Redefining Winning & How We Approach Success with Dr. Eric Bean

Dr. Eric Bean is an executive coach and the Director of High Performance at HigherEchelon. He’s a firm believer that the mental game affects every single one of us. His mission is to help us think about, well, thinking, on a whole new level. 

Eric grew up around a lot of in-fighting which led him to develop an unhealthy desire to please. After growing up and finding his true self, his new mental framework formed the basis for a career in psychological coaching, helping high performers unlock their full potential. We break down the steps he took, both forward and backward, to get there.

Eric believes that, whether you’re a surgeon, an athlete, a business person – anything – you can probably do you better. And making that jump all comes down to a few changes to our mindset and awareness. 

This sets the stage for Eric’s current work with HigherEchelon and the Coaching Through Stories podcast, with which he aims to help people improve confidence, alleviate stress, and go a little bit deeper in a way that will impact all of us for the better.

We go deep, from his upbringing to his own, personal struggles with mental health. There’s a lot to take from his story that we can apply to our lives and those around us. Being vulnerable and open can so often lead to amazing things, if not for us, then for those around us, and Eric’s approach to lifestyle and mindset are proof of that.

What Brett asks:

• [00:35] Let’s start at the beginning.
• [08:30] How much of your athletic desire came from wanting to please?
• [13:45] Why did you originally choose to study aerospace engineering? 
• [15:25] What gave you the confidence to change direction?
• [17:45] Can you tell us about your experience struggling with your mental health?
• [21:40] What was it like to apply your training to the military?
• [26:45] How do you work with individuals?
• [36:00] Let’s talk about what it means to win.
• [38:55] Tell me about your current work.
• [45:00] How much life experience do you need to be qualified as a coach?
• [47:50] Is there anything else you’d like to talk about?

Lessons for intentional living:

• As Eric says, we shouldn’t care too much about winning, but that also doesn’t mean that winning doesn’t matter. The best approach is to strike a healthy balance between both approaches where we redefine what winning actually means to us, rather than let it define us.
• It’s tempting to think of mental health problems as something we can overcome with a few simple tips and tricks, but it’s never that easy. When it comes to mental health, you have to go deep and really look at the root causes of your problems. Don’t expect an overnight fix, but remember that you are always in a position to change your direction.

Resources:

• Higher Echelon
• Eric on LinkedIn
• Eric on Twitter