Being willing to step outside your comfort zone (and then taking action:) is a trait of a world-class performer. The good news is that there are clear steps you can follow, so you can accelerate your progress. Start with trying something you couldn’t do before, doing it a different way if you stumble and find someone who can role model the way for you, and you’ll be off to the races!

It’s not just about the "10,000 hour rule" and putting in a lot of time. It’s about HOW you practice (deliberate). Find an expert/coach to help you out... push yourself beyond the limits that are comfortable… it’s your time to get going NOW! You can be at a level that’s world-class for YOU! You’re good enough. You’re smart enough. You’re athletic enough. Dream big and do small. It’s just has to do with your MINDSET and HOW you practice.

I’m going to address the “F” word right away so I don’t get in trouble. The “F” word is “Fear.” Emotions can propel us to greatness, or they can paralyze us, bringing creativity, productivity and motivation to a screeching halt. I sure prefer the later for moments that really matter and for long-term ambitions. Let’s talk about the Emotional Wheel and “F”ear, as well as how your mindset may affect how you plan and how you perform under pressure. The good news is that you can learn the tools to dream big, do small and crush it especially when it matters. Zone performance is not just for the elite few, it’s for you too! Green light means that you likely have a deep awareness and understanding of what emotions you experience, which ones serve you, which ones don’t as well as how to manage your emotions for optimal performance and optimal long-term thinking. Yellow light means caution. You may not be as aware of your emotions and how to regulate them. You can recover and get back to zone performance from here, but it may be challenging. There can also be consequences when it comes to creativity, productivity and motivation if recovery is not set into motion quickly. Red means it is unlikely you will be able to recover back to zone performance without a significant break or stopping what you’re doing all together. This is where the ‘downward spiral’, limiting beliefs (‘Maybe my goal is too lofty.) and learned helplessness (‘Maybe I am not good enough.) live. Creativity, productivity and motivation are infrequent visitors here. Whether it’s for moments that matter or whether for planning your long-term ambitions, your mindset and how you deal with fear matters. Keep in mind that world-class athletes are human just like us, and they feel all types of emotions including negative ones. The difference is that they know how to manage them and even use them to get back into ‘zone’ performance and into ‘zone’ future planning, sooner rather than later. You can learn how to get back into the zone too. It starts with being aware of your emotions and aware of where you want to be, especially in moments that matter most.

Motivation Monday: 1 Way to Give Back to Others (and Help Yourself Too!) What's one thing you can do today to help others ... to make someone else feel better and also to help motivate them. For me, it's placing a sunflower in my daughter Megan's room, and another over to my neighbor Margaret (who is celebrating a major milestone birthday today.) Don't get all tied up in what everyone else is doing. Even something small can be amazing.

We all face the threat of someone or something disrupting our status quo. The mere thought of disruption can be paralyzing or it can be a secret weapon. It’s all in your mindset and what you choose to do with it. Here’s one tip to "Leverage Mental Toughness to Rock Disruption" so you can get aggressive today about planning how to rise above the rest tomorrow: Keep this in mind, and you’ll be on your way to using a tool you already have in a way that most people don’t know about. Here’s how: Use fear to drive progress. In order to foster creativity, productivity and courage it’s important to use this emotion to your benefit rather than to your detriment. Fear can be paralyzing or it can be a super power. It depends on your mindset, how you perceive it. Here’s how to take the first step: 1.) Recognize a potential threat and its consequences. 2.) Release that fear by accepting it, and then thinking of it as an ally. 3.) Strategize by using your fear to raise your sense of urgency to think of the most impactful ways to be innovative today for your best performance tomorrow. Think of it this way. If you were training for a race and wanted to become faster to qualify for an event. A potential threat could be an injury. You could choose to get conservative with your training to "stay healthy", or you could use this fear of injury to get aggressive about the latest techniques for flexibility and joint support. The fear of injury is very real, but it’s what you do with it that matters. Do you perceive it as potentially derailing all your hard work, or do you ask it to walk beside you to get even more dialed on preventative care? Fear is a powerful emotion. It’s up to you what you do with it.

Forming new habits take time (Dr. Phillippa Lally's famous study out of the University College London noted on average, it takes 66 days before a new behavior becomes automatic). But, the awesome thing is that when you can form new habits, that's how people really become experts and actually happier. They're getting the things done that are important to them. Once they form a habit, then they can move on to something else to get even better. Whether it's for exercise or it's for doing something at work and forming a new productivity habit, it's super important. I have “partner in crime” who is incredibly important to me in forming new habits and also in being accountable. Kona is a 3 year-old American Labrador Retriever, and she is my accountability partner to go running four days a week. I don't want to say she's annoying. Let's just say that she's persistent. Whether it's for exercise or it's for something at work (for example you need to practice for a big presentation coming up in a few weeks) it’s super important to have an accountability partner. There's a couple different types of accountability. The best one I find is to have someone physically do something with you. In relation to Kona, she is my accountability partner because she's very persistent and she will not let my day go on until we go for a run. As my accountability partner, Kona and I dthe running together. Another way that you can be accountable to form new habits is to verbalize to someone. Back to our earlier example of the big presentation, let’s say you must practice for a presentation 15 minutes a day. You can either… A) have your accountability partner come with you and practice with them (which is ideal) or B) if you can't do that, you can put your accountability partner on notice and say, "Hey, I have this big presentation coming up and it’s very important. I need to practice 15 minutes a day and I'm just going to call you in the morning and let you know when I'm going to start doing this." Have someone help you out that way. A third way that you can be accountable is to yourself. That would be to write it down. You might jot on a piece of paper (again, if it's for work) “I'm going to begin practicing for my big presentation each day at 9:00am until 9:15am. It’s not only important for you to write that down once, you should do it every day and put it somewhere where you can see it. Forming new habits can empower you to become an expert quicker and be happier. I venture to say that because when we’re getting things done and we're accountable, we naturally become more proficient, we tend to be more happy. That is really important too. The one secret today for you to form new habits quicker is to get accountable: 1. Be accountable with someone and to physically do what you're going to do with them … and/or 2. Verbalize it to someone and do that every day until it becomes a habit … and/or 3. Be accountable to yourself by writing something down and viewing it every day.

You work extremely hard to prepare for high-pressure or competitive situations, and it’s incredibly frustrating when results do not measure up to your effort. There is one thing you can do to help boost confidence and encourage your best when it matters: Set Intentions. Here’s how: Intentions are things that you can or will do empower you to focus (that’s a bonus!) and believe in yourself. This increases your self-efficacy (your belief about your capability to produce designated levels of performance that exercise influence over events that affect your life.) For example, “At 4:00-4:30 p.m. today I will spend 30 minutes compiling research for a presentation.” So, the outcome of the presentation is uncertain, but there is certainty surrounding your preparation and execution. Why it works. Setting Intentions gives you control over what’s important to being able to do your best. It’s also an internal accountability system. World-class athletes typically perform their best when they are calm, carefree (of the outcome) and focused (on what’s most important). Setting Intentions will help you have a world-class mindset and champion results. If you can consistently set intentions for what’s important to you, you will be able to guide your thoughts and emotions in a way that they will help you do your best! Intentions help you to dream big, take control and focus on the small wins for big results! You got this!

Pre-game rituals are tools that help world-class performers to be calm and focused during situations that are important to them. The great thing is: You don’t have to be an Olympic hopeful to use rituals to help you do your best, especially when you are under pressure and the outcome matters. Here are a few tips, so you can set up a ritual that helps you rise to the occasion: 1. Fuel Up: Do you have a favorite pre-game snack or meal? If there is something that you eat and/or drink in the morning or before an important event that sits well with you and gives you good energy? Try making that part of your pre-game ritual. 2. Look Sharp: Do you have a favorite article of clothing? Maybe something that you feel confident wearing? Maybe a ‘lucky’ article of clothing that you’ve worn previously when you’ve really crushed something? If so, have it ready to go the next time you need to be world-class for something important to you! 3. Get Focused: Think about listening to music, journaling, or anything you can do to be calm and focused before an event. There are plenty of play lists with motivational songs or you can simply take a moment to write down what you know you want to do or what you know you can accomplish. For example, ‘I am confident. I am ready. Let’s go.” You have more in common with world-class athletes than you may think! They get nervous and worried too, but rituals are one way they (and YOU) can get to the business of doing your best, especially when it matters.

Being able to manage emotions is a tool that can come in handy during important events at school, at home or in competitive situations. Since emotions drive behavior, this is an important skill to understand and master, so all your hard work can pay off. Once it’s game time, it is time to trust yourself. In other words, trust that your desired result will happen (even if you are not so sure!) World-class athletes perform their best when they are calm, carefree (of the outcome) and focused (on the most important thing to do their best). In other words, they trust and believe in themselves. Not being able to manage emotions is distracting, and the consequences can be significant and frustrating. Keep this formula in mind, and you too will be able to champion your best results: Emotional Control + Trust = Success. Here’s how to get started with managing your emotions, especially when the stakes are high: 1.) Recognize when feeling nervous or doubtful. If you are thinking ‘I am worried about my performance because there is a lot riding on it.’, recognize that ‘worry’, and be at peace with it. You can think ‘I’m worried and that’s ok.’ It’s important to realize that typically emotions need to be felt before they can be moved aside. 2.) Release. Many times, it’s fear that drives negative emotions. We need to pass through fear and get to courage, so we can do our best. One way to do this is to challenge and even welcome your fear, and then commit to doing your best regardless. For example, you have a big presentation coming up, and you are worried about the consequences if you don’t do well.Welcome that worry. Challenge yourself to feel it full force. Then commit to preparing the best way you can. It’s time to slay the worry, not back away from it. 3.) Strategize. You should be in a better place now to get down to what matters! Think of the most important thing for you to do your absolute best. It may be to ask relevant questions, keep eye contact, explicitly ask for what you want at the end of the conversation or breathing a certain way while competing. Whatever it is ... it must be in your control. Elite athletes know how to manage emotions when it matters, and now you can too! Mental Toughness is the tool belt or catalyst which helps you to make consistent progress and to be happy along the way. Please check out the library of (free) resources on my website (www.SherylKline.com) or schedule an appointment with me if you’d like to learn more!

http://members.sherylkline.com/p/challenge Are You Ready to Take the FREE 7-Day Mental Toughness Challenge? For 7 days, just a few minutes each day, you'll be challenged to learn and implement some of the core Mental Toughness tips, tools and habits of world-class performers. Get Mentally Tough! We can't all be world-class performers, but the amazing thing is that we can learn and implement some of the same core Mental Toughness tips, tools and habits. That's incredible because it will allow us to dream, plan and achieve the things most important to us! Over the next 7 days, you're going to be learning some of these tips, tools and habits of world-class performers. I want to assure you, that the "7-Day Mental Toughness Challenge" is not going to be super complicated. It's going to be simple, and you get to do it with a friend, if you chose to do so. Each day, you are going to receive an email and a video that's going to challenge you, one way to be Mentally Tough. You're going to record what you do on a worksheet and share it with your challenge partner each day. Keep in mind, you can do this solo if you want to, but I highly recommend you rope someone in for the week! You will be doing yourself AND them a favor:). Why should you take on this Mental Toughness challenge for 7 days? Because I know that there's something out there, that's incredibly important to you. I call it “your own personal Olympics.” What do you want to get done? It's going to be 7 days of simple things that you can do, to make progress. It's simple, and it's going to move the needle for you. What's the Benefit? The key benefit ... is progress. It's going to give you a tool to put in your back pocket, not just for 7 days, but for any time you want to tackle something that is important to you. You can put on a "Mental Toughness hat", start to think like a world-class performer, and even role model for someone whose trying to get something done. Take a bow if you have committed to this "7-Day Mental Toughness Challenge." Sign-up, then keep your eyes open for an email that's going to include instructions for Day 1. We are in the middle of a movement. In the next year, I am going to help 10,000 people to be Mentally Tough. That means I'm going to help them go after some of their biggest dreams that they set for themselves. If you can take this on and even better, pass it along to five friends, that would be incredible! You can just click the button below. We're going to take care of most of the work for you. I can't want to see you, on the inside! - Sheryl -

We may not be preparing for a NBA title or any national stage, but we do have events that are no less important to us. Maybe it’s educational, professional, or personal. When it’s time to go to battle for something that really matters, there are a couple things you can do to be world-class and deliver. 1.) Get Clarity on What You Want. How do you want to perform, or what outcome do you want? For example, I want to place in the Top 3. Or I want to get a certain job or promotion. Clarity is the first step in going after and getting what’s important to you. 2.) Believe it Will Happen. In other words, ‘Proceed as if success is inevitable.’ You may have to be an actor or an actress because you may not believe what you want is 100% possible. Did For example, if you believe you can place in the top 3 or get that job promotion, you will start to search out ways to get better. It fuels confidence! Your mindset is SO important when it comes to making progress. Rather than ‘fake it until you make it’, you should ‘fake it until you become it’! Here is something that may help. It’s app called ThinkUp that I use and that my clients use. It’s changed my relationships and my business, so I would love for you to check it out. There is a free and a paid version for a nominal fee. Here is the link if you want to check it out, http://apple.co/2rymDk8. 3.) Get Focused on the One Thing. Identify the one thing that’s most important for you to do your best that you have control over. I can’t reiterate enough. When it comes to knocking it out of the park, you need to have control. Anything else is a distraction. For example, if you are in a race, maybe you need to remain calm steady. If you have a big presentation maybe you need to enunciate or keep eye contact. If you are a little nervous or worried, always go back to a deep belly breath or two to clear the slate for what you have control over. Big or small, we all have events in our lives that matter to us. With all the time and effort we spend, we deserve to crush these moments and be happy and proud with our efforts. If you can gain clarity, believe you can, and get laser focused when it’s your turn to shine, you will be on your way to being world-class. Mental Toughness is the tool belt or catalyst which helps you to make consistent progress and to be happy along the way. Please check out the library of (free) resources on my website (www.SherylKline.com) or schedule an appointment with me if you’d like to learn more! Please do share if you found this helpful, and keep your eyes open for "Mental Toughness Mastery" which is my new monthly livecast coming out in the next couple of weeks! I am SO excited to share this with you, and you will be the first to know once it is launched!