What happens when supermen and superwomen get stuck
Many high achievers and successful athletes find it hard to ask for help. On the outside, they appear invincible, strong and dependable, and people perceive them as powerful and successful. Somewhat like supermen and superwomen. Yet on the inside something else is happening. A common trait of high achievers is to accomplish more; improve, grow and achieve great success. This means they put pressure on themselves to perform which often creates internal discomfort. Furthermore, it’s hard for high achievers to ask for help. So what happens when supermen or superwomen lose their superpowers and get stuck?
As I was percolating on this question, and remembering my own journey, I came across an article about Michael Johnson. He was once the fastest man on the planet over 200 and 400 metres, winner of four Olympic Gold medals and numerous world championships. He was someone who definitely knows a few things about mindset and success.
When supermen and superwomen lose their kryptonite they lose sight of who they are
In 2018 he suffered a stroke which left him without his superpowers, unable to walk and feeling angry. He struggled with how to keep motivated and couldn’t believe that this was happening.
“This has been really hard. People think that being an athlete means motivation is always easy, but that isn’t true. It becomes more difficult. There were no medals and no people cheering, just my wife and my dog and my son. I wasn’t comfortable not being the strong self-sufficient man, the man people could rely on.” Michael Johnson
At one stage during his recovery, with the help of a walking frame and therapist, it took him ten minutes to cover 200 metres, when once it would have taken under 20 seconds. A zillion miles away from his once incredible athletic capabilities and from being heralded the fastest man in the world. A parallel to supermen and superwomen losing their kryptonite powers or their cape.
Embracing the equivalent of a Champion Mindset is a key factor to great success
The great news is, one year later, he has a full recovery and is even back running again. He accredits his Olympic Mindset, the equivalent of a Champion Mindset as a key factor in his recovery. Moreover, his diligence to his daily rehab; rewiring his brain and training his left leg to walk again.
So, what lessons can we learn from this, and please, take note, especially if you are someone who puts pressure on themselves to be the best! This means you are a high achiever, even if you don’t consider yourself one! Furthermore, if you are the person people look up to be responsible, positive and a fixer, that includes you too.
- I believe the biggest lesson here is that even supermen and superwomen high achievers need to be okay with asking for help sometimes.
- You see, high achievers, as I well know, have a tendency to try to do it alone. They put high expectations on themselves and based on their past successes believe they should be able to push through things when the going gets tough.
- However, as we know from the above, athletes have coaches and people on their side at every level of their journey. Even more so when their goals change and they are in new territory.
High achievers, even supermen and superwomen can’t do it alone
So, if you can relate to this, know you are feeling this way because despite an exterior persona of supermen and superwomen you are a human. You are an emotional being, so you have feelings. Some are good, some are not so good. You will have challenges. Things go up and down, in cycles, just as they do in nature.
Give yourself permission to know it’s normal if you are feeling stuck and it’s okay to take off that cape. Furthermore, most exceptional business people and athletes don’t achieve their success alone. They have mentors, coaches and a support team. Novak Djokovic has had up to nine different coaches and mentors on his side.
Reach out and seek expert help. Even supermen and superwomen need people on their side. I promise someone else can help you see things differently and help you get unstuck. They will help you clear the fog, relieve the pressure and help you step back into your superpowers once more.
Lastly, if you are ready to step into your full powers, then I invite you to schedule a call on my online calendar. Reach out and let’s talk to see how, together, we can get your superpowers back so you can achieve the success and life balance you desire.
About the Author
- If you are looking to discover how to do the things you know you should but don’t, grab a copy of my free PDF guide Your Winning Mindset
- To boost your productivity and learn powerful Mindset strategies for focus and success, check out the new online program, Get Breakthrough Results
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