Introduction

Mindset coaching can be incredibly beneficial for people who exercise, as it focuses on developing a positive and resilient mental approach to fitness and overall health. Creating a growth mindset involves shifting your thinking and developing habits that promote continuous learning and improvement. Here are some practical steps to help you cultivate a growth mindset that I personally try to use to improve my mental health.

 

 

1. Challenge Negative Self-Talk

 

Pay attention to your inner dialogue and that nagging voice and challenge negative thoughts. Replace them with positive affirmations that reflect a growth mindset, such as “I am capable of learning new things” or “Challenges make me stronger” or ”I will be as strong as those guys in the gym”. Putting an end to the negative self-talk with positive forms of thinking is essential for growth and feeling content. Instead of dwelling on potential failures, focus on what you can achieve and the possibilities that lie ahead.

 

2. Embrace Challenges

 

Instead of avoiding challenges, see them as opportunities to grow and learn. When faced with a difficult task, remind yourself that overcoming it will make you stronger and more capable. Recognize that the process of tackling challenges is just as important as the outcome. The skills and resilience you build along the way are invaluable. In the gym, create small manageable goals and celebrate achieving them and overcoming the fear of being unable to progress.

 

 

3. Overcoming Mental Barriers

 

Mindset coaching helps individuals identify and break through mental barriers that may be hindering their progress. This includes overcoming self-doubt, fear of failure, and negative self-talk, which can all impact motivation and performance. Mental barriers can include comparing our body to others at the gym, the fear of judgement, fearing failure, believing social media is real life. We can tackle these issues be refraiming failure, embracing imperfectionism, self-compasion and moving away from a fixed mindset.

 

4. Visualize Success

 

Spend a few minutes each day visualizing yourself achieving your goals. Imagine the steps you took, the challenges you overcame, and the feelings of accomplishment. Visualization can enhance motivation and belief in your potential. For example, imagine as a skinny guy how it will feel to look in the mirror at your muscular physique, your new tattoos and the confidence this will give you. Imagine people start to compliment you on your gym progress and ask for advice and you in the position to now help the skinny guy with no confidence.

 

5. Develop Self-Discipline

 

Cultivate self-discipline by setting routines and sticking to them. This helps build habits that support your growth and prevent procrastination. Incorporate 3-4 gym sessions into your schedule and prioritise them. Set up a timer on your phone to ensure you are eating each meal and snack so your body recieves the necessary vitamins, minerals and calories. Avoid people who attempt to distract you from your goals and discipline.

 

 

 

6. Surround Yourself with Positive Influences

 

Spend time with people who inspire and encourage you. Positive influences can boost your motivation and help you stay focused on your growth journey. Make new friends with people at the gym who are on a similar journey as you and possess similar morals and high standards with nutrition and discipline. If you lose old friends in the process then let it happen. They are on their own journey. Remember to prioritise your mental health which could also mean keeping a distance from negative family members.

 

7. Develop Resilience

 

Practice Grit! Grit involves passion and perseverance for long-term goals. Cultivate grit by staying committed to your objectives, even when faced with setbacks or obstacles. Bounce Back from Setbacks quicly. Learn to recover quickly from failures or disappointments. Reflect on what went wrong, what you can learn, and how you can improve moving forward. Do not dwell on the past or what might have been. If life gets in the way, deal with the problem then continue with your fitness journey.

 

 

 

8. Stay Patient and Persistent

 

Understand that developing a growth mindset is a continuous process. Stay patient with yourself and persistent in your efforts. Recognize that growth takes time and consistency. Don’t be so hard on yourself and trust that the process takes times. Whenever you catch yourself thinking “I can’t do this,” add the word “yet” to the end of the sentence. This reinforces the idea that with time and effort, you can improve and achieve your goals.

 

9. Reflect and Adapt

 

Reflect on your experiences frequently. Regularly reflect on the challenges you’ve faced and what you’ve learned from them. This helps you gain insights and adapt your strategies for future challenges. Be willing to change your approach if something isn’t working. Flexibility and adaptability are essential for navigating complex challenges. Understand that we need to be adaptable and sometimes change goals and plans suddenly at the last minute.