Welcome To The Sweet Spot

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Success motion.

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Success in the motion. Welcome to the sweet spot. Welcome to the sweet spot.

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Welcome back to the sweet spot with Dr. Derek Sweet, a board-certified psychiatrist specializing in sports and performance. In the sweet spot, we explore what it takes to stay steady and perform when the pressure is on, and the moment matters. Stay tuned for Dr. Sweet's Win It All Wednesday.

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Greetings, sweet spotters, and welcome, welcome, welcome back to the sweet spot. I trust it is well with you. No matter what you're dealing with or what you're going through, we're going to declare it well. We're going to declare you a winner today. We don't care what the opposition is, we don't care what the challenge

Stop Making The Mountain The Enemy

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is, we're going to say and declare and identify ourselves as winners. Winners within. If we're breathing and we have life, we can win. So, as you know, we've been in a series this whole time about winning and mountains and trying to figure out how to conquer the climb. How do we get over the mountain? What do we do about it? So, one thing I'd like to encourage you to remember is that we shouldn't make the mountain the enemy. That's what almost everybody does in some way. We have been conditioned to think about mountains as enemies. And in some ways, when I listen to some motivational speakers, they talk about mountains as enemies. And I think though the best mountaineers, people who actually climb mountains, what I've learned is that they don't talk about beating the mountain. In fact, many reject the language of conquering mountains. They might not like the idea that I said conquer. Yeah, they uh argue that you never quite conquer a mountain because the mountain doesn't really care about what you think. Mountains are indifferent to us. The climb is what changes the climber, not the mountain. And I think that that's what real mountaineers and mountain climbers would probably say. The climb changes the climber, not the mountain. And I think that distinction is gold for us. Because the mountain isn't standing in your way, the mountain is showing you the way. I'll say it again. The mountain is not standing in our way. The mountain is there to show us the way. Let's breathe with that for a second. Let's slow down and think about that for a second. Let it land in your soul. It's not standing in your way, beloved. It's showing you the way. Because every mountain exposes something. It can expose what you fear, it can expose a lack of patience, it can expose our ego. The mountain can expose the fact that we're not prepared, that we have poor preparation. The mountain exposes our habits. And it exposes our character. That's what mountains do. They expose us. And that's why mountains are such incredible teachers. Yeah, and before we jump in, I have seven insights I want to drop for you today in today's sweet spot around what lessons we can learn from mountain climbers. But before we do that, I just want to set the bar, right? That the mountain is there to not just to challenge us, but to grow us, right? And an insight before we start that I want to get into with you is that nobody sprints up a mountain. I have watched a number of documentaries on mountains. I use mountains in my coaching with athletes and with high performers. We look at mountain climbers to learn from them because they're fascinating people when you watch what they do. And one of the things that I've learned, I've never seen a mountain climber, an experienced one, sprint up a mountain. Nobody does that. I don't think it's even wise or advisable, right? You go you don't sprint up mountains. Football players don't win training camp on day one. Right? An executive doesn't build a company in a weekend. You don't recover from

Build Rhythm And Take Next Step

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surgery in one day or one second. You see, like mountain climbers, we have to understand that every summit, every mountaintop is earned one deliberate step at a time. And so winning, when we talk about winning, it's not just completing the climb or completing the race or completing the task. It's it's a kind of a rhythm you have to get into to be a winner. It's not a sprint, whatever you're going through, it's not a sprint. You always say it's a marathon, right? It's usually a marathon. So winning is about rhythm, and I want you to sort of think that through in your mind as you listen to me. Winning is rhythm, it's not speed. So you want to develop your rhythm. And the other thing I want to jump into before we dive into the seven insights from mountain climbers is that you always try to climb the mountain that you're on. Elite climbers don't waste oxygen wishing they were on another mountain. Do you get that? I had to get that in my life. That this is the mountain that I'm on. This is my mountain. I gotta climb it. I can't. I could wish I were on another mountain and I want to uh get rid of this mountain, and maybe somebody seems to be climbing a smaller mountain than me, but at the end of the day, I can't waste oxygen wishing that I was on another mountain. I just have to be like a real mountain climber. You know what real mountain climbers do? They solve the next problem. They don't waste oxygen wishing that they were on another mountain. They solve the next problem. What's next? It's almost like what we've learned in neutral thinking, right? That we definitely have to let go of what has happened and just focus on what's next. So, experienced mountain climbers they solve the next handhole, they sell, they solve and focus on the next 10 feet. Uh, that's the kind of stuff the championships team championship teams do. That's exactly actually what championship teams do. That's exactly it. That you focus on what's next. So it happened, so I'm on this mountain, so this is where I am, so this is what's going on in my life. What next? I made a mistake. What's next? That's the only thing you can actually have some control over. Things didn't work out, what's next? That's what I can control. This problem is here with me, all right? What's next? Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. And one of the things about mountains, I

The Many Mountains We All Face

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know we're talking about mountains and mountain climbers, but one of the things that I I feel a lot of motivational talks sometimes miss or they make the mistake. They treat the mountain as if it's one thing. I don't know about you, but in life, it's a whole lot of mountains. And sometimes you got little ones, big ones, and you're not just always climbing one mountain. It's always like two or three. There's usually a few mountains. And sometimes they're happening together. It's not just always one thing. There are many mountains we climb. Let me review with you some of the mountains that I've seen in the practice I've done with coaching individuals, counseling them, working with various kinds of individuals. Athletes, for example, have a mountain that's the opponent. But it's not just the opponent. It could be an injury. It could be staging a comeback. It could be dealing with a coach that they don't get along with. It could be a roster cut, a transition, a trade. It could be just dealing with the pressure of training camp or the playoffs. Those are mountains. Okay? You're an executive. The mountain could be uncertainty for you. It could be layoffs. It could be leadership issues, it could be burnout problems, impossibly hard decisions to make, rebuilding after a failure, dealing with a coworker or a subordinate or a boss who is difficult, challenging. Those are mountains. Are you a first responder of some kind? Well, the mountain might be that you have to go out on a call, on a call that no one wants to answer. Maybe you've been seeing trauma after trauma. Maybe you're in a heightened state of hypervigilance all the time. You're a police officer, your EMS, you're on the front lines nursing or ER physician. You're returning home after a difficult shift and the hours are long and they're thankless. That's a mountain. Maybe you're a student. Maybe you're in medical school, law school, engineering school, graduate school. Maybe you're starting fifth grade. The mountain is usually self-doubt. Can I do this? How am I gonna fit in? What kind of future is ahead for me? Choosing your future. That could be a mountain for a student failing an exam. Could be a mountain for a student adjusting to campus, whatever it is. The workload. Students are not exempt, they face mountains too. What about people who are retired? Well, you would think that there'd be no mountain there, but actually there are. What is my purpose? That's a mountain. Now that I'm retired, now that I'm no longer doing the thing that I did for so many years, what is my purpose now? What is my identity? Who am I as a retiree? Everybody else is working and doing things and they're about their business. How do I deal with being alone or being lonely or not being connected to a social circle? That's a mountain. Or if my health isn't 100%, as I've gotten older and I'm dealing with health challenges, I think many of us have had to deal with that mountain. How do I reinvent myself in a meaningful way in the meaningful life now that I'm retired? That's a mountain. So do you see how many mountains I have covered with you, sweet spotter? In this very short time that we have together, we are all facing mountains. And if you don't face a career mountain, it could be just an illness. The person who's facing illness climbs a mountain of treatments, of setbacks, of uncertainty, of pain, of frustration, and hope. All of those things are mountains. And if you're recovering from an injury, you're climbing a mountain that rehab isn't always easy. Rehab can be quite painful, quite difficult, right? So the person recovering from injury climbs a mountain one painful rehabilitation session at a time. And what about loss? Have you ever experienced loss? Have you lost someone you love deeply? I know I have. And man, it really hurts. I've lost cousins, I've lost a parent. It's been tough. The person navigating loss climbs a mountain. For sure. Sometimes getting out of bed in the morning is the victory, is the climb. And maybe none of these matter, but maybe it's a relationship problem. You're in a relationship that's not working for whatever reason. And then there's the mountain of forgiveness. Somebody's betrayed you, they've hurt you, they keep annoying you, they keep being really difficult, and you have to figure out a way to climb the mountain of forgiveness, the mountain of communication. How do I say what I have to say, right? And then deciding whether to repair this relationship, or do I need to let it go? Those are mountains. How do I find my way back to my spirituality, to the mystery that I call God, to who God is for me, and if I feel distant, that's also a mountain. Different mountains, different mountains. I've just run through a whole bunch of mountains for you. But you know what? There may be different mountains, but it's the same climb. Yeah, it's the same climb, but it might be a different mountain. So listen, every winner has a mountain. Right? Every winner, if you're a winner and you are a winner, I'm calling you a winner because you're here and you're listening to me, and we're in it, we're in this thing called life. And look, we're winners, but every winner has a mountain. So when you watch somebody who's a champion or you watch somebody who's winning, remember, oh, they have mountains that they've climbed.

Lesson One And Two For Climbers

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So what are the seven lessons? And I know it took a long time to tell you that, but it's very important that we grasp that we're all mountain climbers together. And I'm ready to climb with you, sweet spotters, sweet builders, sweet climber. Hey, we got a new term, sweet climbers. Here the sweet spot. We got sweet climbers. What is the what are the seven lessons? I'll run through them really quickly because I know you have things to do and I respect your time. This is an amazing series we're doing. Here's lesson one: nobody climbs a mountain in one leap. Like we said before. Every summit, every mountaintop is reached after you take a deliberate step, after deliberate step. So when you're on your mountain, don't rush it. Have the patience and the courage to take it one step at a time. Championships aren't won on the opening day. And you do, you may not look like a champion now where you are on your mountain. But you can be a champion if you believe and if you take it one step at a time. So, lesson one, nobody climbs the mountain in one leap. And recovery isn't built in one therapy session, a degree isn't earned in one exam, right? One step rarely changes your life, but it's important that you take it. Thousands of steps is what changes lives. Not one. Thousands of steps are what gets you up this mountain that you're facing. It's not impossible, but you gotta keep taking step after step. So, lesson one, you got it? Nobody climbs the mountain in one leap. It may take several tries. Lesson two, the mountain doesn't care who you are. Here's the thing I learned from watching a great mountain series called 14 Peaks. And I remember the quote: man, the mountain doesn't care about yesterday's trophies, about what you did yesterday and what you won yesterday. It doesn't care about your resume, it doesn't care about how talented you are. Every mountain demands that you be humble and will humble you. Every day you have to earn your elevation on the mountain, right? And look, the the quote, I can't remember the quote directly, but the quote literally was something about the mountain doesn't care who you are or what you do. It doesn't care if you're tall or you're short, it doesn't care what your weight is, it doesn't care what your degree is, it doesn't care whether you're black, whether you're white, doesn't cle it doesn't care about your political affiliations. The mountain only has one rule. One rule is what the mountain has. You know what that rule is? Are you gonna climb or not climb? And if you let go of the rope, you die, you fall off. That's mountain philosophy. So that's lesson two. The mountain doesn't care who you are, so don't get caught up in your accolades or don't get caught up in your story. You've got a job, and that job is to climb, to earn your elevation. And that's true whether you're climbing a peak or leading a Fortune 500 company or running a family. The lesson is what the lesson is. The mountain doesn't care. What about lesson three? The higher you climb, you know what happens to the air on a mountain? What happens to the air as you go up the mountain? As you elevate, the higher you climb, the thinner the air. And mountaineers know that. Mountaineers and mountain climbers are aware that as they gain elevation, the air

Lesson Three And Four Thin Air

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can the air begins to get thinner because there's less available oxygen. And when there's less oxygen, the climb can slow down a little bit. The progress becomes slower because you have to take those breaths in to catch that oxygen. You've got to breathe. And progress becomes slower, it becomes more deliberate, and it's more demanding. So expect that. Good mountain climbers expect that there'll come a point on this mountain where it's gonna feel like that to me. And life is just so similar, isn't it? Life is exactly the same way. The higher your responsibility, the greater the emotional and mental demands. Look, you're a pro athlete, you're an elite athlete, you're gonna be under great scrutiny. You're you're playing tennis or golf or or basketball or football, you are under great scrutiny. That can make the air thin around you real quick. You are a decision maker, you're an executive, you're a leader, you're making you're a doctor, uh, whatever you are, a lawyer, uh, what a nurse, whatever you are. Executives make and and and leaders make decisions that affect lives, hundreds and hundreds of lives. Parents can carry invisible burdens for their kids. Students entering college encounter new expectations. Growth isn't supposed to feel easy, it can feel heavy because you end up carrying more, whatever your role is, if you're going to be climbing the mountain. Don't mistake increased difficulty though for failure. Just because things have gotten harder, and just because you're climbing a little slower, just because you're breathing a little heavier because of the thin air around you, doesn't mean you're failing. Sometimes it simply means you have reached a higher altitude, there's a greater responsibility here, and you can get it done. Take it one step at a time, one breath at a time. Understand that the higher you climb, lesson three, right? The thinner the air. Does that make sense? I know it does. How about lesson four? Great climbers know when to stop and recover. That's a big one for me. Great climbers have to know when to stop and recover. This may be the most overlooked lesson in winning. You see, experienced mountain climbers and mountaineers, they don't climb because they have no fear. They're not climbing because they're just fearless. They climb because they respect fatigue. And they know exhaustion clouds their judgment. Yeah. Performers understand the same truth. Recovery isn't a break from excellence. Recovery is a part of excellence. When you take a break, you're not doing this just because you're weak or you're tired or you're not strong enough. This is how you witness to take those breaks. If you're a football player, you're preparing with your recovery for OTAs. If you're an executive after months of non-stop travel, you gotta recover. If you're a caregiver sitting beside somebody in a hospital bed day after day, yeah, you have to take a moment to recover. Maybe you work three shifts and you're a first responder or you're in an intense frontline job. You do need to recover. Maybe you're doing finals as a student, midterms, finals, whatever it is. Rest isn't quitting. Maybe you've been grinding at the house, reorganizing, getting it together, taking care of the family, taking care of your responsibilities. Rest isn't quitting. Respect your body. That's what great mountain climbers do. They respect the moment, they're not fearless. In fact,

Lesson Five To Seven Transformation

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they respect the process and they prepare for tomorrow's climb. That's the idea. That lesson four is that great climbers know when to stop and when to recover. What about lesson five? I like this one too. You don't conquer the mountain, the mountain transforms you. In fact, like I said earlier when we started our conversation today, elite climbers reject the phrase conquering the mountain. I've used the phrase, I call it conquer the climb actually, but they reject that phrase. Conquering the mountain is not what an elite mountain climber would say. They always say that the mountaintop doesn't change, the summit does not change. You know what changes? You. You change, you do. Every disappointment on the mountain you you climb is teaching you patience. Every injury teaches you resilience and shows your resilience. Look back over your life. Think of times that you had illness or injury, maybe you're dealing with one right now. The fact that you're coming at it every day shows that you're resilient. Every failed business, every financial struggle, every closed door in the business world teaches you wisdom, teaches you endurance. Even if you have a broken relationship, you gain perspective by climbing that mountain. Illness, injury, you're not feeling well. The practice of gratitude in the ordinary days, in the days that you're just grateful that you can get up and move. Hey, that's a mountain. Every mountain leaves you different after you've started to climb. That's its purpose. That's the crazy thing about mountains. They can reveal a deeper you. And so you don't have to conquer the mountain, the mountain will just transform you as you continue to climb. What about lesson six? Never climb alone. One of the greatest dangers in mountaineering, one of the greatest dangers on a mountain climb is to get isolated. You know, the strongest expeditions in mountain climbing and mountaineering, from what I've seen in the number of documentaries I looked at, they rely on partners. People who notice the altitude sickness before you do. People who steady the rope when it's wobbly. People willing to turn everyone around if the conditions become dangerous. Life is no different. Your rope team might be your spouse, it might be your kids, it might be your parent, it could be your coach, your physician, your therapist, it could be the athletic trainer, your faith community, your pastor, your rabbi, your imam, whoever it is, your best friend. Could be your rope team on the mountain climb. The strongest people are really the ones who refuse help. I'll say that again. The strongest people, the strongest mountain climbers are really the ones who refuse help. They understand what they're dealing with and they recognize the power in partnership on the mountain. Yeah, they're the ones wise enough to accept it. So that was lesson six. Never climb alone. And then lesson seven, the final lesson. The mountaintop is never the greatest reward. We've talked about this before in our other podcasts. The summit is never the greatest reward. You see, many people think that winning is just standing at the top of the mountain, beating their chest and putting their arms up and going, Whoa, I did it! Hey, that's not bad and it's a part of it. But it's not everything. The greatest reward from just listening and speaking to people who climb mountains is that you've become someone capable of actually reaching the top of this mountain. You see, the championship eventually ends. The promotion that you got becomes normal. The diploma that you went after, it gets a frame. The surgery that you went through, it heals. The grief may not go away, but it kind of softens as you move on into a new life. The business eventually recovers or it transforms. All of those things have a trajectory and a timeline as we think through the mountaintops. But you know what? The courage that doesn't change. That stays with you. The discipline it took to get through your injury, your illness, your your challenge, that didn't change. The patience that you had to show in this relationship, on this journey, the resilience you've had to have when things just fell flat, when the biggest disappointments came. All of those things, your faith, your trust, your belief, those things stay with you. All of those that got you up the mountain and that are keeping you on the mountain. That's what makes you a winner, sweet spotter. That's what makes you a winner. So

Next Breath Next Step Closing Charge

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let me end today's podcast with this. Maybe today your mountain isn't made of rock. Maybe it's made of fear. Maybe it's chemotherapy. Maybe it's an MRI. Maybe it's a chronic disease or illness. Maybe it's a difficult marriage. Maybe it's a pink slip that you got that you no longer have the job. Maybe you're about to get into training camp. Maybe it's the playoffs. I don't know where this message is finding you. Maybe it's the first day after retirement. Maybe you're in the middle of a retirement. Maybe the mountain standing in front of you looks like there's no hope. Whatever the mountain is, though, whatever the mountain that's standing in front of you. I want you to remember this. Mountains don't ask whether you're ready. They only have one question. Are you willing to climb? And here's the good news, sweet spotter, sweet climber. You don't have to reach the summit today. You don't have to get to the mountaintop today. Don't sweat that. Don't allow that to crush you or cripple you. You just have to take the next faithful step. Take a breath. Reset. Talk to your mountain partner. Check in with your God. Because every winner has a mountain, sweet spotter, and every mountain has something to teach the climber. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Winning is ultimately not just getting to the top of the mountain. Winning is understanding what the mountain was trying to get you to be as you were climbing it. Yeah, winning is becoming the kind of person the mountain was trying to build all along. All along. All along. God bless you. Thank you for listening to the sweet spot. For science, for soul, and for success. You just keep climbing this mountain because you've already got this. You're already a winner. Every day you put one foot in front of the other and you decide to climb. I'm climbing with you. And if this made sense to you, please share it with somebody who you think may be facing a mountain and could use this word. There's no charge for joining the climb with The Sweet Spot.

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Thank you for listening to The Sweet Spot with Dr. Derek Sweet. If today's message was helpful, please feel free to share it and subscribe. There's no cost to subscribing, and it helps others to discover the show. We hope you'll join us again for another inspiring message from Dr. Sweet and the Sweet Spot team. Four Sonions and Zoo and Six Met. Stay with the Sweet Spot.