Subscibe to our feedMind Games: Mental Toughness Makes Champions
What is good news for the No. 48 Lowe’s team is bad news for the rest of the teams in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series.
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Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s-sponsored machine, believes that he is better than ever when it comes to handling the mental aspects of his job. The three-time defending Cup champion is seeking to become the first driver ever to win four championships in a row in NASCAR’s top series, and said he thinks his own improved mental toughness will aid him in that historic pursuit.
“Experience and dealing with scenarios and situations helps so much,” Johnson said. “I look back and think how much stronger I am today than I was just last year.”
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Since last year he drove well enough to become the first competitor in 30 years to win back-to-back-to-back titles – and only the second in history, along with the legendary Cale Yarborough – that seems to bode well for his immediate future on the track.
Coaches in all sports frequently espouse the importance of mental toughness, yet it is a concept difficult to quantify in tangible terms. Johnson admitted that varying definitions may apply to different individuals, depending on their own interpretations.
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“For me, it’s the guy who just keeps grinding it out,” Johnson said. “You can look at someone like (Tiger) Woods or (Roger) Federer. Federer is a good example right now with the comeback he has been through to get back on top (in professional tennis).
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“It doesn’t always have to be the guy who is winning. There’s just that person who continues to grind it out. That’s the person, I think, who has mental toughness. It can be the guy who is consistently fit; it doesn’t have to be the winner. You can just see those people who don’t give up; they just keep grinding it out. That’s what mental toughness is to me.”
It helps that Johnson and his race team have the continuing support of the entire Hendrick Motorsports operation, where owner Rick Hendrick encourages a certain mental and physical balance in the lives of not only all of his drivers, but in the lives of every person he employs.
“If there’s anything they need, I’m here for them, and they know that,” Hendrick said. “But this is what they love to do. There’s no lack of motivation or drive, and they all do such a great job with their preparation. They’re working out, watching their nutrition and generally keeping themselves in the best possible physical condition. I encourage the teams and give the pep talks when they need them, but they do a great job of pushing themselves and keeping everything on track.”
Hendrick added that he and his top-tier managers are encouraged to help keep the lives of everyone in balance during the long race season that stretches from mid-February to mid-November.
“We’re definitely aware of the grind. We know it can be tough on employees and their families, and we encourage everyone to have balance in their lives,” Hendrick said. “The road crews have days off during the week to recharge and get some personal time, and that’s really important. As a company, we try to pace ourselves and put our people first.”
Johnson knows more than a little about finishing first. He frequently does it in the No. 48 car, and credits the management approach at Hendrick Motorsports with helping him improve over the years at maintaining his mental focus during the dog days of summer. Lesser drivers and teams tend to fade away as the weather warms up, but Johnson in recent years has only heated up along with the summer thermometer.
“I think a lot of that just boils down to personality, your surroundings and experience,” Johnson said. “A great race team, an awesome wife (Chandra), and great friends help keep me balanced and stable.
“It’s easy to say now, but I had a lot of tough years growing up in motorsports when I wasn’t sure if I was going to have a job or a car to race or any of that stuff for a long, long, long period of time. Those days challenged me and taught me how to enjoy myself even when the outlook wasn’t so bright.”
It also taught him to develop mental toughness and that ability to never give up. It has served him well.
He said it also is obvious to him that he handles different situations better now than he might have even a year or two ago, which has allowed him to continue to improve as a driver even after he already proved himself to be the best.
“The best example would be going over the last three championships,” Johnson said. “There was a video camera (crew) filming ’06 versus ’07 versus ’08. You can see a huge change in my confidence and my mood just by how I’m enjoying the experience and enjoying the moment more because I’ve been there and done that.”
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“The best example would be going over the last three championships,” Johnson said. “There was a video camera (crew) filming ’06 versus ’07 versus ’08. You can see a huge change in my confidence and my mood just by how I’m enjoying the experience and enjoying the moment more because I’ve been there and done that.”
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What’s more, Johnson said everyone has the ability to benefit from developing their inner mental toughness and putting it to work for them in specific areas of their lives.
“I think people are born with different levels of it,” he said. “I have this ability to grind it out over racing – but if it were some other profession or something else, I just don’t have the same desire to fight for that. From a career standpoint, racing is what I want to do and that’s what I have always been willing to make the sacrifice for.
“I think we all have different levels of it, but finding where you channel it is the other part of it. When you find the thing you like to do, it’s a lot easier to put all that time and effort into it.”