Introduction
In "Chasing Excellence," Ben Bergeron, a renowned CrossFit coach, takes us on a journey into the world of elite athletes and the mindset required to compete at the highest levels. This book offers valuable insights not just for athletes, but for anyone striving for excellence in their chosen field. Bergeron shares his experiences coaching some of the fittest people on Earth, including CrossFit Games champions Katrín Davíðsdóttir and Mat Fraser.
The CrossFit Games is an annual competition that tests athletes' strength, endurance, and overall fitness through a series of grueling events. Winners of this competition earn the title of "Fittest on Earth." Bergeron's approach to training these elite athletes goes beyond physical preparation, focusing heavily on mental toughness and character development.
Through real-life examples and practical advice, Bergeron reveals the key elements that separate good athletes from great ones. He emphasizes that excellence is not just about natural talent or physical capabilities, but about developing the right mindset, habits, and approach to training and competition.
The Power of Commitment
One of the fundamental principles Bergeron emphasizes is the importance of commitment. He argues that true commitment goes beyond simply showing up; it requires passion and the development of the right habits.
Passion as a Driving Force
Bergeron illustrates the power of passion by recounting the story of the Wright brothers and their competitor, Samuel Pierpont Langley, in the race to build the first airplane. Despite having fewer resources, the Wright brothers' passion for flight gave them the edge over Langley, who had more support but lacked the same level of commitment.
This example shows that passion can often overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. When you're truly passionate about something, you're willing to put in the extra effort, take risks, and persevere through challenges that might deter others.
The Importance of Deliberate Practice
While passion is crucial, Bergeron stresses that it must be coupled with the right habits, particularly when it comes to practice. He references Malcolm Gladwell's famous 10,000 Hour Rule, which suggests that mastery of a skill requires around 10,000 hours of practice.
However, Bergeron goes a step further, emphasizing that it's not just about the quantity of practice, but the quality. He introduces the concept of deliberate practice, which involves:
- Pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone
- Giving tasks your absolute attention
- Using practice time to its full potential
- Identifying areas that need improvement
To ensure you're engaging in deliberate practice, Bergeron suggests asking yourself questions like:
- "Am I giving this task my absolute attention?"
- "Am I using this time to its full potential?"
- "What do I need to practice and improve at this stage?"
Embracing Discomfort
Bergeron acknowledges that commitment often involves discomfort, especially in the beginning. He uses the example of waking up at 5 a.m. for a run, noting that while it may be the last thing you want to do, this level of commitment is what separates the best from the rest.
The key takeaway is that excellence requires not just showing up, but showing up with passion, engaging in deliberate practice, and being willing to push through discomfort to achieve your goals.
Balancing Control and Acceptance
Another crucial aspect of achieving excellence, according to Bergeron, is finding the right balance between exerting control and accepting what you can't control.
Focusing on What You Can Control
Bergeron shares an anecdote from the 2015 CrossFit Games, where he asked his athletes, Katrín Davíðsdóttir and Mat Fraser, to list everything that could go wrong during the competition. He then separated these potential problems into two categories: things they could control and things they couldn't.
By crossing off the items they couldn't control, like event scheduling and external conditions, Bergeron helped his athletes focus their energy on the factors they could influence, such as nutrition and performance preparation.
This exercise demonstrates the importance of directing your attention and efforts towards the aspects of your performance or situation that you can actually impact, rather than wasting energy worrying about things beyond your control.
The Danger of Misplaced Focus
Bergeron illustrates the consequences of focusing on uncontrollable factors through Mat Fraser's experience in the stand-up push-up event. Instead of concentrating on his own performance, Fraser became preoccupied with his rival, Ben Smith. This misplaced focus ultimately cost Fraser the event.
This example serves as a powerful reminder of how easily we can be distracted by external factors, and how crucial it is to maintain focus on our own actions and performance.
The Art of "Shutting the Door"
Bergeron introduces the concept of "shutting the door" on mistakes or defeats, emphasizing the importance of not letting past failures linger in your mind. He teaches his athletes to spend a maximum of five minutes considering what happened, followed by ten minutes of focused breathing and centering exercises.
This practice of mindfulness helps athletes quickly let go of negativity and refocus on the task at hand. Bergeron shares an example of how Katrín Davíðsdóttir effectively used this technique after making a mistake during the D-ball event, allowing her to move on and perform well in subsequent events.
The key lesson here is the importance of acknowledging mistakes to avoid repeating them, but then quickly refocusing on the next challenge without letting past errors affect future performance.
Building True Confidence
Bergeron challenges the common belief that confidence comes solely from winning competitions and accumulating accomplishments. Instead, he argues that true confidence is built through learning how to react positively to any outcome, whether it's a victory or a defeat.
The E + R = O Formula
Bergeron introduces the formula developed by Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer: Event + Response = Outcome (E + R = O). This equation emphasizes that an athlete's response to a given situation plays a significant role in the outcome, and it's the only factor they can control.
Understanding this formula can help athletes maintain confidence regardless of the result, as long as they know they gave their best possible response to the situation at hand.
The Power of Humility
Bergeron stresses the importance of humility in building lasting confidence. A humble attitude keeps athletes open to constructive criticism and helps them identify areas for improvement.
He shares the story of Mat Fraser's poor performance in the running event of the 2015 CrossFit Games. Instead of becoming discouraged, Fraser's humble approach allowed him to accept that he needed improvement. He even trained with high school students who could outrun him, leading to a significant improvement and a first-place finish in the same event the following year.
This example illustrates how humility can drive continuous improvement and ultimately lead to better performance and genuine confidence.
Double-Loop Learning
Bergeron introduces the concept of double-loop learning, which involves considering both external and internal factors when analyzing results. This approach often leads to faster problem-solving and more comprehensive improvements.
In Fraser's case, double-loop learning helped him recognize not just the external factors of the course conditions and his opponents' performances, but also the internal factor of his own need for improvement in running.
By adopting this more holistic approach to learning and improvement, athletes can develop a deeper understanding of their performance and make more effective changes.
The Power of Positivity
Bergeron emphasizes the significant impact a positive attitude can have on an athlete's performance and overall success.
Positivity and Work Ethic
According to Bergeron, a positive outlook naturally leads to a stronger work ethic. While it's common for people to dwell on problems and be hard on themselves when things don't go as planned, Bergeron suggests that with practice, this response can be changed to a more positive one.
The Frequency Illusion
Bergeron references Stanford University professor Arnold Zwicky's concept of the frequency illusion to explain how our mindset can influence our perception of results. Just as thinking about buying a specific car model makes you notice that model more often on the road, focusing on positive thoughts can make you more aware of positive results in your performance.
This self-reinforcing cycle of positivity can help motivate athletes and drive continuous improvement.
Positivity in Adverse Conditions
Bergeron shares an anecdote about Katrín Davíðsdóttir's positive attitude during a flight delay before a competition. While other athletes became frustrated and stressed, Davíðsdóttir remained positive, slept well despite the circumstances, and arrived at the competition well-rested and confident.
This example illustrates how a positive outlook can help athletes navigate unexpected challenges and maintain peak performance even in less-than-ideal conditions.
Focus on Improvement, Not Just Winning
Bergeron stresses that true positivity involves focusing on continuous improvement rather than just winning medals or trophies. He shares how Davíðsdóttir, upon moving to Boston for training, maintained a positive attitude by concentrating on giving her best effort and improving various aspects of her training, nutrition, sleep, and recovery.
This approach to positivity keeps athletes focused on long-term growth and excellence, rather than short-term victories.
Preparing for the Worst
Bergeron believes that great athletes should be prepared not just for ideal conditions, but also for the worst possible scenarios.
The Overload Principle
Bergeron introduces the "overload principle," a method of pushing the body to its limits by continuously adding weight or difficulty to training exercises. This principle helps athletes adapt to increasingly challenging conditions.
Training in Adverse Conditions
Bergeron shares how he applied this principle to Davíðsdóttir and Fraser's training by having them swim in unusually cold water. Initially resistant, Davíðsdóttir soon recognized the competitive advantage this harsh training could provide.
By familiarizing athletes with non-ideal conditions, Bergeron helps them prepare for any situation they might face in competition. This approach ensures that very little can surprise or throw off an athlete during an actual event.
The Pegboard Ascents Example
Bergeron illustrates the effectiveness of this preparation through Davíðsdóttir's performance in the Pegboard Ascents event at the CrossFit Games. While her competitors aggressively rushed the climb and eventually fell, Davíðsdóttir's steady, concentrated approach allowed her to reach greater heights.
This example demonstrates how thorough preparation for various scenarios can lead to better performance under pressure.
The Power of Grit
Bergeron emphasizes the importance of grit in pushing beyond limitations and achieving competitive excellence.
Defining Grit
Grit, as Bergeron describes it, is the quality that pushes you to keep going even when facing extreme challenges. It's about refusing to give up and finding that extra bit of effort when you think you've been pushed to your limits.
Mat Fraser's Rowing Example
Bergeron shares the story of Mat Fraser's poor performance in the rowing event at the 2013 CrossFit Northeast Regionals. Instead of accepting defeat, Fraser showed true grit by incorporating intense daily rowing sessions into his training regimen, despite the physical discomfort it caused.
This example illustrates how grit can drive an athlete to turn a weakness into a strength through sheer determination and hard work.
Competitive Excellence
Bergeron introduces the concept of competitive excellence, which combines grit with other qualities like commitment and positivity. An athlete with competitive excellence will always give 100% effort, regardless of the circumstances or their current standing in a competition.
He uses Fraser's performance in the 2016 CrossFit Games as an example. Even when Fraser was far ahead in points with only two events left, he continued to give his all, demonstrating that his drive for excellence went beyond just winning the competition.
The Path to Athletic Excellence
Bergeron concludes by emphasizing that athletic excellence is not an innate quality, but something that can be achieved through dedication, hard work, and the right mindset.
More Than Physical Strength
While physical capabilities are important, Bergeron stresses that true excellence requires developing mental fortitude and the willingness to push beyond normal limits.
Continuous Improvement
Bergeron advocates for a mindset of continuous improvement, suggesting that athletes (and anyone striving for excellence) should aim to get better by 1% every day. This concept, known as the "aggregation of marginal gains," emphasizes that small, consistent improvements can lead to significant results over time.
Final Thoughts
"Chasing Excellence" offers valuable insights not just for athletes, but for anyone striving to achieve greatness in their chosen field. Bergeron's approach emphasizes that excellence is a holistic pursuit, involving physical training, mental toughness, and character development.
Key takeaways from the book include:
- True commitment requires both passion and the development of the right habits.
- Deliberate practice, which pushes you beyond your comfort zone, is crucial for improvement.
- Focus your energy on what you can control, and learn to accept what you can't.
- Confidence comes from how you respond to outcomes, not just from winning.
- A positive attitude can significantly impact your performance and ability to overcome challenges.
- Prepare for the worst possible conditions to be ready for anything.
- Grit is essential for pushing through limitations and achieving competitive excellence.
- Excellence is achievable for anyone willing to put in the work and develop the right mindset.
Bergeron's book serves as both an inspiration and a practical guide for those looking to elevate their performance in any area of life. By applying the principles outlined in "Chasing Excellence," readers can develop the mindset and habits necessary to push beyond their perceived limitations and achieve true excellence.
The book's emphasis on mental preparation and character development alongside physical training offers a comprehensive approach to personal growth and achievement. It challenges readers to think beyond traditional notions of success and to strive for continuous improvement in all aspects of their lives.
Ultimately, "Chasing Excellence" is a testament to the power of the human spirit and the incredible heights we can reach when we commit ourselves fully to a goal. It reminds us that excellence is not a destination but a journey of constant growth, learning, and self-improvement.
Whether you're an athlete, a business professional, or simply someone looking to improve your life, the lessons in "Chasing Excellence" can help you develop the mindset and habits needed to reach your full potential. By embracing the principles of commitment, focus, positivity, preparation, and grit, you can begin your own journey towards excellence, pushing beyond your limits and achieving things you may have once thought impossible.
As Bergeron demonstrates through the stories and examples in his book, the path to excellence is challenging but rewarding. It requires dedication, hard work, and a willingness to face and overcome obstacles. But for those who are willing to put in the effort and adopt the right mindset, the possibilities are limitless.
In a world that often celebrates quick fixes and overnight success stories, "Chasing Excellence" offers a refreshing perspective on what it truly takes to be great. It reminds us that real, lasting success comes from consistent effort, continuous learning, and an unwavering commitment to improvement.
By applying the lessons from this book, readers can start to cultivate the habits and mindset of champions, not just in sports, but in all areas of life. Whether you're looking to improve your performance at work, achieve a personal goal, or simply become the best version of yourself, the principles outlined in "Chasing Excellence" provide a roadmap for success.
In the end, Bergeron's message is clear: excellence is not reserved for a select few with natural talent. It's available to anyone who is willing to commit, work hard, and continually push themselves to be better. By chasing excellence every day, in every aspect of our lives, we can all achieve extraordinary things and reach our full potential.