Tools You Can Use! Reframing
“You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get.” —Michael Phelps, swimming
Is the glass half full or half empty? It's a matter of perspective and we can learn from Olympic Athletes the power of reframing their failures into learning opportunities.
Here's another excerpt from the above article:
Reframing is one’s ability to look at a situation or event from a different perspective. This is an important exercise for athletes, because it teaches them to see their failures as learning opportunities, and thereby extract the positive from all their experiences.
The ability to reframe anything allows athletes to maintain a positive and optimistic attitude even during hard times.
When Michael Phelps started the London 2012 Olympics with a few disappointing days, he was able to turn his attitude around by reminding himself to “have fun in there.” Three days later he won his first gold medal of 2012, and shortly after became the all-time record holder for most Olympic medals ever won.
Often people experience a loss or failure and decide to give up. However, reframing gives individuals the power and resilience to keep pushing themselves and improving. Elite athletes and Olympians are masters at reframing, whether they do it consciously or not.
How can you use the reframing technique in your life? Don't judge yourself or the situation harshly, step back and evaluate. Then reframe into the positive! Give it a try!
