A growth mindset according to Carol Dweck are the beliefs that an individuals basic qualities are malleable and cultivated through effort and not fixed...not some pre-destined label that we tell ourselves, or that someone may have told us when we were younger.

It is a mindset that allows us to grow from our experiences and setbacks.

Failures happen and they SHOULD be expected. But we take a different perspective and ask ourselves What did I learn?

With a growth mindset we choose to look at adversity and setbacks as an opportunity.

We choose to challenge ourselves
We choose to accept feedback
We choose to learn from failure

For example, several years in a row I attempted to run the Leadville 100.

In 2015 I came up short, dropping out at mile 73 with a hip that that locked up.
In 2016 I registered as a Leadman - attempting both the 100 bike and 100 run. The 100 bike was my first attempt at mountain bike racing - and I fell short at mile...75...and I fell short again on the run failing to make the final cut-off - again painful hips caused me to slow to crawl.

There is no doubt - not reaching a specific goal HURTS. It's OK to allow ourselves to feel the frustration and pain. But it's what we do after the hurt, the perspective we take that opens the door to reach the goal.

You have a CHOICE in How you REACT to the set-backs. You have a choice to change the perspective.

Every time I didn't finish a race I recognized I had a choice, I could sulk and feel bad, thinking "well, this is just because I am slow and injury prone." Or I could focus on the things I could control to get better.

At the end of a bad performance you can ask -

What were my training errors?
What were my racing errors?
What were my mental errors?
What can I do differently?

Reviewing them mindfully - non-judgmentally. Not to create an internal dialogue that is negative, but to garner lessons through the objective reflection.

For Leadville - I took a step back, worked on strength and hip mobility with a physical therapist, worked on my mental skills prior to and during the race, put more emphasis on recovery - and ran a completely different race, finishing Run Rabbit Run 100 in 2017 without near as much an ache in my hips.

Then I came at Leadville again in 2018 - once again signing up for Leadman...My approach was different this time - using what I learned from the experience running Run Rabbit Run, and also hiring a coach, Travis Macy, one of the best in the business when it comes to Leadville. A coach, even for the most experienced athletes is critical to assessing your blind spots and getting the feedback. Even if you think you're completely dialed in, a second set of eyes can help tremendously.

The 2018 Leadville run was much different finishing in just over 27 hours...the bike I may need another year of work to get there, but all the prior problems on the run disappeared...

Using a growth mindset was the first step in getting to a Leadville finish. Along the way I would have to access many more tools to get to there - such as appropriate goal setting, skills of focus and attention, composure and arousal, self-talk and flow to name a few...

Recommended books:

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck

The Ultra Mindset: An Endurance Champion's 8 Core Principles for Success in Business, Sports, and Life by Travis Macy

A Mindset

Composure

Self-Talk