What would you do differently if you knew that your biggest growth opportunities are during times of adversity?
We all strive for a perfect race, a successful career, a happy family – that’s where you want to be. But it’s in the most challenging moments that you become.
Obstacles, setbacks, failures, and challenges present unique opportunities. We shouldn’t let them go to waste.
This year, we’re focusing on mastering your mindset and we’re just getting started. We’ve covered:
- Mental toughness training
- Mindset traps – or common mental mistakes runners often make
- How to develop a “culture of excellence” as you think about your training
- Reframing failure as a learning opportunity
Today, we’re taking a closer look at how to face adversity, reframe it, and leverage it for growth.
Our guest on the podcast is Dr. Cindra Kamphoff, a mental performance expert with many strategies to help us grow.
Dr. Cindra Kamphoff’s Running and Professional Career
Dr. Cindra Kamphoff is a nationally recognized speaker and leader in the performance psychology space. She earned her PhD in Sport and Performance Psychology and served 3 years on the Executive Board of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, the premier organization in the field.
She is the CEO of Mentally Strong Consulting and is currently in her fourth year providing mental training for the Minnesota Vikings where she works one-on-one with the players. On top of that, Cindra Kamphoff is a Professor and she directs the Sport and Exercise Psychology graduate program at Minnesota State University.
She’s an avid runner, having completed in 15 marathons. And I’d be remiss not to mention that she won the 2012 Omaha Marathon, finishing in 3:05!
Her passions bring together a unique perspective. Cindra is great at finding ways to apply theoretical knowledge from the field of sports psychology to help athletes gain an edge in their sport.
Fear and Adversity – Used to Propel Growth
In today’s episode, we’re discussing how to reframe adversity for one-time obstacles but also for ongoing, chronic obstacles that you know you’ll face again. We’re also talking about mental toughness, how to use fear to your advantage, and effective strategies for applying these mental skills to your running.
Cindra has numerous tools that she talks about for reframing adversity. One that I liked, in particular, is asking yourself “why is this happening for me?”, instead of “to me“. This helps to view challenges in light of the growth opportunities. She also suggests asking yourself questions like:
- What is the opportunity here?
- How is this situation a gift?
- What is amazing about my life/family?
- What can I be grateful for?
Cindra shares facts about fear to highlight that fear is universal and that we can choose to act courageously.
In this conversation, Cindra also provides actionable steps for:
- Overcoming negative bias
- Developing mental toughness
- Ways to train your mind daily with Grit Priming Exercises
- Dealing with fear
I hope you’ll enjoy listening to this episode and putting these strategies into action for yourself.
Fore more strategies, get our best advice on mental fitness here!
You can hear more of our podcasts by subscribing in iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, or Google Play.
Show Links & Resources:
- Check out Cindra’s website and her High Performance Mindset podcast
- Download the Grit Priming Exercise for your morning routine
- Cindra’s book Beyond Grit (use code “freeship” at checkout)
- Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
- Follow Cindra on Instagram
- Join our free series on improving your mindset
Thank You Naked Nutrition
I want to thank Naked Nutrition for their ongoing sponsorship of this podcast. They make great dietary supplements without artificial sweeteners, flavors, or colors. Only the purest ingredients – and everything is made in the USA.
I’ve been taking their Vanilla Whey Protein Powder for several weeks now and can confidently say that it’s the best protein powder I’ve ever had: it tastes great and I know I’m not ingesting what I don’t need. I’ve used a lot of different protein powders over the years and this is definitely my favorite.
I love that this protein powder has only 3 ingredients and the whey is sourced from grass fed cows’ milk. For those looking for a plant-based option, Naked Nutrition has vegan protein powders as well.
I’ve also started taking their Naked Greens supplement, which is basically a powder of different vegetables, grasses, and leafy greens. It certainly tastes like grass (that’s the point, I think) but I like the fact that I’m giving my body an extra dose of veggies.
Check out all their products and let me know what you think once you try them out!
