From personal experience as an age group Ironman athlete to observing endurance sports as an industry, I believe it is important to help shape a safe and supportive environment as an industry for athletes and those new to sport to help reach their goals. As a graduate student at Northwestern University studying Information Design and Strategy (IDS) I have two articles that will help someone experiencing fear of failure take the next step and industry to help better support these individuals.
In this Tedtalk, What I learned when I conquered the world's toughest triathlon, featured speaker Minda Dentler describes how she tackled her fear of not making the cut off times during her second attempt at completing this race. Minda talks about how she focused on one stroke at a time in the swim, and then took the enormity of the 112-mile bike and broke it down into 7 - 10-mile increments. She then recounts the focus she had with each push to the finish line to complete the 26.2 mile run. She achieved her goal of being the first female wheelchair athlete to complete the Ironman World Championship, but not without confronting fear along the way.
 |
In the article 5 Excuses People with Fear of Failure Make by Guy Winch, PhD in Psychology Today, Dr. Winch breaks down 5 common excuses we give ourselves when we are faced with fear of failure. He identifies what we feel, what our minds tell us, and how to overcome it. Acknowledging fear, recognizing the challenge, and setting appropriate expectations will help decrease your chances of failure and optimize success.
As a part of my graduate studies at Northwestern University and my passion for endurance sports, I recommend three action items that both athletes and industry should be aware of when fear of failure occurs.
1- Acknowledge your fear - Creating awareness will help you learn and approach from a more knowledgeable place.
2- Understand the challenge - Know what efforts are needed and the reward at the end.
3- Set reasonable expectations - Focus on what you can control, break it down to one step at a time.
As an industry, it is important to support and provide resources to help would-be athletes, and seasoned athletes work through fear of failure. By doing such it will not only help promote the endurance sports industry as a whole and grow the number of participants but also help encourage and nurture athletes as they realize their goals.
Cheryl Atkins is a seasoned creative professional who enjoys working collaboratively to make life experiences and the world a better place. She is pursuing her Master’s degree at Northwestern University in Information Design and Strategy. Cheryl is also an endurance athlete when she is not studying she can be found swimming, biking, running with her family. You can reach Cheryl on Twitter @atkinscheryl2
________________________________________________________________________________________
Cheryl Atkins is a seasoned creative professional who enjoys working collaboratively to make life experiences and the world a better place. She is pursuing her Master’s degree at Northwestern University in Information Design and Strategy. Cheryl is also an endurance athlete when she is not studying she can be found swimming, biking, running with her family. You can reach Cheryl on Twitter @atkinscheryl2 
