Mindset
If something has never been done before, do you believe it’s because it can’t be done or do you prefer to believe it just hasn’t been done yet? In the 1968 Grenoble winter Olympics, Jean-Claude Killy of France won the gold medal in all three Alpine skiing events. This was something that had only ever been done once before, in the 1956 winter games, and it’s an achievement that has not been repeated since.
“Doctors and scientists said that breaking the four-minute mile was impossible, that one would die in the attempt. Thus, when I got up from the track after collapsing at the finish-line, I figured I was dead” – Sir Roger Bannister
Roger Bannister certainly preferred to believe it just hadn’t been done yet and Jean-Claude Killy obviously wasn’t deterred by the fact that the odds were against him. You could say that Bannister and Killy are examples of glass half-full thinkers as opposed to glass half-empty: very definitely positive thinkers with effective self-belief.
Carol Dweck, a world-renowned psychologist, believes that an individual’s mindset – how they view themselves and their general attitude to life – holds the key to realising full potential in any area of life, including sports performance. The findings of her research into achievement and success show that a person will possess either a fixed or a growth mindset..
Fixed mindset:
In a fixed mindset, an individual believes that things are just the way they are and for good or for bad, they’re stuck with their lot. In sport, an athlete with a fixed mindset is prone to judging themselves harshly when faced with failure or defeat. A poor performance can lead to exaggerated feelings of depression or anxiety.
Growth mindset:
In a growth mindset, an individual believes that change is always possible and that who they are or where they are in their life is not set in stone. In sport, an athlete with a growth mindset will use failure as an opportunity to learn and will always be open to making changes as they pursue their goals.
Now imagine you are about to compete in the same three events that gave Killy his gold medals. The first event goes badly and you fail to make the podium. With a fixed mindset, this may be viewed as ‘the end of the world’ and could have a negative effect on your performance in the remaining two events. But, with a growth mindset, failure to win gold will not be viewed as failure. The performance can be analysed, positive aspects can be identified, and changes can be made. The remaining two events are still yours for the taking.
To achieve, to be successful, and to reach full potential requires a growth mindset. Understanding your own mindset is therefore of great importance as it could be holding you back. The good news is that mindset can be changed. Steps can be taken to develop a more positive, growth mindset and they include:
- Learning to hear the fixed mindset voice in your head, the one that says, “It’s not possible; you can’t do it”
- Recognising that you always have a choice and that you don’t have to pay attention to any negative voices in your head
- Learning how to use positive self-talk to answer back, “It is possible; I can do it”
- Accepting that making the change from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset is a process that will take time and practice; how you deal with setbacks is ultimately your choice
“Think about your intelligence, talents, and personality. Are they just fixed or can you develop them?” – Carol Dweck
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