Tracey Mitchell welcomes her brother, Rob Mitchell, back to Hitting Your Stride for an in-depth discussion about mental resilience and its preparation. And as you might expect with a conversation between these siblings, the banter is backed up by some in-depth idea exchanges.

Rob talks about building mental resilience like you’d build muscles in that it takes time and training, but never loses sight of staying focused on the positives and remembering that we need to see things for what they are.

After years of being an elite athlete with the McMaster University football team, and later as a CrossFit competitor and gym owner, Rob has continued to expand his knowledge on mental resilience ‒ both by choice and by chance with life experiences. He has worked with athletes across the sporting spectrum, including helping equestrians chase down their goals in and out of the ring.

In his current role as an educator and principal at a First Nations school in Northern Ontario, Rob talks about how he tries to incorporate concepts like gratitude into his routines with staff and students, while also how he tackles the ebb and flow of motivation. And while there are some who believe that self-improvement is an constant all-out effort, he reminds us that giving yourself a break at times isn’t a bad idea.

Tracey and Rob continue to explore the topic, covering ideas like reflection, perfectionism, setting priorities and developing trust and how they’re all related to building a better version of yourself.

Listen to the episode here.