{"id":2373,"date":"2025-02-06T15:58:30","date_gmt":"2025-02-06T15:58:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/morpheose.com\/?p=2373"},"modified":"2025-07-11T09:04:58","modified_gmt":"2025-07-11T09:04:58","slug":"the-skier-and-the-shift-a-tale-of-performance-beyond-results","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/morpheose.com\/fr\/2025\/02\/06\/the-skier-and-the-shift-a-tale-of-performance-beyond-results\/","title":{"rendered":"The Skier and the Shift: A Tale of Performance Beyond Results"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Mindset series | Interviews and stories of coached individuals<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For two years, I\u2019ve worked with Julian*, a young skier competing at the highest level\u2014World Cups, European Championships. Two years of challenges, growth, plateaus, and breakthroughs. And two years of moving beyond the obsession with results<\/strong> toward something far deeper: evolution<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This week, during a regular catch-up call to assess his progress, I found our conversation so inspiring that I decided to share it. It did inspire me, it might inspire others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve spent much of my life in competitive environments\u2014karate, high-level studies, management consulting. In those spaces, evolution was acknowledged, but only as a byproduct of achieving results<\/strong>. The underlying belief? If you have tangible, measurable results, then you must have evolved. It\u2019s a logical conclusion, but one that overlooks something essential: evolution is not just external. It\u2019s also deeply internal, a shift in how we perceive ourselves and the process we go through.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Coaching Process: No Magic Wand, Just Deep Work<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When we started working together, Julian, like many high performers, was looking for ways to optimize his mindset. Some individuals seek instant results\u2014a magic wand, a \u201cfix-it-all\u201d solution. That\u2019s not how real change works. Instead, we engaged in a process of refinement, exploration, and integration<\/strong>, using hypnosis as a core tool from the very beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over these two years, our work took place across multiple races, training blocks, and moments of reflection. We tested, adapted, and fine-tuned<\/strong> techniques based on his needs and experiences. Hypnosis quickly became second nature for him\u2014he learned to enter trance states efficiently, making each session deeply productive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We explored:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Visualization & repetition<\/strong>, embedding precise mental rehearsal into his training.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Lifetime projections<\/strong>, helping him see himself beyond the immediate competitive cycle.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Personification techniques<\/strong>, using an “unconscious referee” to challenge and refine his inner dialogue.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Values and intrinsic motivation<\/strong>, uncovering what truly drives him beyond podiums and rankings.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Systemic exploration<\/strong>, understanding his relational dynamics\u2014how his family, teammates, and mentors influenced his mental landscape.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Today, I can confidently say that he has become proficient\u2014far more than I am\u2014in crafting and refining his own introspective rituals<\/strong> for competition and mental maintenance. He has also become an avid writer, journaling every single day<\/strong>, creating an honest and evolving account of his thoughts, perceptions, and emotions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI Can\u2019t Allow Myself to Win\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Julian is 23 years old. He is a world-class skier, consistently making finals, training harder than most, refining his technique, pushing his limits. But he wasn\u2019t getting the podiums he aimed for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    One day, after yet another strong yet imperfect performance, he reflected:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n

    \u201cIt\u2019s as if I can\u2019t allow myself to win\u2026 I can\u2019t explain it. I feel good on the slopes, but I constantly ruin the first try.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    I had known him long enough to recognize a pattern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n

    \u201cYou thrive when there\u2019s no pressure. Failing the first try means the second one is free of expectations\u2014and then you land it perfectly.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    He agreed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n

    \u201cYeah\u2026 it actually sounds right. Like I sabotage myself.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    \n

    \u201cI don\u2019t think you sabotage yourself. This is just how you\u2019ve succeeded before\u2014it\u2019s a strategy that has worked so far. But let\u2019s dig deeper. You know you\u2019re a great skier. You train harder than anyone. And I know you value honesty and effort\u2014you dislike nepotism in national selections, and you\u2019re OK with losing if the other athlete is simply better. So, do you have confidence in your abilities?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    \n

    \u201cYeah, I do\u2026 and it feels good to hear you remind me how much I worked.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    \n

    \u201cSo maybe this isn\u2019t about self-sabotage at all. Maybe it\u2019s about a shift. I might be reaching, so correct me if I’m wrong: You know you\u2019re good, but putting yourself out there as \u2018the best\u2019 conflicts with something inside you. It\u2019s as if succeeding too much, too obviously, would betray an untold value. How does that sound?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    He chuckled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n

    \u201cThis sounds <\/strong>too true<\/em><\/strong>. I feel superior to what I was last year\u2014sorry to say it- and even to many in the circuit.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    The way he immediately said sorry after praising his objective progress sparked my interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n

    \u201cWhy \u2018sorry\u2019? You are superior to your past self\u2014objectively. And given your efforts, sometimes, you may be better than others. You\u2019re in the World Cup and often near the podium. Drop the \u2018sorry\u2019 and refine your perception.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    The Hidden Value That Held Him Back<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    It turns out that the value Julian had been protecting all along was humility.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Since childhood, he had internalized the idea that standing out was bad, that true excellence was discreet. He gave examples from when he was 5, 6, 7 years old\u2014moments where he had judged arrogance as something negative. \u201cNever talk, disappear.\u201d<\/strong> The Swiss have a saying: vivons heureux, vivons cach\u00e9s<\/em>\u2014live happily, live hidden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What he was experiencing was not sabotage. It was a redefinition of self<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He was maturing, shifting from rigid values toward a more nuanced<\/strong> perspective. In his mind, success had been a polarity: humility vs. arrogance<\/strong>. Now, he was carving out a third space: confidence.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Not arrogance. Not ego. But a fact-based, embodied trust in his own ability.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A confidence that didn\u2019t require external validation. A self-assurance that didn\u2019t depend on hiding or diminishing himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Making Peace With Performance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Julian\u2019s journey was about reconciling two forces that exist in all high achievers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • The positive stress<\/strong> from conscious goals, expected results, and external objectives.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • The bodily, visceral, personal feeling of success and satisfaction<\/strong>\u2014one that exists beyond results.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      When those two align, performance becomes effortless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      His last words before we ended that session?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n

      \u201cI\u2019m above who I was last year. And I see the results.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

      The Takeaway for All of Us<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      Julian is an athlete, but his story is universal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • How often do we feel we \u201ccan\u2019t allow\u201d ourselves to succeed?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • How many times do we hold onto beliefs that once served us but now constrain us?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • How many times, in the contrary, do we partake in actions against our values?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • How often do we mistake evolution for sabotage?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        Change is not just about strategy or effort. It\u2019s about reperceiving<\/strong> what is possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        I have long been fascinated by the way deep, introspective work\u2014including hypnosis\u2014can bring clarity to these untold conflicts. It\u2019s a process of understanding, reframing, and integrating. And every day, I wake up more passionate, working with those who want to explore these internal shifts, whether in sports, corporations, leadership, or personal growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Because in the end, real success is not about results\u2014it\u2019s about who you become.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n\n\n\n

        * names have been changed for privacy reasons<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        To Learn More: The Coaching Process | No Magic Wand, Just Deep Work<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        When we started working together, Julian, like many high performers, was looking for ways to optimize his mindset. Some individuals seek instant results\u2014a magic wand, a \u201cfix-it-all\u201d solution. That\u2019s not how real change works. Instead, we engaged in a process of refinement, exploration, and integration<\/strong>, using hypnosis as a core tool from the very beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Over these two years, our work took place across multiple races, training blocks, and moments of reflection. We tested, adapted, and fine-tuned<\/strong> techniques based on his needs and experiences. Hypnosis quickly became second nature for him\u2014he learned to enter trance states efficiently, making each session deeply productive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        We explored:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        • Visualization & repetition<\/strong>, embedding precise mental rehearsal into his training.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Lifetime projections<\/strong>, helping him see himself beyond the immediate competitive cycle.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Personification techniques<\/strong>, using an “unconscious referee” to challenge and refine his inner dialogue.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Values and intrinsic motivation<\/strong>, uncovering what truly drives him beyond podiums and rankings.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Systemic exploration<\/strong>, understanding his relational dynamics\u2014how his family, teammates, and mentors influenced his mental landscape.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          Today, I can confidently say that he has become proficient\u2014far more than I am\u2014in crafting and refining his own introspective rituals<\/strong> for competition and mental maintenance. He has also become an avid writer, journaling every single day<\/strong>, creating an honest and evolving account of his thoughts, perceptions, and emotions.<\/p>\n\n\n

          <\/div>

          par<\/p>

          Mourad Chouaki<\/p>

          Former physicist and political scientist, ex-BCG consultant, sportsman and living being fascinated by consciousness and mythico-ritual approaches.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

          <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          For two years, I\u2019ve worked with Julian*, a young skier competing at the highest level\u2014World Cups, European Championships. Two years of challenges, growth, plateaus, and breakthroughs. And two years of moving beyond the obsession with results toward something far deeper: evolution. This week, during a regular catch-up call to assess his progress, I found our […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":2409,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,17],"tags":[55,54,56],"class_list":["post-2373","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinions","category-sports","tag-mindset","tag-ski","tag-sport"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/morpheose.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2373","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/morpheose.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/morpheose.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/morpheose.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/morpheose.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2373"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/morpheose.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2373\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2412,"href":"https:\/\/morpheose.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2373\/revisions\/2412"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/morpheose.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2409"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/morpheose.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2373"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/morpheose.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2373"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/morpheose.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2373"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}