Want to Improve Your Game? Read This Book.

In 2006, Carol Dweck, a renowned psychologist, published "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success". In her book, she discusses growth and fixed mindsets. While these two psychological terms are extremely helpful in our everyday lives, they can especially assist athletes in achieving their goals throughout their career.

Fixed Mindset

"I'm just not a good shortstop."

"I can't hit a curveball."

"I know everything there is about hitting a baseball."

The fixed mindset is the limiting mindset. It is what stands between us and development. It is the voice in our head that makes us want to stay "comfortable", instead of forcing us to get outside of comfort zone and learn new things. We all have it, and we all struggle to mute that voice, but with practice, that fixed mindset can slowly start to be replaced.

Growth Mindset

"I'm not a good shortstop... yet."

"I'm struggling to hit a curveball, but there is a solution to help my problem. I just have to keep trying to find it."

"I'm a good hitter, but there is still a lot of information out there for me to learn."

The growth mindset - the TOUGH choice. Hey, if it was easy, everyone would do it. Possessing a growth mindset requires constant self-reminders and discipline. Our natural state when we are forced outside of our comfort zone is to get frustrated and try to find our way back to that state of feeling good. However, progress lies outside of that safe space. Being comfortable is overrated, but being comfortable being uncomfortable is the learned skill we must strive for everyday.