Several years before his AFL career really took off Shaun Hart experienced a severe mental health challenge. His focus was on his fitness, his performance and his work ethic to the point of exhaustion, physically mentally and emotionally. It got to the point he didn’t even want to get out of bed, and if it wasn’t for his wife and the club chaplain, he would have given up. Instead, he went on to play 273 games, including three successful premierships in a row with the Lions, and winning the coveted Norm Smith medal in 2001, for best player in the Grand Final.
What changed for Shaun, and in fact the whole team, was the shift in focus from performance based identity to identity based performance. Knowing that he was a valuable person, then player, irrespective of his on field performance made all the difference to his game, and was the reason for the club amazing success. Since then, Shaun has gone on to coach sporting teams, businesses and individuals with this same emphasis.
Shaun talks in detail about the third dimension of the human experience, one that many ignore, and highlights why it is the most important. The first dimension is physical, the second mental and the third spiritual. With a focus on the six elements of the third dimension: identity, purpose, significance, value, character and self-worth, anything is possible. Trust me when I say this is a conversation not to be missed.
To connect with Shaun, send him an email: shaunhartcoach@gmail.com
Thanks to Pietro and the team at Fitii for sponsoring this podcast. Go to the website