Elite athletes aren’t the only ones who need resilience. At this year’s Olympic Winter Games, competitors like gold medalist Alysa Liu and alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin demonstrated how to rebound from setbacks—Shiffrin’s slalom victory followed a disqualification at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
According to performance psychologist Cindra Kamphoff, founder of the Mentally Strong Institute, the same mental skills that help Olympians recover can be applied in everyday professional life. Whether preparing for a championship game or a high-stakes presentation, the principles are identical.
Kamphoff teaches a three-step method called “learn, burn, return” to help individuals move forward productively after mistakes.
1. Learn from the setback
Start by conducting a constructive review. Ask yourself: What would I do differently next time?
If a presentation went poorly, the issue might have been insufficient preparation, unclear expectations from leadership, or unmanaged nerves. Identify the specific gap, document the lesson, and then stop ruminating.
The objective is insight—not self-criticism. Reframe the mistake as a developmental opportunity rather than a personal failure. A flawed performance today can directly inform a stronger one tomorrow.
2. Burn in a reset cue
After extracting the lesson, deliberately interrupt negative mental loops. Choose a short, consistent phrase or physical action—such as saying “shake it off” while shrugging your shoulders.
Repeating the same cue strengthens a neural pathway associated with emotional regulation. Instead of reinforcing the memory of the error through rumination, you anchor a forward-focused response. Consistency is critical: the same cue each time conditions a faster reset.
3. Return to confidence
Finally, audit your internal state. Assess your self-talk, posture, and confidence level. Then intentionally focus on what went well.
Perhaps your manager criticized one section of your work but praised another. Use the positive feedback as a confidence anchor. The goal is to restore composure quickly and prevent one misstep from eroding broader self-belief.
Kamphoff emphasizes that releasing judgment is essential. The faster you disengage from unproductive self-criticism, the better you protect your confidence—and your performance in the next opportunity.