Podcast Summary
Finding personal growth and new challenges: Discovering unconventional passions can lead to personal growth and new challenges, even in later stages of life.
Amelia Boone, despite being a four-time world champion in obstacle course racing and known as the "queen of pain," sees herself as a regular person who found a new competitive outlet later in life. She worked hard to excel in academics and law, but after achieving those goals, she discovered a passion for obstacle course racing, which presented a new challenge she was initially bad at. Her story highlights the importance of finding personal growth and competitive outlets at any stage in life, even if they may seem unconventional or challenging. Additionally, she emphasizes the value of self-reliance and continuous learning, which she applies both in her legal career and athletic pursuits.
The mental challenges of being an attorney and endurance racing intertwine: Endurance racing builds mental strength, helping attorneys adapt to the unpredictability of both racing and professional life
The mental challenges of being an attorney and the physical challenges of endurance racing are more connected than one might initially think. While racing may provide a physical release from the mentally demanding nature of an attorney's job, the longer one engages in ultra endurance events, the more one realizes that they are just as mentally taxing. In fact, the mental aspect becomes even more pronounced in longer races, requiring adaptability, strategy, and triage. For instance, during a 100 mile race, unexpected issues like running out of nutrition or experiencing injuries can force racers to readjust their plans on the fly. Over time, these challenges help build mental strength, making one better equipped to handle the unpredictability of both racing and professional life. It's a continuous process of learning and adapting, much like developing any other skill.
Mental resilience in endurance events: Gaining mental skills through repetition and practice leads to better handling of mental stressors, improving performance in endurance events and everyday life
Endurance events, whether it's running or other challenges, require mental resilience as much as physical strength. The more experience one gains, the better they become at handling the mental stressors. Ultra runners often peak in their late thirties and early forties because they've honed their mental skills through repetition and practice. Everyone experiences mental shutdowns, but learning to sit with the feeling and focus on the next step can help overcome overwhelming situations. This mindset carries over to work and everyday life, where focusing on small tasks and gaining momentum can lead to greater accomplishments. It's essential to trust your own abilities and strategy instead of trying to follow someone else's, especially in long-term projects.
Finding joy in the process is more fulfilling than the end result: Amelia Boone learned that focusing on internal growth and enjoying the process is more rewarding than solely pursuing external success
Winning and success are important, but they should not be the sole focus in life. Amelia Boone shares her experience of realizing that the love for the process and journey towards achieving goals is more fulfilling than the end result itself. She admits that she allowed herself to be fixated on winning, but injuries forced her to step back and reevaluate her identity and priorities. She discovered that the competition and challenge were enjoyable, but the constant pursuit of success was making her miserable. It's essential to remember that happiness and fulfillment cannot be found solely in winning or achieving external goals. Instead, it's crucial to find joy in the process and focus on internal growth.
Finding joy in the process and shared experiences: Focusing on enjoying the journey and connecting with others can enhance personal growth and performance, while maintaining a balance with the pursuit of results.
Focusing too much on results can hinder personal growth and performance as an athlete. The speaker shares how her experience of taking time off and returning to racing helped her realize the importance of enjoying the process and finding joy in shared experiences with fellow competitors. She believes that this mindset, while not eliminating the desire for results, allows for greater flexibility and resilience in the face of setbacks. Additionally, she emphasizes the importance of self-sufficiency and the value of relying on oneself rather than expecting external validation or assistance.
Emphasizing Self-Sufficiency and Personal Responsibility: Self-sufficiency and personal responsibility are crucial for a fulfilling life. Prioritize these traits to effectively handle setbacks and contribute positively to your community.
Self-sufficiency and personal responsibility are key to a fulfilling and successful life. The speaker emphasizes the importance of being able to take care of oneself before helping others. They share their personal experience of growing up without many material possessions, but with a strong work ethic instilled by their parents. This belief in self-sufficiency has carried over into their corporate and racing experiences, where they've noticed that those who are most content and successful are those who don't have an entitlement mentality. Setbacks and challenges are inevitable, but the speaker believes that staying self-sufficient and focused on personal growth can help one deal with them effectively. They share their own experience of overcoming a significant setback with a $60,000 injury, which they've turned into an opportunity for growth and adaptation. Overall, the message is that by prioritizing self-sufficiency and personal responsibility, one can not only improve their own life but also contribute positively to their community.
Practicing self-compassion and kindness towards oneself during setbacks: Recognize negative self-talk's role in driving improvement but also limiting progress, practice self-compassion and kindness, and use meditation to sit with difficult emotions and thoughts.
Dealing with setbacks and negative self-talk involves practicing self-compassion and kindness towards oneself. This can be a challenging process for type-A, perfectionistic individuals like the speaker, who have a tendency to beat themselves up over mistakes or injuries. The speaker shares that she used to get caught in a cycle of self-flagellation, but has since learned to speak kindly to herself and recognize that feelings are not permanent or defining. This shift in mindset has been facilitated by the practice of meditation, which helps one sit with difficult emotions and thoughts. The speaker acknowledges that negative self-talk can be a double-edged sword, driving improvement but also limiting progress when taken to an extreme. She suggests recognizing the past contributions of negative thoughts and processes to one's success, rather than banishing them as demons. Overall, the key takeaway is the importance of being gentle with oneself in the face of setbacks and negative self-talk, and the role of practices like meditation in fostering this mindset.
Appreciate past habits for growth: Recognize and appreciate past habits for growth, while also acknowledging the need to adapt and establish new routines for current situations. Optimize productivity by recognizing and respecting individual needs and most productive hours.
Acknowledging and appreciating the parts of ourselves that have served us well in the past, even if we want to change them, is essential for growth. This idea, often referred to as "what got you here won't get you there," emphasizes the importance of being grateful for our habits and routines while also recognizing that they may no longer serve us in our current situation. Establishing a routine that capitalizes on our unique productivity rhythms and honoring our individual needs can lead to increased happiness and success. For instance, recognizing and respecting our most productive hours can help us optimize our work and personal lives. Additionally, automating daily activities, such as morning routines, can provide a sense of stability and consistency. Ultimately, being appreciative of our past habits and embracing new ones allows us to continue growing and evolving.
Automating daily routines for mental energy: Automating routines frees mental space for creativity, problem-solving, and personal growth.
Automating daily routines and making decisions in advance can save mental energy for more complex tasks. The interviewee shares her habit of listening to the same music on repeat during long runs, which serves as background noise for deep thinking and problem-solving. She also writes most of her blog content during her runs and uses a Sharpie to jot down ideas on her arm. The interviewee mentions that she used to have many fears as a child but has since grown out of them. The key takeaway is that by automating certain aspects of life, we can free up mental space to focus on creativity, problem-solving, and personal growth.
Facing Fears Through Long-Distance Races and Reading: Overcome fears by reframing loss as opportunity and make time for joyful activities despite busy lifestyle
Fear of loss is a common driver for many people, and it can manifest in various aspects of life, including fear of injury or loss of connection. The speaker shares her personal experience of facing her fears through long-distance races and reading. She emphasizes the importance of reframing loss as an opportunity for new experiences. The speaker also shares her reading habits, including her method of reading from a curated list of classic novels and her preference for reading on planes. Despite her busy lifestyle, she makes time for reading every night and considers it an essential part of her life. The takeaway is that you can overcome fears and make time for things that bring joy and enrichment to your life, even when faced with competing obligations.
The joy of reading: escape and learning: Reading offers a chance to explore new worlds and ideas, and learning through trial and error can lead to mastery in nonfiction reading
Reading, whether it's fiction or non-fiction, provides an opportunity to escape the constant connectivity of modern life and immerse oneself in new worlds and ideas. For nonfiction reading, it's important to give oneself permission to not finish every book and to approach learning through trial and error, as the speaker did when he went from being a novice in obstacle racing to dominating the sport. The process of learning involved a lot of experimentation and discovery, without the guidance of a pre-defined roadmap. This sense of freedom and the thrill of learning something new drew him in and made the experience exciting.
Embracing the unknown in athletic pursuits: Focus on your unique journey, set themes instead of strict goals, enjoy the daily grind, and find joy in the preparation and training.
Finding one's own path and embracing the unknown can lead to joy and fulfillment in athletic pursuits. The speaker shares how they have learned to ignore conventional wisdom and focus on their unique journey. They also mention that setting themes instead of strict goals and enjoying the daily grind can contribute to success. The speaker emphasizes that the joy often comes from the preparation and training leading up to a race, rather than the race itself. Successful athletes often share this mindset, focusing on the daily grind and finding joy in the process. The speaker also reflects on how they could train without having a race and still be content as long as they were training consistently.
Running for connections and relationships: The joy of running comes from the community and relationships built, even if it means sacrifices in other areas of life. Gratitude and meaningful connections are key to happiness, not just personal achievement.
The joy of running for this individual goes beyond the competition and physicality, it's about the connections and relationships built through the community. Despite the sacrifices in other areas of life, the drive to continue running comes from a deep sense of gratitude and the desire to build meaningful connections. Even in the future, what brings happiness is not just personal achievement, but the relationships and connections made along the way. The speaker acknowledges the importance of having people around who love and are loved in return, and hopes to still be a part of the running community in old age. The daily training is not a burden, but a source of joy and an opportunity to express gratitude.
The importance of acknowledging and owning our choices: We all have limited resources and must decide how to allocate them, it's essential to be intentional about our choices and own the consequences.
People make choices about how to prioritize their time and energy, and it's important to acknowledge that. The speaker in this conversation shares how her passion for racing takes up a significant amount of her time and energy, leaving less room for other activities and relationships. She also acknowledges the guilt that comes with these choices but emphasizes that everyone makes trade-offs and it's essential to own them. The speaker's collection of quotes as a child, which grew into a habit of jotting down things that resonated with her, is a testament to her appreciation for the power of words and the importance of reflection. Ultimately, this conversation highlights the idea that we all have limited resources and must decide how to allocate them, and that's okay. It's a reminder to be intentional about our choices and to own the consequences that come with them.
Embracing Rest for Greatest Gains: Successful people like Amelia Boone understand the importance of rest in the push-and-pull cycle of life, leading to greater well-being and achievements. Rest is natural and necessary.
Rest is an essential part of progress and achievement, despite the common belief among type-A individuals that it's a sign of weakness. Amelia Boone, a successful athlete and podcast guest, shared her personal journey of learning to embrace rest and how it led to her greatest gains. She emphasized that rest is natural and necessary in the push-and-pull cycle of life. Boone advised that everyone, including herself, should view rest as a positive and necessary component of overall well-being. To connect with Amelia, you can find her on social media platforms like Twitter (@AmeliaBoone) and Instagram (@arboone11), or visit her website (ameliabooneracing.com). For more information on this episode, check out the show notes at fs.blog/podcast. Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and sign up for the weekly newsletter for more brain food!
