I was listening to a Mel Robbins podcast the other day and she was talking about what she called a Bronze Medal Mindset and I couldn’t agree with her more.
She encouraged everyone to have a Bronze Medal Mindset. Which is interesting since you’d think we should all be aiming for gold right? I mean, it comes as no surprise that winning gold makes athletes happy but at a close second to that happiness is not the individual that came in second place, the silver medalist, it’s the bronze medal winner. Studies have shown they are significantly happier than the silver medal winner.
Why is that? Well, it’s all about perspective. The silver medalist is focusing on the fact that they lost the gold, while the bronze medalist is realizing how close they were to not being on that podium.
And in the end is it winning that is most important or being happy? I would argue that it’s happiness.
Do you know what is a happiness killer? Obsessively focusing on ‘the gap’. Or on how far you are from ideal. And in this day and age of social media and celebrity, ‘the ideal’ is thrown in our faces each and every day. Comparing to this true or false version of ideal will always lead to being dissatisfied with yourself; which only robs you of the joy of the accomplishments you have made.
So instead, adopting a Bronze Medal Mindset and focusing on ‘the gain’ or how far you have come from your beginning will lead to you be more confident, more grateful and a lot happier.
The trick is, to see how far you have come, you do need to be striving. The research is clear, we are happiest when we are taking action towards improvement. (Self acceptance is essential, however, it is meant to be a vehicle for growth and not for stagnation.)
And for those of us in the later seasons in life, don’t think improvement is for the youthful. It’s the journey that is what is important. The actions, the effort, the striving to be better than yesterday is what makes life interesting.
So get up and keep striving. That bronze medal can be yours for the taking!
