When my athletes or clients have a disappointing race or experience, we often do a little exercise I call 5 minutes to feel the pain. I set the timer and give them 5 minutes to cry or be angry, or deal with whatever they are feeling. They need that time for their mind and body to work through the adrenaline and other emotions. When the 5 minutes is up, we move on to evaluation and creation mode, where we look at the situation from an evaluation only standpoint. What could I have done better? What mistakes did I make that I can learn from? Then we move right on to creation: What will I do next time for the result to be different? What do I need to work on this week to have a better experience next time? Allow yourself those few minutes to let yourself feel, then pull out and move on! (And usually, it doesn't take 5 minutes before you are ready.)
Shelly Coray is an inspiring speaker, trainer, coach, and mom. She has helped hundreds of youth and adults gain greater control over their thoughts and actions and achieve higher levels of success through her workshops, speeches and training programs. Find out more about her HERE.