How do you handle adversity, challenges, and setbacks?

With a fixed mindset or a growth mindset?

One of my favorite and most influential books is Carol Dweck’s Mindset. She has conducted numerous studies and research on the difference in those who possess a fixed mindset and those who have a growth mindset.

This past weekend I had the opportunity to sit down with a top 50 ranked DI college golf coach to discuss plans for one of my players who would be playing there. We wanted to create some steps and goals to help this player be more prepared for when she stepped foot on campus in the fall.

A lot of our discussion centered around mindset and creating more of a growth mindset when it comes to challenges and getting better at all areas of golf and life. I thought I would share a little insight into to some takeaways that I had from that conversation.

Ask yourself:

Do you tend to give up when a drill, exercise, round, assignment gets tough? And think what’s the point I’ll never get better?
Do you think you’re trapped with the current abilities you possess? Do you feel like talent is the biggest factor in determining your success?
Do you feel like you always get the bad breaks, bad lies, bad luck? Like there’s a storm cloud following only you around?

If so, then, you have what is considered a “fixed” mindset, where you think things are as good as they can get, that hard work isn’t needed bc you’re talented, that setbacks mean failure, that critiques mean you’re wrong, that you’d rather be good than to do what it takes to be great.

Or do you have a growth mindset where you see setbacks as a chance to learn and improve, where tough challenges excite you, where bad breaks are just a way to make you tougher, where even a very talented athlete has to work hard, where you aren’t afraid to get out of your confront zone even if it means you might fail.

Growth mindset athletes (and people) are willing to use their resources to get better, they absorb knowledge and seek answers, they take critiques as a way to learn, they take steps to improve themselves, they plan ahead, they spend more time on their weaker areas, they welcome challenges, they expand their comfort zone.

Which one are you?

I am so appreciative of the time this coach took to help not only one of my players but also myself better understand the challenges a college golfer will face and how their mindset will determine their success.

If you’re interested in assistance through the college recruiting process and have not used your free RecruitPKB 30 minute consultation then contact me at bjackson@pkbgt.org