After watching the Olympic women’s figure skating final, I have completely fallen in love with Alysa Liu, the U.S. gold medalist. Following the 2022 Olympics, she had planned to step away from skating for good. But after taking a four-year break to prioritize her mental health, she recognized that she missed the rush of competing and was determined to return to the sport, this time on her own terms.
Unlike many skaters, Liu focuses more on the performance than the medals. When asked about the pressure of competing in an interview, she said, “Singers perform all the time, but they don’t get scored, you know? That’s how I think of competitions. I can’t bring myself to see other skaters as competition. We’re just all independent artists.”
This mindset is the true difference between Liu and her peers, heavily contributing to her Olympic success. By centering on the performance itself rather than the competition, Liu replaces stress with enjoyment. In her eyes, it is not about winning; it is about sharing her art. Learning about this approach inspired me to change my own attitude. When I first discovered Liu’s interview, it was the week leading up to midterm season. I decided to try to implement her mentality during my exams. Instead of thinking of them as tests, I reframed them as opportunities to share my knowledge. This shift reduced my anxiety both leading up to and during the exam, which ultimately helped me earn an A.
Thinking further about it, I realized that this mindset can be applied to many areas of life, especially as students. An interview is not a competition with other applicants, but an opportunity to share your passions, skills and personality. A big presentation is not something to fear criticism from, but an opportunity to teach others about your subject matter. Even everyday classwork is an opportunity to hone your skills, not just busywork for a grade. This shift in perspective helps people feel more productive and less stressed because they are not solely thinking about the outcome, but also learning to appreciate the process.
The best example of this comes from a TikTok in which a creator used Liu’s mindset while writing an exam:
“[By] applying [Liu’s attitude] to writing tests and exams, I wasn’t worrying about how much I don’t know. [Instead], every opportunity there was [to] show what I do know was a win for me … [I] might not have gotten 100% perfect, but I’m OK with that. This was the second-happiest exam I’ve ever taken.”
I encourage everyone to try to adopt this attitude when approaching stressful tasks. You may find yourself enjoying the journey as well.