Why Mindset is Key for Lasting Results
Does it seem like you’ve been doing all the right things—working out and eating right—but you’re simply not getting the results you hope for? As it turns out, the problem could be your mindset, not your fitness and nutrition plan. More specifically, it could mean it’s time to adopt a growth mindset to finally experience the transformation you’ve been hoping for.
In today’s post, we’ll tell you all about what it means to adopt a growth mindset, as well as how you can do it for yourself. Let’s get going!
What is a Growth Mindset?
To understand what it means to have a growth mindset, it’s helpful to look at it in comparison to a fixed mindset.
Consider these characteristics of both mindsets as outlined by Rhapsody Fitness, to help you develop a better understanding:
Fixed Mindset:
- “Your abilities are set and unchangeable. No amount of effort will make any difference.
- You avoid failure or any situation where the outcome is unknown.
- Obstacles only get in your way or are a sign to quit or give up.
- Success comes from what you’re born with or pure luck. Results are pre-determined.”
Growth Mindset:
- “You believe that it’s possible to improve your skills over time.
- Obstacles and challenges are an opportunity to learn and get better.
- Failure is also a learning experience.
- Your starting point doesn’t matter.”
Now you’re starting to see why a growth mindset can be so beneficial for reaching your health and wellness goals! Now let’s talk about why that’s the case.
Why is it Key to Lasting Results?
A growth mindset could be the key to reaching your fitness goals for a few reasons. For starters, if you experience setbacks, this mindset means you don’t give up. You accept these setbacks as a new challenge, rather than a reason to give up. It also means you keep striving for a new goal, and you have the belief and faith in yourself that reaching your goals is possible, no matter how long it may take.
But if you have a fixed mindset, you might believe, deep down, that reaching your goals simply isn’t possible or realistic for you. Even if this belief is subconscious, it could be strong enough to hold you back. That’s why it’s time to develop a growth mindset when it comes to fitness, and here’s how to do it!
How to Adopt a Growth Mindset
- Challenge your limiting beliefs: Have you always told yourself you simply aren’t built to be a runner? Or you’ll never be strong enough to do pull-ups? These are examples of limiting beliefs common in a fixed mindset that could be holding you back. Start by taking note of these beliefs, and then start challenging them.
- Set short and long-term goals: It’s helpful to have goals you can reach in the short-term (i.e, getting 150 minutes of exercise this week) as well as bigger goals like losing 50 pounds this year. Working towards these goals is part of a growth mindset and believing you can achieve them will ultimately help you do so.
- Get clear about your “why”: According to this article from Medium: “Having a why or the motivation for showing up to your workout will provide clarity on days you feel like giving up, or days you feel you’ve ‘failed’. If you can align your why with your workout goals, then you are already ahead of the game.”