What’s in a logo?

“I can accept failure. Everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.”

– Michael Jordan


Over 30 years ago, Carol Dweck (Professor of Psychology at Stanford University) conducted research analyzing how students cope with failure. During this study, she and her colleagues observed that when faced with failure, some students were able to rebound, overcome and grow from their failures, while others were crushed by even the slightest of setbacks. After analyzing her findings, Dweck noticed that student perception of their abilities influenced their motivation and achievement. This analysis led her to observe thousands of students, where she eventually coined the terms fixed mindset and growth mindset.

What is a fixed mindset?

A fixed mindset entails the belief that intelligence, abilities, and talents are static traits. In being static, the fixed mindset adopts a belief that these qualities are unchanging and that nothing can be done to improve them. In essence, this mindset assumes that individuals are born with the inherent ability or inability to excel at certain tasks. Those with a fixed mindset often do not see the benefit of applying extra effort to improve, often making them crumble when encountering adversity and failure. As such, those with a fixed mindset often get emotional and compare themselves to others. They are often fearful of failure, unable to handle criticism, and limit their own potential.

What is a growth mindset?

In contrast, someone with a growth mindset views intelligence, abilities, and talents as learnable and capable of improvement through focused effort. The foundational principle of the growth mindset is genuinely believing that one can attain the necessary knowledge and skills necessary to succeed, making every challenge a new learning opportunity. It is viewing challenge and failure as initiators of growth through hard work and assistance from others. As such, those with a growth mindset frame challenges in a way that allows them to overcome and push beyond to realize their potential.

Inspiration

I first learned about Dweck’s research during a community service learning course I took during my university studies that focused on fostering a growth mindset and a positive mentor-mentee relationship. After learning about Dweck’s work, I genuinely felt that I had a growth mindset. However, upon reflection, I found that there were numerous instances where I exhibited a fixed mindset mentality. For example, there are numerous times when I have failed to lift a weight in the gym. At the beginning of my lifting career, I would have seen something like a 315lb back squat as something impossible for me to lift. By perceiving the lift as impossible, I would mentally limit myself in performing the task and improving to do so. In contrast, by adopting a growth mindset I now analyze my lift, the conditions leading up to it, and seek feedback from others; essentially put focused, genuine effort into getting that bar up the next time I attempt it. As a result, I now routinely squat that amount. What once seemed impossible has been surpassed.

Deem a task impossible, and there is no journey. There is nothing to be gained as “impossible” is a statement of finality; believe something cannot be done and it never will be. Reframing a task as “difficult” marks the beginning of learning from challenges and growth as an individual. It is growth in focusing on the process and not the destination.

What’s in a logo?

Research has continuously demonstrated the power of fostering a growth mindset. It is my belief in the growth mindset that my logo and philosophy are fundamentally based on. Whether it is training an aspiring young athlete, a beer-league goaltender looking to move better, or a professional athlete, I strive to take a growth mindset in improving myself when inevitable challenges are placed before me. By focusing on fostering a growth mindset in myself, I aim to introduce and instill this mentality in my clients. In doing so, I draw again on my past experiences learning about a positive mentor-mentee relationship. The relationship between coach and client is a two-way street; one where challenges will arise for both parties and collaboration, communication, and attentiveness are essential to overcoming them. Whether it is a new personal best in the gym or making a team you tried out for, each challenge one overcomes results in new heights reached in your own personal growth.

Everybody starts somewhere, but reaching your true potential starts with genuine effort and commitment to being the best you can be. As a coach, being cognizant of fostering a growth mindset is my promise. Will you join me on this journey?

References

Brady, A., & Alleyne, R. (2017). Resilience and growth mindset in sport and physical activity. In Positive Psychology in Sport and Physical Activity (pp. 102-114). Routledge.

Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House.

Dweck, C. S. (2014). The mindset of a champion. Psychology at Stanford University.

Dwek, C. S. (2015). A GROWTH MINDSET. The Joy and Power of Reading, 10.

Mann, A., & Narula, B. (2017). Positive psychology in sports: An overview. International Journal of Social Science, 6(2), 153-158. DOI:10.5958/2321-5771.2017.00017.5

Zak Babin

Former university hockey and current inline hockey goaltender. Zak holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Alberta in physical education, where he graduated with distinction. He is a certified personal trainer with over 6 years of experience ready to help you reach new levels of performance. If you can't find him in the gym, he is likely out of town playing in hockey tournaments!

https://babincoaching.com
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