Focus Friday: What Resilience Really Means
Welcome to Focus Friday from Mental Flex! Whether you’re gearing up for a tournament, match, or showdown this weekend, we’ve got the mental strategies and competitive edge you need to crush it.
Resilience Isn't What You Think It Is
Alright, let’s talk about the thing nobody wants to talk about until they have to: resilience.
You know, that thing you need when your legs feel like overcooked spaghetti, the ref makes a questionable call, or you lose a game you swore you’d win.
Resilience isn’t just bouncing back—it’s bouncing forward.
Think of it like a rubber band. Stretch it, twist it, use it to fling a paper ball at your teammate during film study… What? It always snaps back, right?
But here’s the kicker: Rubber bands don’t get better at being stretchy unless you actually stretch ’em.
Same with you.
You don’t build resilience by avoiding hard stuff—you build it by surviving the hard stuff.
Now, let’s debunk a myth: Resilient people aren’t endless optimists. Endless optimism throws your expectations completely out of whack.
People who are resilient don’t love failure. They just don’t let it throw a party in their brain rent-free. Have you ever seen a toddler learn to walk? They faceplant 50 times a day. Over and over and over again.
Do they quit? No.
They scream, drool, and try again.
Be the toddler, minus the drool.
Here's your resilience game plan:
🚀 Reframe Your Mindset
First, reframe your mindset about failure, losses, and anything else that is an obstacle to your success. They’re not stop signs. They’re GPS recalculations. “Recalculating…” Annoying? Yes. Necessary? Also yes.
🎯 Control the Controllables
Second, control the controllables. Can’t fix the weather, the ref’s decision-making, or your opponent hitting a “lucky” shot. But your effort? Your concentration? Your attitude? That’s your kingdom. Rule it.
🗣️ Talk to Yourself Like a Teammate
Third, talk to yourself like you’d talk to your teammate. If your inner voice is self-critical, it’s not doing anything for you. Fire that guy and bring in one that supports you.
Bottom line? Resilience isn’t about being unbreakable. It’s about knowing you can reassemble when life—or a 250-pound linebacker—shatters your plans. Champions aren’t made in comfort zones. They’re made in comeback zones.
Oh, and if you do faceplant? Make sure the cameras catch it. Future highlight reels love a good redemption arc. Go get yours.
- Trevor Conner, Founder of Hearts & Minds
Want to up your mental game? Book a free 1:1 call with Trevor, our founder, below!
