I recently wrote a thread from a viral clip of Jon Cooper in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals: (click the tweet to open the entire thread)
In the thread, I give time to a few mental models. I want to expand on the one he uses primarily… Contrasting.
What is Contrasting?
In one word? Perspective.
As coaches, we tell our players to seek perspective. And our coaching mentors tell us the same shit…
But do we really know what the hell that means?
Luckily, there is a mental model for that.
When things get hard, we want to feel sorry for ourselves. It’s human nature.
Every story has a victim, why not you?
Don’t fall into that.
Contrasting helps us understand the human condition better.
Let’s say you feel like your life is currently 8/10. But you check Instagram on Friday night because you just pulled into a hotel parking lot for your Saturday night game the next night. You’re going to get a meal in you and go to bed to prepare, but your friends are getting ready to go to a party. You’re seeing someone’s 10/10 life on Instagram, you’re at an 8. So you feel the minus 2 in your gut. It hurts.
But until you just read this, were you aware that social media is set up to repeatedly gut punch you?
Let’s learn to fight back.
So What?
Becoming self-aware of this fact can help you. That’s step 1.
We can take it a step further…
Contrasting in the opposite direction to feel gratitude instead of just talking about it in your head. Going to the opposite end of the spectrum, Mark Baker talks about eating lunch at the cemetery a few times a year. None of those people have the opportunity you do today… Life. Contrast your 8/10 day with their day.
You: 8/10
Them:0/10
Now you feel the plus 8.
Or maybe you visit a hospital, as Bob Stoops did in his last few years coaching at Oklahoma. Even on his worst day dealing with a player that got into trouble, or after a tough loss. He could contrast his life with people struggling much worse than he was.
Now What?
Empower yourself with the knowledge of how social media are highlight reels that are constantly using contrast in the wrong direction. Become aware. Then fight against it. Pick up this tool and take it with you. Make contrasting work for you, not against you.
Want to make more mental models to work in your favor? Download our methods packet, it’s got over 50 of them: