Sports: The Mindset of a Champion

The following article cites the chapter, Sports: The Mindset of a Champion, from the Book 'Mindset' by Carol Dweck.

Character Grows Out Of Mindset

In sports, everybody believes in talent.  Sports is where the idea of ‘a natural comes from – someone who looks like an athlete, moves like an athlete, and is an athlete, all without trying.  So great is the belief in natural talent that many scouts and coaches only search for naturals.

But there are several examples of ‘natural’ talents who have not panned out when facing challenges because they didn’t have the character or mindset to deal with adversity.

There is a mindset in which people are enmeshed in the idea of their own talent and specialness.  When things go wrong, they lose their focus and their ability, putting everything they want in jeopardy.

There is also a mindset that helps people cope well with setbacks, points them to good strategies, and leads them to act in their best interest.

Having a growth mindset allows you to see mistakes, challenges and obstacles for what they really are – opportunities for growth.

While it is a great advantage to have natural talent, it is equally or more important to learn how to tolerate frustration and to know how to dig down and turn an important setback into an important win.

Ever think of taking responsibility?

Tennis player John McEnroe was supremely talented but was also notorious for placing blame for his shortcomings and making excuses.  When he would make mistakes on the court, he would often throw fits that you would associate with small children when they don’t get their way.  Worse, he would do everything he could to explain away failures and place blame on everything and everyone else other than his need to be better prepared and better composed.  Never did he take full responsibility and really work to better himself.  The following quote is an excerpt from the book Mindset regarding a statement that he made blaming the ‘system’ for letting him get away with more and more:

‘He got mad at the system!  Hi there, John, This was your life.  Ever think of taking responsibility?

No, because in the fixed mindset, you don’t take control of your abilities and your motivation.  You look for your talent to carry you through, and when it doesn’t, well then what else could you have done?  You are not a work in progress, you’re a finished product.  And finished products have to protect themselves, lament, and blame.  Everything but take charge.’

In the fixed mindset, athletes want to validate their talent.  In the growth mindset, it’s about constantly looking at ways to better themselves.  When you struggle or fail at something and you possess a fixed mindset, you tend to shut down, place blame on someone or something else, or quit altogether.  You don’t see struggle for what it is – an opportunity for growth.

Make the decision to take charge of yourself and your potential and don’t let excuses and obstacles deter you from your best self.

Mark O’Meara

Mark O’Meara was a golf partner and friend of Tiger Woods.  It was not easy to play next to Tiger Woods because of his extraordinary talent and success, so O’Meara had to make a decision: either feel jealous of and diminished by Wood’s play or learn from it.  He chose to learn from it.  O’Meara was a talented golfer who never seemed to live up to his potential, so he made the decision to take charge of his game and turn himself around.  Tiger Woods won the Masters Tournament, and just a year later O’Meara beat Woods to win it.

Character, Heart, the Mind of a Champion

Character, heart, the mind of a champion.  It’s what makes great athletes and it’s what comes from the growth mindset with its focus on self-development, self-motivation, and responsibility.

People don’t expect the impossible from you.  They just want to see you use your wonderful talent to the utmost.  They just want you to develop the skills you need to reach your goals.

Somebodies vs Nobodies

Somebodies are not determined by whether they won or lost.  Somebodies are people who go for it with all they have.  If you go for it with all you have, you will already be a somebody.  If you work hard at something, you will get out of it what you put it.

Athletes with a growth mindset find success in learning and improving, not just winning.  The more you can do this, the more rewarding sports will be for you – and for those around you.

Character is an important concept in sports and in life, and it comes out of the growth mindset.  Think about times you have hit a wall in something and you need to reach deep down inside to overcome it.  What could you do to make sure you’re in the growth mindset in the pinch?