Don’t ever turn to stone. Take a leap to learn new things.
Photo Credit: thriol
By Kristen Ulmer
People ask me all the time why I started Ski to Live.
I want to tell you a story about my past you may find shocking. It explains why I started these evolutionary mindset ski and snowboard camps, and also illustrates the next top mindset tip.
When I was 22 years old I was competing in local Utah mogul competitions and generally coming in last place. Heck, I hadn't even owned a pair of ski pants until two years prior -- just competing in anything was a big step.
That summer, while my fellow competitors trained on snow at expensive camps at Mount Hood, Whistler or even South America, I decided to take a trip to Asia by myself. For 5 months. To work on my self esteem.
I had two rules on this trip. I made these rules because I realized my self worth was entirely based on the fact I was pretty, and could ski well. I realized I wasn't going to always be pretty, or always ski well, and I thought I'd better find a way to build a more solid personal foundation.
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Why discipline and will power are completely outdated, and an evolutionary alternative
Photo Credit: jontunn
By Kristen Ulmer
This may surprise you, but discipline, perseverance, setting an intention, drive, the will; all those celebrated states usually taught by sports coaches, are completely outdated. Same with goal setting.
Here's why. I remember having to perform a difficult ski photo shoot while still recovering from an injury. I wanted to maintain status and sponsors so I “sucked it up” “did it anyway” “refused to give up” “pushed through the pain and fear.” Sounds powerful right?
Such willed effort is fine in a pinch: I skied great that day, but here's the problem: doing something I didn't feel like doing was the first step toward future burn out and ultimately resenting my sport.
There's a better path.
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To improve at your sport, always be in a state of leaning in
By Kristen Ulmer
If you really want to improve at your sport, it's important to always be in a state of reaching, or leaning in. You may be surprised by what that means.
The simple part is: You play tennis on your front foot, not your back. Great skiing happens when you're reaching for speed, not resisting speed. If you're running and sense the wind pushing you back, you're not leaning in. Lean in and you'll sense the wind pushing you forward.
Leaning in is all about yes; to everything. And here's where it gets hard. Everything means ”¦ everything. Lean in to all of life, not just the good stuff.
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If you want a lifetime of happiness, never be satisfied
Photo Credit: Miss Barabanov
By Kristen Ulmer
One of my clients admitted the first gold medal he won in the Olympics made him feel happy and satisfied for about six months. His second gold medal he was satisfied for only a few weeks.
Sounds like a bummer, actually. All that work and subsequent glory is supposed to lead to ”˜happily-ever-after' right? The bragging rights alone should carry for decades.
Yet here's my advice: If you want a true lifetime of happiness and love for your sport: Never be satisfied.
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Consciousness is power: a lesson from pebbles
Photo Credit: Alain Limoges
By Kristen Ulmer
While a body builder, Schwarzenegger was rumored to say lifting weight 1 rep in a conscious state enhanced results more than lifting the same weight 10 times in an unconscious state.
While we wouldn't take relationship advice from the guy, perhaps this comment deserves pondering!
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You can’t become powerful. You can only realize you already are powerful.
Photo Credit: draculina_ak
by Kristen Ulmer
When I was on the US Ski Team as a mogul specialist, I noticed when my peers were in the gate for a competition -- a mere second before they pushed off they all abruptly clacked their poles together. Every single one of them did this! So being no dummy, I tried it too.
Clack! And off I went. I'll be damned if something in me didn't shift.
It seems most pro athletes have a ritual; the prayer, the nose rub, a tap tap tap on the leg. I know a football player who would tie and untie his shoes 15 times before every game. What the heck are they all doing anyway?
They're shifting from one form of consciousness into another. They're shifting into focus, in an instant. Just like us mogul skiers, without any effort.
Imagine you're standing on the left track of a railroad track, but you want to be on the right track. Same when you're in one form of consciousness (the normal, unconscious self), but you want to be in another (say, the powerful, athlete self). How do you get there?
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