Why dolphin trainers reward minute consistent wins

7 min readNov 10, 2020

Why you must embrace the essential skills that dolphin trainers use

What can we learn from the natural world?

Have you ever stopped to consider how much we can learn from nature and the animal kingdom? We can learn incredible lessons about cultivating patience, the art of perseverance, consistency and why repetition is crucial. Furthermore, the essential keys for growth and improvement. When we embrace these lessons into our lives, we have the keys to perform at our best. A great place to look is in the field of dolphin training.

Dolphin training includes rewarding small and consistent wins

If you have ever wondered how a dolphin is trained, please read on. First up, a large amount of curiosity and patience is required by the trainer. Add to this repetitive tasks, time and rewards. Lastly, a focus on minute incremental improvements. For example, when a dolphin is presented with a floating buoy mounted on a stick, she will circle it cautiously and emit sonar sweeps to ascertain if it’s dangerous.

When she is satisfied, she will approach the buoy. The trainer reinforces this behaviour by blowing a whistle and a rewarding the dolphin with a fish. Gradually, over time, the trainer throws the fish nearer and nearer the buoy until she is rewarded only when her nose tip touches the target.

Dolphins can be trained to perform numerous tricks

Over time dolphins can be trained to do many things. If you have been fortunate to witness a dolphin show, you will know what I mean. One much loved trick is watching dolphins jump through hoops that are placed higher and higher. The dolphin must be trained meticulously to achieve this. This means the trainer focuses on gradually moving the hoop higher.

Each time the dolphin is successful in jumping through the raised hoop she gets another fish. Consistent wins are the aim. Should the dolphin miss the target the trainer lowers the bar to where the dolphin was achieving. This helps increase the dolphin’s ability to adapt to her training environment, build agility and jump higher consistently.

The concept of incremental gains has been widely adopted in sports to improve performance

Consistent wins and repetition to achieve great performances are vital to all success. Another great example of incremental wins and a narrow focus is seen in the sporting world. Specifically from the phenomenal results of Team Sky, the British Cycling Team. Under the directorship of Sir David Brailsford, whose focus was how to achieve excellence in human beings, the British team finally achieved their goal of winning the Tour de France.

Furthermore, they went on to win seventy percent of the possible gold medals in cycling at the 2012 London Olympics. Moreover, Team Sky has now had three British cyclists standing on the top step of the podium at the Tour de France, and Sir David Brailsford gained a knighthood for his efforts.

Sir David Brailsford embraced the concept that he referred to as the “aggregation of marginal gains.” David explains it as the 1 percent margin for improvement in everything you do. His belief is that if you improve every area related to cycling by just 1 percent, then those small gains add up to remarkable improvement. He considered every area. From clothing, bike set up, massage oils, sleeping patterns as well as training methodologies. Minute and consistent wins in all areas came together and created magnificent results for the team.

The aggregate of marginal gains is similar to consistent wins in dolphin training

Here’s how to use this methodology to achieve more of what you want.

First, pick a goal. Decide what you want to achieve and why.
Next, imagine yourself having achieved it. See, hear and feel what is going on. Be there with all your senses.
Now, create a plan. In the planning phase, reverse engineer and write down the steps required to achieve the goal.
Create milestones along the way and decide what the first few steps are.
Schedule the first actions as tasks in your diary.
Consider your commitment and what you can and cannot control. The things you can control include, how you show up, what you think and the stories you tell yourself about the goal. ‘Will it be hard or easy? Fun or boring? A healthy challenge or a scary big one?’
These are the parameters to review and continually improve. If you hear yourself saying how hard it is, change your thought to a better one, such as, ‘every day it is getting easier.’

When it comes to action, if you miss your target, sleep in, slip or fall, think of what the dolphin trainer did when the dolphin missed the target. They lowered the target. Do the same thing in your goals.

Go back a step or maintain the current rate of progress until it becomes familiar or easier. Habits are crucial foundations for all success. Furthermore, consistency and commitment are essential ingredients. Instead of looking for large and dramatic improvement, consider the compounding effect of small 1% improvements in behaviours, actions and thoughts.

Consistent rewards for small wins are important

Dolphins are rewarded with fish. Reward yourself, especially your consistent wins. Of course, food may not be the best reward, so instead hi-five yourself, tick off your wins and have a small celebration. The achievement of completing a task creates an inner joy that energies you to keep working towards the larger goal.

Celebrating and rewarding also helps guard the brain’s natural tendency to be pessimistic. It’s a key antidote to prevent yourself from falling into negative stories and a negative mindset, especially when the going gets tough. Statements that focus on how hard it is, how you might not be good enough, or smart enough do not serve your best interests. It’s your tiny actions and consistent wins which lead to great accomplishments.

Actions build belief and grow inner confidence and are a great way to program your subconscious mind, the part that runs your life and drives the majority of your behaviours.

You can’t control the weather, but you can control how you show up. What you do, what you think and what you say. Roger Bannister, the first person to break the four-minute mile says:

‘It’s so important not to fall prey to the thought that today is not the day.’

Self Belief is a critical part of all success

On the day Roger Bannister set out to break the four-minute mile, the weather wasn’t the best. However, he refused to let this influence his race. He had trained consistently in all areas. This included spending hours physically training, running and sprinting. Visualising and working on his mindset; his attitude and beliefs. He built a rock solid belief in his abilities to achieve his goal, despite what other people thought or what the weather conditions were.

When it comes to using the ingredients from dolphin training, Team Sky or running to help us achieve our goals, it’s important to remember to focus on actions not outcomes. This helps avoid quitting or feeling despondent. What I call, falling into the gap, the immense void that lies between where you are now and where you want to be.

Remember, time and patience are essential to achieve goals. Repetition and practice are nonnegotiable. Dolphins must jump through many hoops to create a perfect performance, cyclists spend hours on their bikes and runners running. The problem with humans is that we tend to prefer instant rewards. We lack the levels of self-control and willpower. We are impatient and sticking to our routines and regimes is hard. Yet achieving great things always requires hard work and delaying gratification.

Focus on creating essential keystone habits

By focusing on daily and weekly actions you help prove to yourself you can do what it takes. Furthermore, it helps establish keystone habits. These are critical routines and habits that are essential to your success.

Finally, remember, there is no growth in your comfort zone, yet it’s where we prefer to sit. Potential is fulfilled and results gained only when we step outside this zone.

Next time you watch a flawless dolphin show, remember the training required and the ingredients necessary. Persistence, patience, reflection, feedback. Rewards, reviewing progress and pausing or going back a step if necessary. This is how to ultimately build consistent wins and incremental gains to achieve your desired results.

About the Author

Mandy Napier BSC, Sunshine Coast, Australia, is a Global Mindset & Performance Coach who helps her clients create a Mindset for Success, so they can perform optimally both personally and professionally. Ultimately to break through their current blocks and achieve the results they strive for. Transformations and lasting results are an everyday occurrence.

To contact Mandy:

Web: www.mindsetforsuccess.com.au

Categories: Habits, Performance By Mandy Napier November 9, 2020

What lies beyond the edge of your comfort zone
October 21, 2020

Why ‘I know that’ is the most dangerous phrase in the world
August 8, 2020

How To Focus On Long Term Success
June 2, 2020

The True Cost of Failing to be Consistent
May 21, 2020

The Habit Poem Who Am I? — Mindset for Success
April 10, 2020

How to easily make a winning habits creation plan
January 29, 2020