Mindset: Setting the Conditions for Learning
Making the Connection to Confidence
The fastest way to change a mindset is to change what you assess
When you reflect on your performance, do you reflect on BOTH what went well and what needs improving?
It is my approach to competition, not my talent that leads to my success?
I have a process for learning around competition?
Each one of these questions addresses a critical component of learning.
We can counter our natural negativity bias
Are we attributing our performances to controllable processes/strategies?
Do have routines in place to help facilitate our learning around competition?
In tandem, these types of factors create conditions for optimal learning.
Why does this matter?
One of the top reasons athletes seek our help (outside of performance anxiety) is to improve confidence. How we reflect and learn from our performance directly influences our confidence. We are creating habits in how we view our abilities, which is why Fixed and Growth mindset and/or Task vs. Ego is such a prevalent conversation in sports today.
Marine Story
So, we can teach athletes how to be more growth and task oriented, by simply refining how they reflect on their performance. We can teach coaches how to facilitate this and athletes how to learn from it.
THE PATH AHEAD
Look at how you can add the learning component to your mental skills repertoire. Teach athletes and coaches by providing a checklist to follow. This checklist can help develop a strong routine for learning and developing a “process-confidence” in things we can control.
Step #1 = Balanced Reflection. Encourage athletes and coaches to spend equal time identifying successes and growth areas.
Step #2 = Strategy Focused. Encourage athletes to reflect on the strategy they took to competition. This is where we can help bring the best of attribution theory and goal achievement theory to life, while keeping the context of their sport front and center.
Step #3 = Reflect on Attention. How did you manage your attention while competing? This is a great awareness builder and helps bridge the gap between improving focus and improving sport I.Q. Similar to step 2, but helps capture the performance at a micro level.
Once these conditions are in place, you now have the foundation. From there, all of the other strategies for confidence (self-talk, etc.) will be even more effective. Having focused learning routines, fortify sustainable confidence for long-term growth.