When it comes to achieving your health & fitness goals, your mindset plays a huge role in your success. As the famous saying goes, “whether you think you can, or think you can’t—you’re right.”
Your mindset has the power to push you forward or give in to your excuses. If you’re not mentally prepared for what lies ahead, there may come a time where you’ll think that you’re not doing enough or making progress.
That is what a fixed mindset looks like, and it can prove to be a significant hurdle in your health & fitness journey. To combat this way of thinking, you’ll need to develop a growth mindset.
What Is a Growth Mindset?
Stanford professor Carol Dweck, who coined the term, used “growth mindset” to describe people who believe investing time and effort is key to their success. Essentially, it’s a way of viewing yourself as a work in progress—you acknowledge that you’re starting somewhere and that you can improve from there. You don’t have to be good at what you do right away. With persistence, hard work, and an openness to learning, you can progressively take steps to reaching your goals.
When it comes to your health & fitness, having a growth mindset is key to successful and lasting results.
Let’s look at some strategies to help develop a Growth Mindset:
1. Acknowledge & Embrace your Weaknesses (& Strengths).
Be honest with yourself about your weaknesses as well as your strengths. Ask your friends and family (or Coach) for feedback, as they can offer you a different point of view and give you a perspective on what to focus on.
Create good habits around both your weaknesses and strengths. Take small steps every day that will help you move towards your goals.
2. View Challenges as Opportunities.
If you are afraid to take on a new challenge, then stop and reframe the situation in your mind in order to shift the perspective.
Consider new challenges as opportunities and new experiences that you can learn from and grow. Think of different ways you can approach the challenge and remember that fear is only natural.
3. Focus on the process not the end result.
It is the journey that matters and it is important to enjoy it and make the most out of it. Think of all the unexpected lessons and experiences you may encounter during the way to your goal.
Fully engage and put effort in the process. Focusing on the process will improve the results you aim for. The important thing is that you do the best you can and always try to improve.
4. Celebrate your Efforts & Actions.
Every effort and action you make is taking you closer to your goal. As you advance in your journey, you’ll reach milestones and personal feats. It’s important to acknowledge these small victories and embrace the fact that you achieved them by working hard.
Celebrating your growth helps you open yourself up to improving yourself more and reaching further success. You must celebrate along the way because sustainable fitness is life-long, and you will always be growing and changing.
5. Set Realistic Goals & Timeframes.
A growth mindset acknowledges that even the best of us have to start somewhere. Be aware that change and achieving your goals takes time, sometimes a lot of time, there are no shortcuts.
Your health & fitness success is as much a mental process as it is a physical one. You have more power and control over your body than you think!
If you are ready to get started or need help with your current health and fitness goals, please book in for a free chat with me through my website.
