I’ve always been a big believer that the fastest way to get better at something is to surround yourself with people that are already better than you. But I think that there should be an asterisk on this belief because confidence can be hard when you’re one of the less accomplished members of the group. The further I get into the season, the more I realize how fickle confidence is and how important it is to have a strong mental state. Maybe a better way to put it is *as long as you aren’t intimidated or negatively effected by failure, surrounding yourself with people who are better than you are is a good way to learn faster.*
Luckily, I really like a good challenge! But I do think it’s been important for me to realize the toll exclusively competing on the World Cup takes on me mentally. It doesn’t feel great to be ‘losing’ by not scoring World Cup points yet this season. But if I take a step back and look at my progress so far, I’m actually very proud of my skiing the past couple months and the progress I have made. I feel the strongest, fastest and most consistent with my skiing that I have ever felt. And although I lose sight of it sometimes, I know I am so lucky to be in an environment where I am challenging and pushing myself every day and skiing against people who are quite literally the best in the world.
I think a good sign for me that the ‘failure’ isn’t really getting to me, is that after every race this season, I have ended the day feeling so motivated and excited to get back on snow as soon as possible to continue to work hard towards my goals. Honestly, I think that my morale has never been stronger. I’m still so curious and eager to see what I can achieve if I keep pushing as hard as possible. I want to work harder, I want to be faster.
Plus, as one of my favorite athletes John John Florence said, “If you lose, you probably are going to learn something you wouldn’t have if you had won.” So looking on the bright side of things, I’m learning a lot! I’m absorbing all the lessons and information I can from my experiences and continuing to keep the focus on the skiing itself and not get distracted by the noise, so that I can learn as much as possible not only on how to get faster, but also about myself. How I handle pressure and setbacks and little victories and so much more. These insights may be the biggest bonus of all.
Photo Recap:
You have a great attitude and have proven that you are not a robot {FbQs5), showing emotion when disappointment happens. Make sure to LIVE the DREAM. Enjoy the process even in a disciplined, focused, competitive environment. It's all part of the fun. Do your best, learn, and let it all shake out.
Learn through losses and challenge. In your game just come out.
The rest will find itself on the other side with a BIG FAT WIN in whatever form that presents. Hang tight cousin TM