Thread by @RomeenSheth

This week I interviewed someone who:

- Represented the US in 3 Olympic Games
- Won 8 Medals (2 Gold, 2 Silver, 4 Bronze)
- Was U.S. Champion of his sport by age 14

Here’s 10 timeless lessons I learned from the most decorated US Winter Olympic Champion of all time:

@ApoloOhno is a living legend.

He’s also incredibly humble and chock full of insights.

In our discussion, Apolo took me through the mind of a world class athlete.

We touched on leadership, mental toughness, persistence and resilience.

Alright...onto the lessons:

Lesson #1: Your mind is your most powerful asset

The mind can be your worst enemy or your best friend.

Worst Enemy - You think you're incapable and self combust.

Best Friend - You think anything is possible and push yourself.

Harness the latter, squash the former.

Lesson #2: Mental health is a compass of 4 key pillars

- Mind: How am I thinking?
- Body: Am I moving enough?
- Nutrition: Am I eating well?
- Sleep: Am I recharged?

Congruence of these 4 factors drives mental health.

Most people are out of line on 2+ at any given time.

Lesson #3: Define your north star

Apolo asks himself a simple question whenever he takes something on:

“Does this help me get closer to a particular chapter in my life?”

You won't know the exact pathway in life, but having a north star gives you direction to steer towards.

Lesson #4: To stay on top, you need to constantly reinvent yourself

Your behavior should mirror a virtuous loop versus a negative trend line.

Virtuous Loop:

Learn --> Adapt --> Reinvent --> Repeat

Negative Trend Line:

Static --> Outdated --> Decay --> Irrelevance

Lesson #5: Intrinsic motivation is the only sustainable form of motivation

We're enamored by extrinsic motivation.

Social media is the ultimate amplifier of this.

While extrinsic motivation can push you in the short term, it won't last forever.

Dig deep to find your truth

Lesson #6: You have to have an irrational amount of belief in yourself to be great

From Day 1 Apolo's father told him with dead straight conviction that he had unlimited potential.

With enough time, Apolo believed it.

To this day, he says this was the biggest unlock for him

Lesson #7: You control your effort

Anything can happen in speed skating - there are no guarantees for any given race.

Apolo derived confidence from his training and preparation.

This is an idea he now applies to business - work hard and you can live with the results.

Lesson #8: Always keep your head up and stay grounded

You’ll win and lose in life.

The trick is to not get too high with the highs or too low with the lows.

The greatest champions reset their minds after both wins and losses and keep moving forward.

Next. Play.

Lesson #9: Give it your all

If you don't, at some point in the future you'll wonder "what if."

It's normal to take things for granted in the moment.

But the music will stop. It always does.

Gratitude and reflection allow you to hone in on the present and lean in.

Lesson #10: Sharing your self doubt is humanizing and important

Be open. Be vulnerable. Be real.

Everyone has self doubt and insecurity. We're human after all.

Don't bottle it up - letting it out is how you establish a foundation for introspection.

And that’s it!

Those are 10 evergreen lessons on strength and belief on the road to greatness.

In our conversation we also covered:

- The similarities between athletes and founders
- Transitioning to business
- What crypto, community and sports have in common

If you enjoyed this, give me a follow:

@romeensheth

I tweet every week about:

- Building an 8 figure business
- My conversations with leading founders and investors