BASS PRO MIDWEEK MOTIVATION-Develop a Growth Mindset

Hello runner friends!

Welcome back to the Bass Pro Fitness Series

MIDWEEK M😊TIVATI😊N blog!

Now let's get started by talking about why developing a Growth Mindset is crucial in eliminating the excuses that steal your motivation to get out the door and how this mindset will ensure that you stay motivated to cross the finish line.

Okay. So what exactly is this established set of attitudes held by someone?

A growth mindset, proposed by Stanford professor Carol Dweck in her book Mindset, describes people who believe that their success depends on time and effort. People with a growth mindset feel their skills and intelligence can be improved with effort and persistence. They embrace challenges, persist through obstacles, learn from criticism and seek out inspiration in others’ success.

Those who hold a growth mindset believe that they can get better at something by dedication of time, effort and energy. Working on one’s flaws, and the process—not the outcome—are the most important components. With time and practice, people with a growth mindset believe they can achieve what they want. The opposite of a growth mindset is a fixed mindset. The Growth Mindset is all about finding solutions to problems, and seeing problems as simply as obstacles, rather than barriers.

The growth mindset sees difficulties as opportunities to grow rather than opportunities to find excuses to stay as you are. That being said, nearly every excuse that you could ever give yourself not to lace up those shoes actually has a solution anyway... you just have to train yourself to look for that solution, something that is most definitely a learned reaction, especially if your mindset is fixed. But it's a reaction that will not only have you running better and more consistently but will spill over into every other area of your life. Think about it, when you learn to view barriers to your running success as simply obstacles that can be conquered, and then conquer those once-perceived barriers, you begin to think differently. These successes might seem small but they are anything but. What you once viewed as stumbling blocks have now become stepping stones. And I'll tell you from experience that every time you move from one stepping stone to another, you grow! You become more confident in your ability to overcome and are less apt to let anything stop you... in running and in life. 

So let's look at a five examples of how developing this growth mindset can ensure that you achieve your goals as it keeps your mind un-fixed and able to quickly move forward from one stepping stone to another...

1. Fixed Mindset says, "I'm too busy to fit running into my schedule." Growth Mindset says, "Sure I’m busy, but my running is really important to me. I will look to see how others that are just as busy as I am work running into their schedule and I will find a solution that works using the tips I glean from their lives. I will take an honest look at the things and activities that currently occupy my time and cut out those that aren't healthy for me (excessive time on the couch, television, social media, etc.) or beneficial to me. I will schedule my runs into my daily routine and stick to said routine as if I was getting paid (and really you are by gaining better health and decision-making skills) to do it.

2. Fixed Mindset says, "I’m so tired by the time I get home, all I want to do is sit on the couch. I know deep down that a run, even a short one, will energize me but I just can't muster the enthusiasm to lace up my shoes. Growth Mindset says, "I don’t have to run for long. Thirty minutes is better than nothing so I will make that my bare minimum time--and I will not cut my run even one minute short. If my energy level is raised, I will continue on. If it's not, I'll allow myself to rest knowing that I completed today's goal and will aim to surpass it tomorrow."

3. Fixed Mindset says, "I could benefit from joining a running group but I don't look the part and I can't keep up with them anyway." Growth Mindset says, "I will look closely at the majority of running groups and discover that they are comprised of members of all sizes, shapes and colors with different paces, goals and fitness levels. I will find a group that fits so that I can both benefit from it and be a benefit to it.”

4. Fixed Mindset says, "I'm injured and I can't run." Growth Mindset says, "I will consult my doctor to see what types of cross-training activities I can do. Whether it's swimming, biking, yoga, walking, or strength-training, I will commit to doing it as a way to maintain endurance while I wait for my injury to heal."

5. Fixed Mindset says, "It's just not worth it." Growth Mindset says, "I am worth it. I have this one body and this one brief life. It's worth my time and effort to make them both the best that they can be. I know that I must put in the work to see changes and I am willing to do it." 

So there you have it friends. What separates those runners who are successful--and I don't measure success by a person's PR's or racing accomplishments but by their resilience and determination to keep pressing on despite the obstacles that will undoubtedly come their way--from those who aren't has nothing at all to do with talent but everything to do with having a growth mindset. Consider this true statement that I tell the elementary students that I'm blessed to coach.... you can have all the talent in the world but if you lack the mindset to discipline, hone and grow that talent, it's worth nothing. On the flip side of the coin... what you lack in talent can be made up for with hard work and training over time. This effort might not make you the best runner in the world but it will make you the best that you can be and that's all that matters. So work hard to develop a growth mindset friends. It will benefit you in ways beyond your imagination. Now leave your excuses at the door and get out there for a run. It's a perfect day for it!

Happy Running!!!