Mikaela Shiffrin admits to having recurring images of herself crashing while approaching a jump during a race. She overcomes this by focusing on her technique in the final moment, proving that elite performance is about managing—not eliminating—fear.
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A mental performance coach taught diver Molly Carlson to visualize fear as a piece of paper in front of her eyes. Instead of trying to destroy the paper, she gently shifts it to the side, allowing it to exist without consuming her focus, freeing her to perform.
The goal of a competitive figure skater isn't just to "win gold," it's to execute a "clean program." This is achieved by mentally rehearsing every step of the performance. Professionals should similarly focus on visualizing the flawless execution of necessary tasks, as this process-oriented mindset is what leads to the desired outcome.
Despite the risks of her sport, Mikaela Shiffrin's primary fear is no longer crashing. Instead, it's the potential media and public backlash if she underperforms at the next Olympics, showing how psychological scars from public failure can outlast physical ones.
In the moments before a race, Lindsey Vonn's mind is "pretty empty." All preparation and visualization are done beforehand, allowing instinct to take over. Thinking about technique at 80 mph is a recipe for disaster; performance must be automatic.
Shiffrin reveals a critical paradox in her mental game: focusing on the outcome (winning the race) almost guarantees she will lose. To win, she must focus exclusively on the process—the intensity of her skiing and executing the next turn perfectly.
Top performers don't eliminate the fear of rejection; they diminish its power through repeated exposure. This 'obstacle immunity' conditions them to act despite their brain's natural fear response, just as an expert skydiver still feels fear but jumps anyway.
Shiffrin uses two distinct forms of visualization. She imagines winning during grueling gym sessions for motivation. But for performance, her visualization is purely technical—dreaming about the perfect execution of turns, which she practices daily by watching video.
To perform a dangerous, world-first dive, Carlson consciously uses overwhelming positivity to override her brain's fear signals. She calls this "gaslighting" herself into believing she's capable, a technique for extreme mental preparation under pressure.
Lindsey Vonn views crashing as part of her job description and a necessary tool for finding her limits. Instead of avoiding the memory, she meticulously analyzes videos of her crashes to understand her mistakes and improve, treating catastrophic failure as invaluable feedback.
Top performers, like sales expert Jeb Blount and Army Golden Knights, still experience fear before high-stakes activities. They don't eliminate the fear; they manage it by relying on a consistent, practiced routine to push through the initial emotional resistance and execute their tasks effectively.
