PRAISE FOR PERSONAL NEXT
“Melinda does a masterful job of describing the stages of all high performers: the ascent to a personal best, the struggles of the messy middle, and then the discovery of a personal next. The journey she takes you on will help you take ownership of your next steps.”
—Simon Keith, soccer player, author of Heart for the Game, and the first athlete to play professional sports after a heart transplant
“One of the most effective forms of support is peer to peer. Melinda has provided this support in Personal Next. Well done for providing this great resource for our community.”
—Gearoid Towey, three-time Olympian and founder of crossingthelinesport.com
“Harrison turns her keen eye on investigating her fellow athletes to uncover what we can learn about growing—and thriving—any time we face a life-altering transition. Using inspiring stories, powerful frameworks, and the seamless integration of the latest science, she weaves a powerful case for why change is the greatest opportunity of all.”
—Dr. Sarah McKay, PhD, director of The Neuroscience Academy and author of The Women’s Brain Book
“This book will help you thrive in life after sports. As a former World Cup and Olympic skier, I found Harrison’s concept of the ‘PRACTICES’ rang true. This is an awesome model for anyone looking for that next big bold mission.”
—Anja Bolbjerg, founder of Athlete Story and host of the Successful After Sports Summit
“Personal Next is full of stories that I could relate to as well as strategies to help me with my post-sport transition. Thank you for reminding athletes that they are not alone.”
—Mercedes Nicoll, four-time Olympian, host, and public speaker
“In my experience working with athletes, many of them have more difficulty making the transition to their next challenge in life than they do mastering their sport. Personal Next offers invaluable insights about how to find success and make that transition to the next chapter in their life.”
—Robb Dalton, IMG Chief Creative Officer (retired)
“Melinda Harrison is finally sharing her wisdom with the world. This is fantastic news for all athletes out there. I’ve worked with student athletes for over 25 years and Personal Next is the book they need. Melinda gets what they are going through and I guarantee every athlete will benefit from her wisdom and heart and have an easier transition out of sport because of it.”
—Shari Acho, founder and CEO of BlitzPrep Consulting
“When you have dedicated your entire life to one thing, transition is never easy. The advice and research in Personal Next will inspire athletes to use the very training that helped them on the field to make the transition off the field and into a new life.”
—Victor Hobson, former NFL player and managing partner, ASE Global Group
“Loved reading this book! Personal Next will help me as a coach to better formulate conversations with those athletes facing retirement.”
—Rachel Stratton-Mills, Associate Head Coach, Swimming, Arizona State University Sun Devils
“I was struggling to figure out what I wanted to do with my life after sport. I wasn’t even sure if I was ready to retire. Melinda’s process helped me figure out what I wanted. She helped me remove outside influences and think clearly about what matters to me. I was able to critique my current life and figure out what my next steps should be.”
—Gamal Assaad, swimmer, athlete representative, and founder of Orgashell
“Personal Next is a very useful resource for any athlete. The sooner you read, educate yourself, and act, the better it will be for you.”
—Jim Peplinski, former NHL player, captain of the Calgary Flames, and winner of the Stanley Cup, 1989
This book is dedicated to my mom and dad, who put me on a plane to Florida, with no concept of what they were really getting into.
And it is dedicated to athletes: those of you just putting on your water wings, and those of you taking your final bow. If you have done it before, you can do it again!
CONTENTS
STAGE ONE: TACKLING THE ASCENT
Chapter 3: Personal Best
Practices in Play: The Synergistic Effect
STAGE TWO: NEGOTIATING THE MESSY MIDDLE
Chapter 4: Gut Checks
Chapter 5: Unravelling
Chapter 6: On the Outs
Practices in Play: Failure Informs Success
STAGE THREE: CLIMBING NEW HEIGHTS
Chapter 7: Shift
Chapter 8: Rally
Chapter 9: Personal Next
Practices in Play: Your Goals for Next
Conclusion: The Sky View
Acknowledgements
Appendices
Notes
Selected Bibliography
Index
About the Author
Introduction
High Achievers
People often ask me what it was like to compete at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. They tell me that they can’t imagine anything more incredible. But I always tell them that I feel my peak moment wasn’t at the Olympic Games themselves but at the Olympic Trials six weeks earlier.
In the last few hours before that race, many thoughts zoomed through my head. I knew I had the proficiency to compete at the elite level. As an athlete, I had made the sacrifices asked of me. I had regulated my behaviours to achieve my goals. Through all my training and many competitions, my attitude had always been to keep learning, keep trying. Although my failures had taught me more than my successes had, I was acutely aware that each win and each loss represented only a moment in time. But I had done the work, recommitted after every bout of bone-shaking doubt, and I knew I could achieve the results. I competed on the last day of the six-day trials, and leading up to my race, I had heartily supported my teammates,