A Growth Mindset: 3 Ways to See Setbacks in a Positive Way
As athletes, we all experience several highs and lows every year. Each swim season brings new goals and opportunities. Sometimes we achieve those goals, while other times we fall short. Failing to accomplish your standards not only sounds unrewarding, but it feels like a loss, too. We have all been there before. You start to question where you went wrong and how all of your hard work didn’t pay off the way that you imagined it would. Sports aren’t supposed to be perfect all the time. If athletics always went our way, we would never learn or grow. Instead of looking at each setback in a negative way, we need to start highlighting the positives in every situation.
Fuel to the Fire
Often, setbacks will cause swimmers to feel upset and angry. Maybe you just missed a cut time by .01, or you just missed making the podium, or your team lost by a couple points. Maybe you were disqualified, or you weren’t selected for your conference team. Whatever the case may be, it doesn’t get any easier. When a situation like this happens, it is important to move on and stay focused on what is in front of you. It is OK to take time to grieve, but once that time is up, use your frustrations as motivation to work even harder than you did before. Reflect on the things that you need to do better so that you can continue to push yourself to reach the goals that you have set for yourself.
Growth
When swimmers experience a setback, nine times out of 10 they will probably encounter a learning curve as well. Following a setback, some swimmers will reflect on their seasons and pinpoint the actions that they can change for the better. As we know, we are never going to improve by doing the same things all the time. This process allows swimmers to learn and move forward as they tweak their habits. These experiences not only shape our character, but they also keep us humble. As difficult as it is, swimmers need to learn to be thankful for their slumps because if it weren’t for setbacks or failures, we would never grow.
Satisfaction
“Never be satisfied.” “Stay hungry.” Every coach says it and we’ve all heard it. Setbacks are what keep athletes unsatisfied and hungry for more. Whether you achieve your goals or not, it is vital to refocus before the next meet or the following season and either set new goals or reshape old ones.
It’s not always easy to look at setbacks in a positive way. When you think of the lessons you learn, perspectives that you gain and fire that motivates you, it may provide that extra strength to push forward and focus on what is next in front of you. It is crucial to not dwell on the outcomes that can’t be changed, but rather change the actions that will make all the difference.