The Power of Mindset

“I wasn’t particularly excited for life, it was just happening around me.” Have you ever felt this way? Most of us have! We suffer from #FOMO and think that everyone else is doing a better job at #YOLOing their way through life, but somehow seem stay in a rut ourselves. It doesn't have to be that way, and adopting the right mindset is part of making a change!

The Alphaweibchen Podcast recently had the opportunity to interview Paul Smith about his inspiring story and phenomenal accomplishment: diagnosed with cancer, he withstood the temptation to give in to hopelessness and instead embarked on a journey to complete the Ironman Wales, one of the toughest triathlons on the planet. Demonstrating the power of mindset, he came back from the "mother of all surgeries" and went from hardly being able to walk, to completing the Ironman - in just 10 months. We can all learn from Paul, his mindset and his experience, and here are some of the key takeaways:

Acceptance of the unknown

We all face challenges in life, big and small, and how we deal with them directly influences the outcome. Paul was a detective with the police force and a somewhat-fit hobby athlete, just kind of cruising through life - comfortable, maybe a bit complacent. And then things changed - and he changed with them. Diagnosed with cancer but missing any further information, he had to grapple with that ever-present demon we all face in different ways: UNCERTAINTY. It is so easy to get caught up in our anxieties and worries, especially when we don’t have all the information. Our brains get busy filling in the gaps – usually with the worst-case scenario and all kinds of negative assumptions. And that can end up chasing us down a rat hole of negativity. When we feel that happening, it's important to remember we have choices and adopting a positive mindset serves us so much better! 

Following his diagnosis, Paul didn’t know if he would live or die, what the treatment plan would entail, or even when it would get underway. The natural human reaction is to assume “this is it” and that your time has come. It doesn’t have to be that way. Like Paul says about his state-of-mind following the diagnosis,

“I had choices: I could sit back in some self-induced pity party or I could start doing something to prepare for whatever it was that was coming my way.”

He accepted the situation, put a pause on the spinning-out-of-control thoughts and re-focused.

Tackle what you can control

Once over the initial shock, Paul developed the mantra “I may have cancer but I’m not sick yet” and he continues the thought “…I wasn’t dying at the very moment…so that surely gave me a fighting chance.” And he resolutely set about the business of living life to the fullest, for as long as he might still have it to live. He went back to his triathlon training, knowing that any increase in his physical strength and stamina would help fight the disease and recover from the treatment. This also kept his brain and body focused on something within his control, something positive. The harder he worked, the more tired he was at the end of the day, helping sleep come easily – foregoing those dark-of-the-night hours when doubts and worries tend to creep back in. Training, time with his loved ones, new experiences and visits to beautiful places – all of that was directly within his control and he used it to focus and stay mentally strong.

Create a vision & set goals

Faced with the emotional trauma of his cancer diagnosis and all the medical efforts to beat the disease, Paul did the opposite of what most people would consider natural: he took on an additional, gigantic challenge - preparing for and participating in the Ironman Wales. Having that goal to aim for was a key factor in keeping him going and in helping him recover.

“Focusing the mind was the key for me to get through the whole experience. Cancer can easily overwhelm your thoughts and forcing my head to share its space with something that is as equally as much of a head fuck as cancer did wonders for watering down the negative thoughts that creep around.”

We love the idea of forcing the mind to share space - deflecting from the worries we have by giving it a new, more positive challenge to work on. Definitely a trick that the truly mentally strong apply. And it works!

Celebrate Milestones

Whether it’s training for a triathlon, battling a disease, or completing that next sales program re-design, every big goal should be comprised of a myriad of small celebrations. Defining interim milestones and then applauding their achievement keeps you moving forward, towards that long-term objective. Paul took this approach in his comeback, with his first out-of-hospital training day consisting of shuffling down the street, leaning on the neighbors’ fence to rest, and shuffling back home. All of 200m, but something worth celebrating. He says,

“…small progressions lead to the biggest prizes. That’s true of anything in life, you can build a plan, stick to it and you will get there eventually.” 

His plan progressed from that 200m to completing the 42.2 km marathon (after already having completed the 3.8 km ocean swim and the 180.2 km hilly bike course). It sounds impossible – he’s living proof that it’s not. And watching the event the year before he participated, shortly before undergoing his 9-hour surgery, he says about the participants crossing the finish line:

“All ages and all shapes and sizes achieve that dream, they just dream bigger than most, so why can’t you do that? You really can.”

Keep reaching

When is the last time you jumped for joy? Probably it wasn't following 16 hours of strenuous physical activity...but the power of the mind is so great, that it can overcome the most grueling of experiences and have you soaring - just like Paul did as he crossed the Ironman Wales finish line. Reflecting back on his experiences, he shares this thought with us:

“The cliché’s are all lined up for us: life’s too short, live the dream, seize the day. The problem is we don’t. We should do all these things every day, not just as we have some epiphany when it’s too late.”

He is so right! So whatever you've been putting off, whichever challenge has felt too great to attempt: get out there and start making it happen.

Nurturing the right mindset to tackle challenges head-on and make the most of each day is one of the most important things you can do for yourself – boosting your well-being and your success. Applying these elements in your own life, you’ll soon be sharing in Paul’s sentiments as he concludes our opening statement:

“…I wasn't particularly excited for life - it was just happening around me. But I'm excited for it now! And if the cancer comes back, I can go into that operating room an Ironman."

So jump into this week with excitement, and take on a new (or a neglected) challenge, knowing it'll make you stronger and more ready for whatever comes next!

If you’d like to hear our full discussion with Paul, check out the links below to the Alphaweibchen Podcast.

?? Apple Podcasts: Episode 5: The Power of Mindset

?? Spotify: Episode 5: The Power of Mindset

?? Google: Podcasts: Episode 5: The Power of Mindset

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There is so much more to Paul’s story; in his motivational and entertaining book “Dead Man to Iron Man” (with a 5-star rating on Amazon), you can read the rest of it. You can find more about Paul on Instagram or his Web page