7 Things Mentally Strong Athletes Don't Do!

I share 7 things athletes should avoid to be mentally strong and perform their best! Do you want access to bonus videos, training programs, a discord server a podcast and more? Check out my Patreon: / goranwinblad
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00:00 Intro
00:50 1 Mentally Strong Athletes Don't Do This!
01:48 2 Mentally Strong Athletes Don't Do This!
04:06 3 Mentally Strong Athletes Don't Do This!
06:10 4 Mentally Strong Athletes Don't Do This!
07:27 5 Mentally Strong Athletes Don't Do This!
08:52 6 Mentally Strong Athletes Don't Do This!
10:02 7 Mentally Strong Athletes Don't Do This!

[@emielhelmich5466]

Göran refilming the missing basketball shot because he accidentally scored the first 99 times

[@goranwinblad]

Haha I wish! 😂😂

[@purenrg4life]

@@goranwinblad exactly... @Emiel... he had to get someone else to shoot it and miss because Goran could NEVER miss! :) hehe

[@DasMachineBrettK]

😂😂😂

[@Bweyg]

And now, I have to run super fast in order to run slowly because that is part of the process of running slow :D

[@spencermowrer7154]

One thing I say to my self to keep me mentally strong or motivated especially during my runs is "this is a privilege that I get to do this" or " I get to do this, not have to do this".

[@goranwinblad]

That's a great thing to think about for sure!

[@wakimura303]

definitely realized that, just got injured and sick and haven’t run in 2 weeks. lucky to have the opportunity to run and be fit

[@dogwalk3]

yeah i had a liver transplant this year and never thought i'd live to see another day. now i even GET to have bad days (or tough runs.)

[@Sofiarey285]

Great! It's very similar to my old one of "I am here because I want to be here, not because I have to be here"

[@Namoraslife]

Dude, that comment just made me rethink my whole life. Thank you for this much needed change of perspective.

[@Kelly_Ben]

For me it's all about the crazy goals. I love the saying "Set a goal so big that you can't achieve it until you grow into the person who can." All of my goals in life have been far outside what seemed possible... being broke but wanting my own business, struggling with half marathons but wanting to run a 50k. I've achieved them, and now it's on to new crazy goals... I will never settle for a "normal" life. I might fail at being extraordinary, but I'm certainly not ordinary! 😆

[@srkrrrt]

*Mentally strong athletes* • Focus on the the present moment and on the future. • Keep on trying after failure. • Take responsibility for their outcomes and focus only on things in their control. • Learn from their mistakes. • Show up consistently and keep pushing forward. • Find reasons to keep on going and maintain a positive state of thought. • Set challenging and ambitious goals.

[@nobodyspecial9035]

Ty

[@johnarleentaninecz2867]

Consistency, slow progression, strengthening your weaknesses and avoiding injury. Much easier said than done

[@RXP91]

I think gratitude practice is important. Be thankful that you can move your body in all the ways you can, it reminds you that the activity is supposed to be enjoyable not one that just chases goals.

[@goranwinblad]

Great point thanks for sharing!

[@gotma17]

Very good points! I think mentally strong athletes don't compare themselves to others too much. They do everything that is in their power to succeed and reach their goals and potential. I like to think about this like that: if you'd like to win a local race, you train well, everything goes according to plan, all is fine. Then you race, PB on the course and run a time that would've easily been enough for the win the years before, but five runners of national caliber did show up and totally crushed it. Was your effort worth less? No, it's about you, it's your journey. 99.9% of runners will never win anything. Focus on yourself and set goals that are not dependent on things totally out of your control. If you come out of a training phase in better shape, mentally stronger and/or even a better person, you did achieve everything one could've asked for beforehand. That was quite a lot of text, sry. Keep up the great content 😁

[@goranwinblad]

Thanks and thanks for your additional point that was a great one and good example too! 😃

[@empyrionin]

If someone is somewhat in shape, shows up and runs faster than my PB of 5 years, I cannot be upset. They have not put in the effort, so why be bothered?

[@AlbertineVoncken]

I heard a story from a rowing coach that she always set goals for her team that were independent of others. So not to finish first, but to set a time ten seconds faster than last race. Because the latter you can influence and the first depends on the other competitors.

[@vinay4886]

I’m surprised this channel has only 58k followers… 🤔 Thank you for all the positive messages, Goran

[@goranwinblad]

Thanks for your nice comment, hopefully I can grow this channel some more thanks to the support of people like you 😊

[@RunningRefresh]

Your last point about setting goals is so important. Simply writing down a goal increases the percentage of achieving that goal by 42%!

[@AT-zr9tv]

42% ? What is that number?

[@jdog5189]

@@AT-zr9tv don’t question it bro. You don’t have to site sources on the internet if it’s agreeable 😂.

[@AT-zr9tv]

You're such a down-to-earth and gentle soul. Thank you for creating this content.

[@elenazanchetta5963]

Great Video!! When I started running 4 years ago I got injured very often and I was frustrating seeing my friends running longer and faster than me. I thought I had started too late and bla bla. But then I started to watch your videos and finding myself in all the mistakes and don’t do stuff you mentioned 🙂and I changed running habits and above all running style. Now I respect my body, I don’t have any injuries anymore and, the most important thing, I have a lot of fun 🤩 so thank you so much!

[@arjanvanderzwan537]

Excellent video Göran! One to keep and watch again every now and then to remind ourselves of these great points. Whenever I miss a training or a run didn't go very well I like to keep myself mentally fresh and motivated by doing something else that day that could benefit my running. If it's an injury that keeps me from a run I like to replace the run with some extra strength or balance training or maybe an extra hour of sleep. If it was a very busy schedule that kept me from running or a run didn't go as well as I hoped it would I like to end that day by reading about running or watching a video that might teach me something new. This way I always feel like I made a little progress somewhere that day. I can't say that it's a strategy that keeps my mental battery at 100% all the time but it works enough to keep me going.

[@goranwinblad]

Thanks and thanks for sharing your point sound like a really good approach to keep developing!

[@Kelly_Ben]

Love this!!

[@tardbug]

Love the video - so many great points made. It is tough though sometimes. Right now I am dealing with what is probably an acl tear. I say probably because even though the injury happened in December, I am still awaiting imaging (I finally have an mri appt in a week!). But I have gone through so many phases of regret/feeling sorry for myself/pushing too much for my circumstance over these nine months. It would be great if you (or anyone) included tips for how to pull yourself out of these pitfalls/avoid them all together when shit hits the fan.

[@Jaigarful]

I always found it fascinating how different running when you're older is compared to when you are in school/college. When you're young, its all about speed, finding the distance you're the best at (100m, 400m, 5k etc.) and going hard. But when we get older, we tend to transition into long distance running and change what we prioritize in training. Peak vs. longevity within the sport. When we're younger, peak performance is held up above all else. Holding top 10-15% of your division when younger isn't as valued as placing 3rd-1st in track and field/cross country. We lose a lot of runners after college because of this, people who see themselves past their peak.

[@Kelly_Ben]

True! I gave up on speed and switched to ultras after 40, and have never enjoyed running so much!

[@wimpie133]

The thing is: I'm also getting to that point approaching my 40 slowly but surely. At one hand I train less than 10 years ago, due to other stuff that takes priority and because my body doesn't recover from running so much (and that hard). And I take the loss in personal bests for granted. At the other hand I don't like the speedy runs in my training that much anymore, and I'm finding more joy in slow long distance runs. Maybe the other sport I'm practicing - walking - play a role in that too. So I'm also thinking about putting my goals differently: forget about the faster times and an exhausted body not feeling great after trainings. And go for slower runs which I enjoy more. Based on other schemes than I'm using now. Maybe it will end in the fact I'll run a marathon again.

[@wrinkledasian5206]

I just subscribed. I really enjoy your message and your love of running. I used to really dislike running anything more than a mile but now do it simply for the joy of it.

[@anvisworld5515]

Excellent video . There is no shame in trying and failing. Great athletes compete with themselves and never forget why they started playing thr sport in the first place. Because they love the sport. So never stop loving and enjoying the sport while that competitive streak comes in .

[@goranwinblad]

Well said!

[@thepsychologist8159]

Points 2 and 3 are pivotal (which also translate to point 6), not just in relation to a failed race result. Even when training and building up/back up. I'm currently in the build phase after an injury two months ago, training for my next half-marathon. For two weeks in a row I did a race-pace 10km and finished strong, then the next week and the week after, I couldn't even make 7km. I was achieving the distance in my easy runs, but for some reason I was bugging out when doing those race-pace 10 kms. Of course, this all had to do with my increase in training load and my body adapting to it. Sure, even though I've been running for decades I got down on myself, but I just kept telling myself that 1 or 2 bad days won't effect the end goal just as long as I stay true to myself and stuck to a consistent training plan. Now, several weeks on, I've moved well past 10km and now running 18km without a problem.

[@innesdunbar]

This is like a Stoic Runners plan and all the better for it. Some good points for us all Goran.

[@goranwinblad]

Thanks!

[@simonpettersson6788]

Keep it up Göran! Your videos makes me smile every time because you have such energy. Fortsätt så! :)

[@anrose4095]

Brilliant video! Thankyou! Something I've learnt is to train with likeminded athletes that push you beyond your comfort zone. And also to always stick to a training schedule as motivation won't carry you on the long run.

[@jefejeffwell1113]

Excellent topic and (as always) production! For me, one of the hardest challenges of mental strength in athletics is injury. It’s a learning experience which, if approached properly, will lead to better results, but can be very intimidating if you don’t know the exact cause. Lean on experience in these challenges you face. It will help you.

[@goranwinblad]

Thanks! Yeah getting injured is for sure a mental challenge!

[@majidfatahi]

Tack så mycket Göran! Mycket inspirerande.

[@ScottMcDonaldAcrobat]

Brilliant video! I work as a professional acrobat and coach, and even though doing flips etc is quite different from running or endurance sports, all of these tenets are still so applicable. Expecting immediate results is the biggest trap I see people fall into when they see something cool and assume they'll be able to perfect it in a matter of minutes 😅 Tusen takk for kanalen din! Videoene dine e kjempebra!

[@fnempatientz9974]

Love this dude, such a good Chanel. You give such a positive energy❤️

[@loicdq]

After watching your video at the beginning of the year I set myself the goal to get into the top 6 at the EYOC (yes I am also an orienteer) and I really did it. I don't know if it would have been possible without setting the goal. Thanks for all the good messages and motivation!

[@goranwinblad]

That is awesome congrats on your top 6 result. So cool to hear that you dared to set a challenging goal and managed to achieve it :D I wish you the best of luck in the last races of the season!

[@vincentbecker7850]

Awesome to see another orieteer! Which country did you represent?

[@loicdq]

@@vincentbecker7850 Germany :D

[@ThatRunnerAaron]

Loved the video Goran! Thank you!

[@goranwinblad]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@YanickHommel]

Thanks a lot for this video. It has really great points (I don't have anything to add right now, sorry!), some of them are not just for running but also for life in general, like you said. I have been watching your videos for a couple of months now and I must say you are easily one of my favourite if not my favourite running content creator. Keep it up!

[@goranwinblad]

Thanks for your nice comment Yanick that makes me happy to hear!

[@icecreamforever]

Thank you so much for those video..... the bit about failure is just want I needed to hear!

[@goranwinblad]

You are so welcome!

[@abbyschwendler1107]

I was nodding my head through the whole video. Agree with everything. Yeah, not giving up and only comparing who I am today to who I was yesterday is what keeps me going despite the various bumps in the road along the way. I found myself comparing myself too much to others which wasn't good for my mind.

[@nichola607]

Enjoyed the video. Thanks

[@deryak9983]

👍👍👍I used to do these "don't s" . Luckily consistency of showing up to workout and train rain or shine is changing me and my mindset. For me, mentally strong athletes don't feel sorry for themselves when they face failure as much as don't get way over their head and arrogant when they succeed - both kind of lead of the right path 🤷‍♀️ 😊 And, mentally strong athletes compare, try to keep up with THEIR OWN improvements and success and try to break THEIR OWN personal records - not getting affected by other people's success or failure. Great video, thanks Göran👍

[@SucklessProgrammer]

🥇 Great video again! This is something that I need to hear again and again!!!

[@goranwinblad]

Thanks Kjell yeah I guess most of us do! 😅

[@Mookiethedog]

Great video. Some of these points I’m great at....others I need to work at!

[@goranwinblad]

Thanks, yeah same with me 😅

[@ProjectSynx]

Thanks for motivating me once again!

[@goranwinblad]

Thanks for watching and I'm glad to hear it was motivating! 😊

[@ankitaggarwal028]

Your work is great. Love you 😍

[@hena3984]

The saying we have in our house is - control the controllables! No point thinking or worrying about the uncontrollable

[@sherwinmoscow9455]

Great video, as always. I keep on reminding myself, 'comparison is the thief of all joy.' This phrase has been very useful.

[@goranwinblad]

Yes! Thank you!

[@walkhikerun6918]

Really enjoyed this - insightful, positive, humble

[@goranwinblad]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@danniseliger5172]

--- almost 60k subscibers. That is now 3 months ago and now it's almost 70k. Keep on trucking!

[@goranwinblad]

Thanks 😁

[@goranwinblad]

Thanks 😁

[@simonaxelsson7047]

Great video as usual 👍Thanks..

[@goranwinblad]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@gregorycoleman906]

True, had a 5k TT on the weekend and because i wasn't mentally in it, I did not preform as well as i knew i could. Great video as always!

[@goranwinblad]

Thanks!

[@amandabrown4895]

Thank you for this! Very reasonable and gives me food for thought and action!

[@goranwinblad]

Glad it was helpful! 😊

[@jotohz]

Thank you so much for this 🙂

[@lynchs2441]

Thank you for great inspirational videos :)

[@goranwinblad]

Glad you like them! 😊

[@Longhaulstocks]

Hi Goran, new subscriber here. What brand running jacket are you wearing? (Black and orange with T logo). I like that it's lightweight, can be layered, for late fall/early winter 0-5'Celsius running outdoors Thanks 🙏

[@danieless4009]

i definitely do 1 and 6. i already knew it isn't going to help. but thank you for the reminder to be careful not to fall into the traps

[@Daniel-dw8iy]

i started running about 2 months now, i appreciate your videos, your information really helped me to develop. could you please talk about anaerobic threshold and how to start as a beginner. thank you

[@goranwinblad]

That makes me very happy to hear congrats on getting into running! Thanks for the suggestion might make a video on that topic in the future!

[@takalamiika]

Good and interesting points. So True all of them. 👍

[@goranwinblad]

Glad you think so!

[@ivandjuric3676]

Man, i love your fucking jacket, can you tell us what brand it is? And thanks for all the great content, loving it!

[@VirtualTrailRunning]

True for mentally strong people in any walk of life: "Focus on creating an optimal present and future with the circumstances they are under right now." Brilliant. Thank you.

[@lulal1388]

Nice one!

[@goranwinblad]

Thanks!

[@ddebenedictis]

Wow! These points translate very well into life in general, not just athletics. Very thoughtful explanations. Thank you for this inspiring video. I retired last year after 20 years of having to squeeze training into a busy schedule. I am a mediocre "middle of the pack" runner. Now after about 8 months of being able to run or bike almost every day, I feel much better! So I can really relate to your points about not feeling constrained by the past, and the value of long term consistent training.

[@runhanrunnl]

Could have been may, giving these tips. Well done. Fail often, fail fast. The learn and adapt.

[@markfenlon244]

Hey Goran, can you tell us what an average week of running looks like for you ?

[@chrisn8250]

This is great life advice also.

[@goranwinblad]

Yep that's true!

[@smscraig]

The importance of short term goals that build towards a long term goal. Visualization of the success you want.

[@magicachievements5566]

PERFECTION !

[@katedunnavant6163]

Older athletes often use their age and or temporary aches and pains to quit running and change to walking or swimming. While sometimes this is smart or necessary, often it is just an excuse or they don’t have the patience or desire to discover how to eliminate the pains. Many times I hear, “Oh, I had to give up running. Knees shot!” Of course sometimes this is true, but my guess is that they experienced some knee pain they did not take the time to work on with strength training, stride correction, new shoes, etc…. But I have lots of sympathy for those who really do need to quit for solid reasons. My day may come. I never take it for granted.

[@stenheimer3961]

consistence is king, do the work and dont accept permanent failure- at first you migth fail, but then u fail better -and then u get it rigth, alway's strive for perfection and never slack- Giving it the best u can, is a great hack - the limits u have NOW, are the future past limits u have overcome- keep pushing and accept that excellence takes time 🙂

[@Slow_Lee]

It's easy to fall into the habit of comparing yourself to how others around you perform. Mentally strong people don't do this. They celebrate and draw inspiration from others' successes. They know that the competition is within him/herself and not against others.

[@frasse4136]

Will you be running 25manna this year and if you are what leg will you be running?

[@goranwinblad]

I will not be running 25 manna this year I don't travel that much this year because of the small twins here at home but think I will run 25 manna and more competitions next year! Good luck if you are going to run it such a fun race 😊

[@ratemut]

Stoic 💪🏻

[@danniseliger5172]

Whatever you want to get good at - give yourself the gift of daily commitment and also make it a habit

[@fritzhall918]

Not just 7 things for athletes! These are very good mindset for life as well. :)

[@crparanormalinvestigations3824]

I say to myself on many running days to help keep me motivated, "One day I won't be able to run. Today is not that day."

[@AT-zr9tv]

Dang if that doesn't get you outside, I don't know what will!

[@kalveend]

One thing I say to myself is :"You get what you came for.. nobody forced you... now just do your best because that´s what is all about".

[@scottl8469]

How about because of a sore heel that just won’t clear up?

[@hypebeatz563]

When I don't fell like training I always tell myself "you a bitch if you don't do it" always works

[@Second2LastPioneer]

As I understand Courtney Dauwalter doesn't let setbacks keep her from finishing a race. It's an opportunity to learn how to solve a problem. I suppose it's the same as Tip #1, but I think it's a little different in looking at a problem as an opportunity.

[@z0uLess]

What if you fail at your goal over and over, but dont give up?

[@Kelly_Ben]

Then you're still far ahead of where you'd be if you didn't strive towards that goal. "Shoot for the moon. Even if you fall short, you'll land among the stars!" Best wishes! Edit: I typed that before finishing the video! 😆

[@gavran545]

did u watch the new WR ?:D

[@matthewyu4379]

Yes rip sub 2 hours but still very gud🎉

[@goranwinblad]

Didn't watch it but have read about it such an incredible race!

[@user-rh3oz1qs6f]

Has running everyday also increased your height after you started running regularly?

[@merihsolomon9958]

👌🙏❤️❤️❤️👑👑👑💯

[@Mememeep]

I always tell myself that I should be grateful that I still have functioning legs.. who knows how long I am able to run...during the lazy days, I just tell myself to cut the crap and just get on with it.

[@goranwinblad]

Good point, we should for sure be grateful to be able to run!

[@chrisvanbuggenum871]

Its funny, some people will only try and do an event like a run, that they know they can accomplish. Much better do try and do something that is a challenge that you're not sure you can do and work for it.

[@danniseliger5172]

These aren't mental stategies for athletes, these are mental strategies for life..

[@goranwinblad]

True!

[@cruisemizzle9260]

Great! Göran and Jordan Peterson. Inspiration for life and sports

[@daniyalbagkari]

I can just hear you talking for the whole day man..

[@jaklair]

[@enduraman1]

Mentally strong runners train consistently week after week.

[@Bweyg]

2:50 There is no failure in anything you do, because the only failure here, is giving up. *British accent* "Excuse me sir, but I do not believe in failure, I think the word you were trying to find is, 'Misachieved'."

[@poopymcgoofy]

his voice makes me want to cough

[@AienAristeuein]

But my nose is running!' - What do you have hands for, slave, if not to wipe it? 'But how is it right that there be running noses in the first place?' -Instead of thinking up protests, wouldn't it be easier just to wipe your nose? /Epictetus 😊

[@donincognito9006]

There is no such thing as a failed experiment. If anything that failed experiment shows you that it cannot be done that way- Malcolm X.

[@TheTrailRabbit]

basketball field 🤣

[@99cya]

And the sad truth is: not everyone is made to be an athlete :-)

[@AdamVonSzabo]

I don't believe that is true if you define "made to be" as from birth it is set in stone that you cannot be an athlete. Circumstances can inhibit you, but it is not humanly impossible to change circumstances, just hard. Also doing some running every week and maybe going to a half marathon once or twice a year doesn't classify as being an athlete. Moreover, you can and should be (or at least strive for) mentally stronger, because it is just easier to live that way, regardless of being an athlete or not.

[@gbone7581]

You don't have to be at the front to be classed as an athlete, that is the beauty of running, you can set individual goals and be happy with your achievements even if you don't win.