I spent over 30 years counseling “peak performers” at the University of Michigan. Over 400 of these student-athletes would go on to professional careers in the four major sports, including seven-time Superbowl champion Tom Brady and Heisman Trophy winners Desmond Howard and Charles Woodson. Some 120 became Olympians, including 23-time Gold Medalist Michael Phelps.
Whether we’re talking about professional athletes or top executives, we’re all on a similar quest to be peak performers at whatever we do. An essential part of that goal is finding the right ways to achieve our own level of mental fitness–but the obstacles we now face as we try to protect and preserve our mental health seem greater than ever. With so much change and disruption in the business world–ongoing layoffs and offshoring, remote/hybrid work issues, and the looming specter of artificial intelligence–it’s becoming increasingly difficult to master the mental game and stay sane in an insane world.
