David Christiani

Pssst. I have a secret....🤫 As a coach, you're not supposed to have favorites, but I do. There is one trait that defines the favorite athletes that I've had the pleasure to work with & it's not drive or commitment or determination. To be sure, I respect all of these traits, but they're not it. The one trait that is common to all of my favorite athletes.... In Japanese, it is called #Shoshin. In English, "a beginner's mind" (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoshi…): An approach of genuine, authentic, child-like, curiosity to learning new things. A willingness to embrace something that may be completely new and different, all in, 100%, to see where it leads. It may surprise you that this trait is in no way related to the athlete's experience in the sport... I've worked with some professional athletes at the very top of the sport, with decades of experience behind them, who had it. Similarly, I've worked with athletes new to the sport who, most certainly, didn't have it. Beyond being my favorites, these were the athletes who improved the most, as they weren't held back by previous biases/beliefs. Don't underestimate the power of the beginner's mind. It's a trait worth cultivating. #BeginnersMind