This is Michael Gervais’s third appearance on the Running for Real podcast and the conversation goes deep into unpacking courage, vulnerability, optimism, growth, and change. As a high-performance psychologist, Michael dedicates his life to helping humans flourish by living in the present moment more often. In this episode he reflects on the accelerated changes 2020 brought to humanity, and the ways we can incorporate those lessons learned in 2021 and our higher purpose lives.
Michael is someone who spends his life guiding others through navigating the toughest feats and edges of limits– whether it’s high-performance athletes or business executives. But what makes him special is his wisdom in high stakes environments transcends into our daily lives, our own crises, our own athletic goals, career goals, and personal purpose.
The most dynamic people work from the inside out
They dictate their experience in life, independent of their external circumstances. On the contrary, people who are struggling allow their outside experiences to dictate their inside experience. This is why right now is the time to invest in your inner life because your inner life will reflect how you show up in the outside world.
First Principals
In 2020 we began having hard conversations with the people around us about things that matter. As our social circles shrunk, our old friendships of “convenience” like people we ran with, went from superficial chats to real talks about illness, politics, and social justice. 2020 re-evaluated our relationship with relationships.
Goals support an overarching purpose
Michael encourages us to be purpose-driven, not goal-driven. It’s about how we engage with life rather than what we want to accomplish in life. Goals are important because they should be structured as a ladder to your higher purpose. It’s the intersection of when you’re on the edge of your capacity and still able to have a little fun.
Setting Intentions
Instead of New Year’s resolutions, Michael sets a clear intention he wants to explore for the year ahead. He shared that in 2020 his intention had been “play,” and that it was challenged quite a bit throughout the year. But having an intention makes it easier to set smaller goals that support that higher purpose.
Highlights
- “Crises are a natural accelerant to change.”
- “Change is reflected by your personal philosophies.”
- “Train for a growth mindset like you train reps in the gym. Train for mindfulness, calm, and confidence.”
Challenge
For a chance to win Michael’s Compete to Create online course ($500 value and about 8-week duration), tag Tina and Michael on social media in a post about why investing in your mind matters so much right now.
Resources
Michael’s Previous episodes on Running for Real
Listen to the Running for Real Podcast here:
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Thank you to my wonderful sponsor Momentous, Athletic Greens, and Teas with Meaning for sponsoring this episode of the Running for Real Podcast.
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Thank you to Michael, I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the show.
