Have you ever had that little voice in your head say “I’m never going to … ( deadlift my body weight, or fix my nutrition, or get a strict pull-up)?
This is a ‘fixed mindset’ statement.
Now, try changing the wording into a ‘growth mindset’ statement.
“I can’t do a strict pull-up YET.”
This simple rephrasing gives you the power to develop your abilities “through dedication, perseverance, and the right strategy.”
With “a fixed mindset, you don’t have a chance to develop your potential”.
Professor psychologist Carol Dweck explains, “Mindsets are just beliefs. They’re powerful beliefs, but they’re just something in your mind, and you can change your mind.” She created this 4-step process below.
How to Shift From a Fixed to a Growth Mindset
Step 1: Learn to hear your fixed mindset “voice.”
Step 2: Remember that you always have a choice.
Step 3: Replace it with a growth mindset voice.
Step 4: Take the growth mindset action.
Once you have this concept in your mind, you will start to notice when you hear your ‘fixed’ mindset voice. When you do notice, work through the above steps. The more you do this, the more you will be able to notice and correct and the more this will become second nature!
You can and should practice your ‘voice’ during any training sessions. Listen to how you talk/think about the prescribed weights and movements. Listen to how you compare yourself to others, your results, etc. Use language like ‘can’, ‘yet’ and ‘will’ instead of ‘can’t’, ‘never’, and ‘won’t’.
The more you’re aware of this, the more positive your voice will be and the more improvements you will see, you might find that you have more of a fixed mindset in certain areas of your life more than others. What areas of your health and fitness do you want to shift from a fixed to a growth mindset?