The Olympic Games are the most appealing sports and entertainment event in the world. Of all the symbols displayed around the world, from Nike swish to Starbuck’s green siren [mermaid], the Olympic rings remain one of the most widely recognized symbols worldwide.
We marvel at the Olympians’ athleticism, almost incomprehensible feats, the glory of winning, and harsh reality of defeat. But it’s behind the scenes that also captures the attention of so many people. It’s the human stories of triumph over adversity. It’s the universal story of resilience.
Our PACK framework represents the building blocks of resilience reflected in what makes Olympians great. PACK stands for:
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Persist
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Amplify
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Connect
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Keep It Short and Simple
Olympians are champions because they “PACK.” They:
Persist no matter what by doing what counts.
Amplify what works, doing it over and over.
Connect to people who support, guide, and inspire them.
Keep focused on the small steps that lead to the medal stand.
Let’s hear how some of the most accomplished Olympians PACK.
Persist
Resilience is far more than only bouncing back when you get knocked down, but bouncing back is a fundamental aspect of resilience. That’s where the value of persistence comes into play.
It’s folded into the definition American figure skater, Nancy Kerrigan, gives for what it takes to be a champion:
“Part of being a champ is acting like a champ. You have to learn how to win and not run away when you lose.”
The value of persistence is also reflected in what Bob Knight, American men’s Olympic basketball coach said about what makes winners:
“The key is not the will to win. Everybody has that. It is the will to prepare to win that is important.”
Persisting means acting like a champ and putting in the effort to win. It also means accepting and managing the emotional challenges. As Shannon Miller, American gymnast, put it:
“Everyone gets scared, and everyone falls. The key is to get right back up and try again.”
Amplify
Everyone is familiar with the slo-mo repeats showing exactly where an Olympian went wrong or how they managed to win over seemingly impossible odds.
When it comes to improving our own performance at work, at home, or even how we act in relationships, we often think the first step is to understand how the problems that hold us back or trip us up started, why they persist, and how to fix them. Root-cause analysis is many people’s go-to strategy or purported secret sauce for problem-solving.
But go back to the making of an Olympian.
Just think about how an Olympian starts out. Someone notices a special talent they have when they’re young, sometimes as early as when they’re still in diapers.
When the toddler runs, jumps, throws, and climbs, does anyone critique their style?
Of course not. It’s all about amplifying what works. “Yea!” “Look at you walk!” “Take another step. You can do it!”
And somehow, without any corrections, adjustments, analysis of mistakes or deficits, baby learns how to walk. And then run. And jump. And climb!
Imagine what would happen if when baby first started out, people around them only focused on their faults and deficits, and went all out to fix the problems by trying to correct balance, gait, foot placement, etc. That baby would never have gotten off the starting blocks!
This doesn’t mean that as adults we should ignore our problems or deficits. But when it comes to lasting behavior change, doing better in our lives means acting in ways that promote success, health, and wellbeing.
In the PACK framework, this is where amplify comes into play.
Amplify means capitalizing on what’s already working, building on existing strengths, skills, and resources, and using the insights from what’s already working to change what’s not working.
One of the greatest Olympians of all time and model of courage and dignity, Jesse Owens, sums it up this way:
“Find the good. It’s all around you. Find it, showcase it and you’ll start believing it.”
Unfortunately, this can be hard to do because hard-wired into the brains of all humans is the negativity bias. This is our tendency to not only notice, but to dwell, if not obsess, on negative stimuli more readily than positive.
Psychologist Rick Hanson calls the brain “teflon for good and velcro for bad.” The negativity bias is what kept us alert for danger and protected us from wild animals and other things that threatened our survival as we evolved into modern humans.
But for modern humans, it often works overtime.
Ever wondered why you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep because you’re beating yourself up for some mistake you made during the day? Why is it that the good stuff you’ve done doesn’t seem to capture your attention in the same way?
It’s the negativity bias.
It also keeps us from noticing what’s already working and what’s going right for us. We overlook, discount, minimize, or fail to recognize or appreciate what is working, even to a small extent.
We harshly criticize ourselves for our failings and don’t fully own what we’re doing right.
Ice skater Michelle Kwan had it right when she said,
“I didn’t lose the gold. I won the silver.”
In the PACK framework, amplify is key to building resilience. This means noticing the things–down to the smallest–that you’re doing to keep yourself afloat and make headway even when the going gets tough.
Amplify means capitalizing on what’s already working, building on existing strengths, skills, and resources, and using the insights from what’s already working to change what’s not working.
Gymnast Mary Lou Retton continues this idea and ends with amplify:
“As simple as it sounds, we all must try to be the best person we can: by making the best choices, by making the most of the talents we’ve been given.”
Another gymnast, McKayla Maroney, suggests that amplifying what’s working actually can crowd out what’s not working:
“Don’t practice till you get it right, practice till you can’t get it wrong.”
Connect
The third building block of resilience represented by PACK is connection.
Connection is the bond you have with others, from family and friends to mentors, guides, coaches, and teachers.
The power of connection is reflected in what Jim Calhoun, championship basketball coach said about relationships,
“Winning and championships are memorable but they come from the strength of the relationships.”
Connection also expands beyond only the people in your life right now.
Connection is the human bond we have that transcends time and space. It can mean people from the past who inspire you, loved and encouraged you, or who serve as models for you. It can also be your heritage, culture, or other bonds that connect you to something greater than yourself.
Shaun White, champion snowboarder puts it this way:
“You show up at the Olympics, and you’re no longer you; you’re an American Olympian. You’re part of this greater whole, and the individual doesn’t matter.”
Keep it Simple and Short
Most everyone is familiar with SMART goals (small, measurable, specific, measurable, time-bound) or atomic/tiny habits (hooking the new desired behavior onto something you’re already doing, celebrating, and doing it again, anchoring new behaviors to old and stacking them in a sequence).
The KISS element (Keep it Short and Simple) in PACK is related to these in that it asserts that one small step at a time leads to big rewards.
But KISS isn’t only about achieving big goals by making them smart or behaviors automatic. It doesn’t require a 5-step plan or 3-part recipe.
KISS demands less of you and delivers more, particularly in very challenging times or when you’re overwhelmed because KISS starts exactly where you’re at.
One way that KISS demonstrates its power is by simply asking you to take one smallest doable step. That small step is a marker in the sand that tells you that you are capable.
“You want to lose weight? Don’t eat the box of cookies. If you can’t avoid eating the whole box, eat half a box less. If you can’t eat half a box less, keep reducing it. Everybody can eat one crumb less.
The point is, there’s always a step small enough from where you are to where you want to be that you can take. Once you take that step, it becomes your new baseline. You ate one crumb less? The next day, eat two crumbs less, and so on. You’ll start to feel more effective and less hopeless.”
The power of that small step from where you’re at to where you want to go creates a ripple effect that can transform identity.
Heptathlete Chari Hawkins comments:
“I’m going to take one step forward every day. I’m going to remind myself that win, lose, or draw, I’m worthy.’”
KISS goes farther and shows up in the other three elements of the PACK framework, too, because it helps you persist, amplify what’s working, and connect to something bigger than yourself.
Kara Goucher, track and field champion, advises:
“Acknowledge all of your small victories. They will eventually add up to something great.”
Soccer star Mia Hamm describes her step-at-a-time process:
“I am building a fire, and every day I train, I add more fuel. At just the right moment, I light the match.”
