Taming your mental roller coaster: Lessons from Carlos Alcaraz

THE ART & SCIENCE OF LEADING SELF
Deconstructing Mindset

My friend, by all accounts, Carlos Alcaraz’s 2024 tennis season was amazing.

He won the French Open, Wimbledon and a silver medal at the 2024 Olympics.

He was the favorite to win this year’s U.S. Open. Then, he lost 1-6, 5-7, 4-6 in the 2nd round to Botic van de Zandschulp, a player ranked 74th in the world. During his post-match press conference, Alcaraz offered up mindset gems that I want to focus on here.

After all, the last few weeks we have been drilling down on the following equation:

M = f(m)

Where:

M = Mindset work

f = function

m = Mindfulness (the space)

Translation: Mindset work is a function of Mindfulness.

Today, I want to dig into one of Alcaraz’s reflections to illustrate how it reinforces the principle that Mindset work is indeed a function of Mindfulness.

The Vulnerability of a Mental Roller Coaster 🧠🎢

Notice the metaphor he used to describe his internal experience: a roller coaster in his mind.

What are common features of roller coaster rides? They contain:

• Surprises for the riders 😳

• Large drops and sharp turns 👀

• Elements designed to shock and scare 😱

Roller coasters are designed to take the passenger for a ride. Riders do not shape their journey. Once a roller coaster ride begins, you surrender your agency to disembark until it pulls back into the station.

Carlos’ use of this metaphor highlights his inability to emotionally self-regulate in the moment.

His emotions were in the driver’s seat during that match.

You have likely experienced something similar before.

➡️ Question: How can you lead yourself well if your internal experience is like being on a mental roller coaster?

Without mindfulness, you can’t. Cultivating mindfulness equips you to opt out of boarding the roller coaster. It also makes you the roller coaster operator - you can disembark the ride at any time.

Mindfulness Cultivates Present Moment Awareness

Mindfulness is about deepening your present moment awareness.

Where does that awareness come from? Many places. When you are practicing Mindfulness, you observe your thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and your surrounding environment with non-judgment.

Present moment awareness helps you observe the mental roller coaster when you are on it (or before you ever board).

👉🏽 This is where you can shape outcomes, not after-the-fact.

Alcaraz's post-match awareness of his lack of emotional self-regulation is wonderful, but imagine what he could have unlocked if he had that awareness in real-time!?! Trust me, I’m not knocking his game. 🙅🏽‍♀️ I am a MASSIVE FAN of his scintillating style of play (which will keep him at the top of tennis for years to come).

He’s our case study because his thoughtful reflections reinforce key aspects of Mindset.

I want you to use those insights to opt out of future mental roller coasters.

That requires a mindset shift. Mindfulness is the key to creating that shift. Cultivating mindfulness empowers you to observe the wave of thoughts flowing through your mind and establish a new relationship with them.

This is the work of developing your Mindset.

How do I know that?

Because M = f(m). You don’t have to just take my word for it. You can take Carlos Alcaraz’s too. 🎾

FROM INSIGHT TO ACTION
Putting It Into Practice

How do you use this to lead yourself better?

• Spend some time reflecting on the last time you felt like you were on a mental or emotional roller coaster.

• Write down as many details as you can recall about your thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment during that experience.

• When you are done documenting the above, notice the details you can and cannot identify. Don’t judge yourself. Just observe.

How might the reflection above help you lead others more effectively?

• How often have you enjoyed being led by someone who is subject to mental and emotional roller coasters? 🤔 Enough said on that for now. We’ll delve further into this in future issues.

• Spend some time thinking about how you believe mindfulness will help you be a more effective leader? Jot it down somewhere that you can reference in the future. Feel free to drop me a note with your thoughts. I read and respond to all of your emails.

🗓 We’ll build on the insights from this exercise over the next few weeks to show how mindfulness helps you develop your mindset.

EXCELLENCE UNBOUNDED
How I Can Help You

🚀 CEO Coaching Programs: Are you a CEO who wants to:

• Skillfully navigate uncertainty 

• Lead confidently

• Drive results

Developing greater leadership capacity in 4 key domains (Mindset, Courage, Resilience, & Innovation) will empower you to do all three.

Book time to learn about the bespoke 1:1 coaching programs I deliver. During this call, we will talk about your challenges, your goals, and how we might partner to fully “unbound your excellence.”

🎤 Speaking Engagements: My mom can attest to the fact that I LOVE to talk. 😂 Now, I put that talent to work delivering talks on Mindset, Courage, Resilience, & Innovation.

A few past clients include KraftHeinz, Amazon Women @ Payments, PAHEi, & the Panamá Chapter of the International Coaching Federation (I delivered this talk in Spanish).

If you are interested in having me speak at your event, please fill out this form.

Until next Sunday,

Shawnette