Alexi Pappas on Ditching Goals and Her Strategy For Maximizing Mentorship
Feb 5, 2025
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Alexi Pappas, an Olympic athlete and filmmaker, shares her unconventional take on success by prioritizing the journey over rigid goals. She discusses how losing her mother spurred her to seek mentorship and embrace personal growth. Alexi emphasizes the importance of asking the right questions in decision-making and reflects on gender disparities in athletics. Their conversation highlights how mentorship shapes our paths and the power of vulnerability in forging strong relationships. It's a refreshing look at redefining success and the value of supportive connections.
Alexi Pappas emphasizes redefining success by prioritizing enjoyment in the process rather than fixating on external achievements and goals.
The podcast highlights the critical role of mentorship in shaping personal and professional growth, showcasing its transformative potential through informal relationships.
Listeners are encouraged to embrace challenges as opportunities for growth, shifting their focus from outcomes to meaningful experiences in their pursuits.
Deep dives
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The Importance of Starting Therapy
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Athletic Journeys and Personal Growth
The conversation highlights the multifaceted journey of Olympic athlete Alexi Pappas, emphasizing her transition from sports to other creative pursuits. Pappas discusses how mentorship and community significantly influenced her development as both an athlete and a filmmaker. Throughout her narrative, she illustrates the importance of embracing the process rather than merely focusing on the outcomes of her endeavors. By sharing personal anecdotes, she inspires others to find meaning in their own experiences.
Reevaluating Goals and Perspectives
The discussion transitions to the evolution of goals, pointing out the shift from external achievements to internal fulfillment. By focusing on inputs rather than outputs, individuals can cultivate a more meaningful experience in their pursuits. This perspective emphasizes joy in the process, rather than fixating solely on end results, framing challenges as opportunities for growth. Alexi’s insights encourage listeners to redefine their understanding of success and legacy beyond mere accolades.
The Role of Mentorship in Personal Development
Mentorship emerges as a recurring theme, underscoring its vital role in personal and professional growth. Both participants share insights on how learning from mentors enhances understanding and broadens perspectives on life challenges. They explore the idea of informal mentorship, where lessons are gleaned through observation and relationships, creating transformative experiences. The dialogue reinforces that the influence of mentors can provide a pivotal shift in how individuals perceive and navigate their journeys.
It’s easy to assume an Olympian would be all about external achievements, but Alexi Pappas has redefined what success means to her by letting go of goals altogether. Alexi joins Ryan to talk about falling in love with the process vs. achieving a goal, simplifying life’s decisions, and how losing her mom led her to seek mentorship everywhere.
Alexi Pappas is an Olympic athlete, filmmaker, author of Bravey, and podcast host of Mentor Buffet. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, and The Atlantic, and she’s been featured in outlets like Rolling Stone and New York Magazine. Alexi co-wrote, co-directed, and starred in Tracktown and starred in Olympic Dreams with Nick Kroll. She holds the Greek national record in the 10,000 meters and competed in the 2016 Olympics.