As an athlete, a growth mindset is a skill that can help you advance your game and differentiate you from the crowd. As a leader of your life, self-efficacy (i.e., the belief that you have the capability to complete tasks and succeed) is a foundational key to reaching goals. Building on that, a growth mindset is one in which you’re not focused on limitations, but rather on the fact that you have the ability to learn new skills and improve.

Imagine if the greatest athletes of our time limited their mindsets by thinking only about what they couldn’t do, instead of the possibility of what they could do. You likely wouldn’t know their name and sports history would be rewritten. Most every person has skills that they need to learn and develop. Having a disciplined growth mindset helps you shut out the noise of insecurities, doubt, and even false beliefs.

Yes, You Can

Athletes who focus too much on what they can’t do and not enough on what they can do, often find themselves in a rut. Instead, athletes with an athlete growth mindset focus on what they can do and learn from every situation.

When I was a youth cheerleading coach many years ago, one of my core values as a coach was to foster growth in each individual on my squad. Talent and skills didn’t matter to me so much as effort and mindset. I could teach the other stuff if the cheerleader was willing to learn. So, one of my rules for the athletes (all of whom were in elementary school), was that they were not allowed to say the words, “I can’t.” They could instead say, “I’ll try.” I think I applied this rule so strictly because growing up there were times when teachers and coaches made me feel like because I didn’t already have the knowledge or skill on a particular day and time, I was of no value. I never wanted to make anyone else feel like that so I took it as my job to encourage my athletes to try. I’d like to think that this growth mindset model benefited all of us; it most certainly helped me push to develop my skills as a leader and a coach.

Tips to Develop an Athlete Growth Mindset:

• Focus on the process, not the outcome. One key area of a growth mindset is to focus on the journey, or the process, rather than skip ahead to the desired outcome. While you have to be clear on your goal, don’t focus on it so much that you wind up thinking about what you don’t have or beating yourself up for not reaching it yet. Know where you’re going but stay present in your process.
• Know your process. In order to achieve success, you must first believe that you will succeed. A positive attitude is essential to achieving goals. However, there’s more to having a growth mindset than just believing that you can do something. You also need to understand how you learn, what potential obstacles you face, and what you can do.
• Don’t compare yourself to others. Avoid comparing yourself to others. This only leads to frustration and disappointment. Instead, focus on your journey. You’re right where you’re supposed to be. Keep working and have faith in the rest.
• Celebrate and acknowledge your wins. Humans tend to give more attention to negative experiences than positive ones. Make it a point to include gratitude and acknowledgment into your disciplined mindset. You may not have reached your next goal yet, but you have overcome challenges and reached other goals previously. Remind yourself what you’re capable of and be proud.
• Be willing to try something different. There’s a famous saying that basically says if you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten. And you’ve likely also heard the saying, insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. A growth mindset is about being flexible in your approach and making adjustments rather than having a fixed mindset about what can or can’t be done, and how. Stay open and curious. You might fail, but you’ll also grow faster.
• Pause and redirect. At any given moment, your mind can be thinking about literally anything. Make it a point to pause and redirect your thoughts if you find yourself starting to think negatively or if you notice a limiting thought habit surfacing. Then, take a couple of deep breaths and redirect your thoughts to one of a growth mindset. For example, if you’re afraid of making a mistake or messing up when you realize you’re thinking about this, pause, take a few deep breaths, and remind yourself that you’re as prepared as you can be and you’ll forever be learning so all you can do is your best and then adjust as necessary.

Want more help with developing a growth mindset for optimal performance in sports and life? Contact us to learn more about our mental health and mindset programs for athletes.