Why do we give up? Others don’t? Why do we persist, or not? What makes us stand firm? It starts in childhood. Right there… But before we get started, and perhaps dragged back into our childhood……Referring to a coach that really knew how to reach and excel the athletes to do their best… “He didn’t ask for mistake-free games. He didn’t demand that his players never lose. He asked for full preparation and full effort from them. “Did I win? Did I lose? Those are the wrong questions. The correct question is: Did I make my best effort?” If so, he says, “You may be outscored but you will never lose.”
― Carol Dweck, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success This type of praise, she believed, causes people to develop what is known as a fixed mindset. People with this mindset believe that personal characteristics are simply inborn and unchanging. They think that people are either smart or dumb, pretty or ugly, athletic or non-athletic, and so on. Did you ever think something along those lines? Of course, you did. Perhaps not because you where the last to be picked by five a side. But there have been events in our childhood that made us believe something weak, or belittling ourselves. And this unfortunately stays with us, even if it is not obvious today in adult life. Runners, with a fixed mindset believe individual traits cannot change, no matter how much effort you put in, and are more likely to:
Believe intelligence and talent are static.
Avoid challenges to avoid failure.
Ignore feedback from others.
Feel threatened by the success of others.
Hide flaws so as not to be judged by others.
Just recall THAT friend who likes to talk about THAT race he couldn’t finish, that marathon where the man with the hammer came and spoilt it for her. And now, they are stuck. Still right there. Mentally.S HOWNOTES: What does this mean for your running? Here some useful links. Your “how to do it” run streak Run 365 Days: Your 365 Day Run Streak Brain Training For Runners’: Your Mental Guide To Better Running. Improve your discipline Accountability Coach. Add swimming to your run Become a better swimmer. Follow us on INSTAGRAM. Follow us on TWITTER. Follow us on YouTube. More about your HOST. Train your BRAIN become a better runner.
