This post will explore the factors that influence our mental approach to challenges, with an emphasis on setting goals, cultivating a growth mindset, and seeking fulfillment.
Furthermore, we will investigate how making use of new beginnings can result in beneficial transformations in both your life and performance.
Leveraging Fresh Starts for Positive Change
Fresh starts, such as New Year’s or the beginning of a new season, act as temporal landmarks providing a psychological clean slate. If you have been around me for any length of time, I often refer to a fresh start as a 'Monday', my start of the week. 😂 According to professor Katy Milkman, these moments can significantly boost motivation for positive changes.
Key Insights:
Process over Outcome: Emphasize the journey rather than just the destination. Focus on learning to listen to your body and excelling at work, rather than solely aiming for outcomes like losing weight, a time based goal or status.
My son loves Lego. Each piece alone may seem inconcequencial, but as the pieces come together and form sections and ultimately the 'green ahmy hudder' "green army hummer, I later found out"
Steve Magness and Brad Stuberg often mention in working with high performers, they are simply really good at doing the basics. They may not be consistently good, but they are good at being consistent. 🤯
Journey vs. Destination
Growth happens during the journey:
STRESS + REST = GROWTH
there are often micro challenges or setbacks along the way. The climb is where life is sustained and enriched.
Practical Strategies for Goal Setting
1. Align Goals with Values:
Steven Hayes' Acceptance and Commitment Theory suggests defining your core values and selecting goals that promote these values. For example, if creativity is a core value, choose goals that allow you to practice creativity.
2. Intrinsic Rewards Over External Validation:
Pursue goals that provide autonomy, mastery, belonging and meaning, and health. Studies involving 70,000 people found that valuing external validation over internal rewards negatively impacts well-being and life satisfaction. In contrast, pursuing intrinsic goals leads to happiness, health, and fulfillment.
3. Avoid "Shoulding" Yourself:
Ensure your goals align with what you genuinely want to pursue, not just what you feel you should pursue. This alignment makes the process more sustainable and fulfilling.
The Psychology of Winning
In competitive settings like an Olympic final, the physiological differences among athletes are minimal. What sets champions apart?
Winning Mindset Characteristics:
Self-Efficacy: Belief in one's ability to perform a skill.
Confidence: General faith in one's competency.
Tactical Rehearsal: Ability to perform under any condition.
Mental Readiness: Being prepared to respond to race demands.
Strategies for Success:
Find Success in Reflection: Review your training and replicate what led to your best performances.
Visualization: Vividly recreate competition day in your mind, imagining a successful and euphoric effort.
Gain Aversion: View challenges as opportunities for positive experiences and growth.
How to apply all of this to a competition?
When the race starts, know what you’re going to do. Rehearse events and strategies, but also have contingencies.
Example:
Start: Smooth start, set your rhythm.
Along the Way: Use positive self-talk and extrinsic feedback factors.
Finish: Push through with all you have, let go of intrinsic thoughts, and seal the deal. As triathletes say: "Swim and Bike for show.. Run for the Dough 💰"
Skill Acquisition
Focus on extrinsic feedback. For example, in long jump training, take feedback and synthesize it into a few key words for race day like "bouncy" or "leave it out there."
Running Form
Focus on physical/extrinsic/open learnings and transfer, rather than breaking movements into overly specific parts. For example:
Butt kicks – this is a classic misunderstanding of the difference between similar and same. It appears to mimic what happens in the stride cycle, but in reality the legs flex as a result of ground reaction forces and momentum, the hamstrings contribute minimally immediately after toe off in the running stride (Kyrolainen, Komi and Belli 1999). Remember that the hamstrings’ primary job is not to flex the knee. The butt kick is telling the hamstring to flex the knee, in essence creating neural confusion. It is not an exercise worth spending much time on. - Vern Gambetta
The Value of a Coach
"Athletes do, coaches think." The value of being guided by someone you trust is invaluable. Reflecting on personal experiences and stories from other athletes highlights the importance of a coach's role.
At Kinplus, we focus on more than just reaching your goals—we help you find fulfillment in the journey. By aligning your goals with your core values, embracing fresh starts, and cultivating a growth mindset, we empower you to maximize your performance and enjoy the process. Take the first step toward a winning mindset and a better you.
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