You’ve probably seen the flashy clips of stuntmen doing crazy jumps, but maybe you’ve never heard of the martial arts side of parkour. It’s not just about showing off…
In fact, parkour is incredibly challenging, both physically and mentally. It tests your knowledge of self. It builds confidence. And it teaches you to trust in your abilities.
In this episode, long-time parkour trainer Matthew Barnes talks about developing his mental fortitude through parkour, bringing these mindset skills to business, and taking big entrepreneurial leaps.
Not only has Matt challenged himself with backflips and running jumps, but he’s also built LAEF (Local Agriculture Expansion Foundation) with his wife to connect small farms with local consumers and cut down on their costs for marketing and payment processing.
How do you know when to take risks? Matt says it’s all about dancing on the edge of your mental limits while staying well within your physical ones. Listen to this episode to learn more!
Time Stamped Show Notes
[00:00:00] Welcome to this week’s episode with Matthew Barnes
- [00:01:43] Matt discovers his love for parkour while studying for an engineering degree
[00:03:48] Mental VS. physical capabilities…
- [00:07:04] Self-confidence transformation in parkour students
- [00:08:19] Decoupling emotions to make logical decisions
[00:09:54] Parkour requires intense in-the-moment focus
- [00:11:23] The meditative state of extreme sports
- [00:13:10] The two sides to the art of parkour
- [00:14:04] Knowing your limits and testing your mental fortitude…
[00:15:38] Parkour skills translate into business—assessing risk and making jumps!
- [00:19:03] The self-sabotage of emotional decision making
- [00:22:42] The mindset growth Matt has seen in his parkour and business clients
- [00:25:00] Matt emphasizes the importance of compassion for the emotional states of others
[00:27:18] Matt helps small farmers reach local buyers through LAEF
[00:30:57] Wrap-up—thanks for checking out this episode of the Primed Mind Podcast!
3 Key Points
- When taking new leaps (in parkour or in any other part of life), it’s important to know your mental limits and stay well within your physical ones. Be honest with yourself about your abilities, and you’ll be able to push yourself while reducing your risk.
- Self-sabotage in the form of emotional decision making can be mitigated by decoupling your fears, anxieties, and unhealthy beliefs from the reality at hand. You’ll still feel the emotions, but you can commit to the best outcome by making the most logical decision instead of letting those emotions make the decisions for you.
- Healthy limit testing can result in huge confidence growth. Matt has seen shy students become leaders through their parkour training, and Matt’s business life has benefited from the fortitude he developed through learning about his own capabilities and pushing them.
Contact/Resources
Primed Mind – Elliot’s Mindset Coaching App
