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"I can't do that."
How many times have you heard yourself say or think that phrase today? This week? This month? This year? Does the word only pop up when doing certain things: like at the gym, with nutrition, or in your relationships?
I can imagine that you're probably feeling defeated, stuck, and unimportant. Like you can't do anything.
Now, with every single "can't" used, add "yet" at the end of the statement. "I can't buy a house....yet." "I can't lose 20 pounds, yet." Instantly, the sentence feels less gloomy; gives you purpose. Instead of thinking of yourself in a negative way, you're shedding a positive light on your actions, on yourself. You can and will buy a house. You will lose those 20 pounds.
This mindset shift is due to the Growth Mindset. Carol Dweck is an American Psychologist who studied her students' attitudes towards failure about 30 years ago. They found that some rebounded from failure with more tenacity and drive while others were stuck with minute setbacks.
She coincidentally coined the words growth and a fixed mindset in relation to the beliefs humans have about knowledge and learning. Basically, if you wholeheartedly believe that you can accomplish something, you'll have better results aka a growth mindset. You understand that your effort and grind will lead to achievements, even if it takes time. You stay headstrong during challenges and crave learning. But, telling yourself that you can't and stopping yourself from attempting the thought; possibly due to fear of failure or lack of knowledge, is a fixed mindset, and lead to no or minimal growth.
You need to be a lifelong learner.
These two terms, a fixed and growth mindset can be coined with anything but for sake of article length, let's talk about nutrition. The majority of society approaches a diet in a black or white mindset. Emphasis is only placed on the beginning or on the end. There's no in-between. This can be detrimental to your journey because you completely skip the middle and overlook the learning associated.
A fixed mindset towards nutrition eliminates effort. Rather, success comes effortlessly but brings forth excuses. "Well, Becky doesn't have 3 kids so of course, she's fit. I have 3 kids and a full-time job so, I could lose weight too if I was like her."
A fixed mindset doesn't let you grow. You're a finished product.
Your mind fears adversity and failure because you're afraid to be labeled as such. You try hiding the mess-ups because you don't understand that mistakes happen. When you do mess up, you quit because your mind isn't able to comprehend and learn from it.
For example, you started off strong at breakfast and lunch. Ate all the right foods. But going out with friends that night, you had all the chips and salsa, tacos, and drinks. Instantly, you're thoughts are "I just ruined my whole day. My whole week. I can't do this. I suck."
A growth mindset is an opposite. In adversity, you shine. The mindset dissects mistakes and wonders how to learn from it, understanding that screw-ups are okay, normal.
As with the previous example, the growth mindset would be like: "Yes, I did enjoy too many drinks and food with friends. But, I was on point for the majority of the week and will get back on track tomorrow. I was with friends and it's okay. I'm okay. One day is not going to ruin my progress."
Furthermore, the growth mindset will strategize on how to be successful when another similar situation occurs in the future. Maybe you'll eat a full breakfast, a smaller lunch, and be more mindful when with your friends. Eat slower. Drink more water.
In a fixed mindset, you've tried more diets than you can count because when the results start to come slower, you become frustrated and give up.
A growth mindset looks at the whole picture- not just the end. With a new diet, they stay patient, do their own research, trust the process, and fully invest in themselves.
As you read, are you associating yourself with one or the other? Do you see how important mindset is? How you might be already done before you even begin?
Nutrition and mindset are extremely important and very intertwined. Before you begin a new diet, ask yourself "How invested am I, truly? Am I willing to make mistakes, understand them, and learn from them? The view that you choose will greatly affect your outcome. It'll impact your life and the choices that you make. Actively pursue a growth mindset. Practice it daily. Success isn't determined by external factors but molded internally. You do have the power to shape your life and nutrition.
~Coach Karina, BS-Kinesiology, CF L1 Trainer, USAW Sports Performance Coach