Refractory period: How Kobe Bryant overcame failures

Resilience is our ability to withstand adversity and bounce back from disappointments. The sporting world operates at a crazy pace, with athletes playing 2-3 competitive games each week. In this fast-paced environment, they neither have a lot of time to savor victories, nor to dwell on failures. They need regain their focus for the next game in less than 72 hours. The key to quicker recovery is their ability to let go. The less they hold onto things (both victory and defeat), the faster is their recovery.

It was the year 2008, and Kobe Bryant was coming off from three straight years of mediocre basketball with LA Lakers. Despite his individual brilliance, Lakers had been struggling for quite some time. With fans questioning his ability to lead the team and several off-field controversies, Kobe singlehandedly carried his team to the finals, only to be beaten by Boston Celtics. According to most pundits, with his age catching up on him, he had just squandered his final shot at glory. This is where Kobe Bryant proved them all wrong.

In sport psychology, ‘Refractory Period’ is the amount of time taken by an athlete to emotionally recover from an unpleasant experience. It varies from person to person and from situation to situation. Smaller frustrations (like a harmless mistake by a teammate) may take a few minutes to overcome, while bigger disappointments (like a loss in the final) may take years for recovery. If we were to apply this to our daily lives, we all have a refractory period too. Smaller disappointments (such as an argument with a colleague) could be overcome in a few hours, while bigger disappointments (such as being denied a promotion) could take years to heal. If a person could learn to reduce their refractory period, they could bounce back quickly from failures and get on with their lives. Of course, it is easier said than done, but it is these mental skills that differentiate a champion from the others.

Kobe Bryant was one of those gifted professionals who had an astonishingly short refractory period. He used his defeats as a source of motivation to come back even stronger. Fast forward two years after their loss to Celtics, Kobe and his team outshined everyone else and were crowned back-to-back NBA champions. What’s even sweeter is that in 2010, they defeated Celtics, the same team that had overwhelmed them a couple of years ago. The secret was his ability to let go of the past and focus on the present moment. Even though we can never truly control our outcomes, our ability to be present in the moment significantly increases the probability of success.

So how can an athlete, and for that matter any person, move past their failures and enhance their chances of future success?

1. Acknowledge the discomfort of a disappointment and don’t fight your emotions. Its ok, to lose sometimes, and emotions are natural.

2. Remember that nobody fails deliberately, we all do the best we can with the knowledge and skills we have. The idea is to learn from them and be in a better position next time.

3. Ask yourself, “If I could go back in time and change my approach, what would I change?”

4. Reflect on the most important questions of all

a. Why is overcoming this failure important?

b. How will overcoming this failure align with my personal values?

c. How will overcoming this failure add value to my life and make it more meaningful?

5. What are some process goals that I can design to increase my chances of success?

By doing this, you would tap into who you are as a person and find the motivation to move

forward. This will reduce your refractory period and get you ready for the next challenge.