In 2012, when I was coaching the University of Kentucky women’s basketball team, we first came in the SEC at the end of the season. Our record this year was 13-3. But we also lost the game against Alabama. This is the team that finished 3-13 the final time of the season. The worst beat first.
As that old sports adage progresses, “Anytime…”
I’m not rude to Alabama, but in that particular season I want to be us, regardless of the outcome of one game. Essentially, no matter what the rare agitation we suffered, our belief in our ability to maintain sustained success was unshakable. Of course, we weren’t happy to lose against Alabama, but our filters for the thought process regarding defeat were healthy.
Actual success should not be defined by short-term outcomes
Whether it’s the regular season or the championship game, sports disruptions always arise. But it’s not just one outcome or outcome or even a few that create a great team, whether it’s sports or business.
Pause for a while and consider the recent loss or setback you have had in your work life. It may be big or small. Was there any reasonably possible ways to avoid that, or could have produced another outcome? How did you treat it emotionally and how did you think about it? Have you beat yourself with negative self-talk? Did you stop taking lessons because it was a little too fast on your back?
Hall of Fame quality comes down to a mindset that will allow them to achieve sustained success. They have created habits of mind that always drive towards excellence. Because excellence is their modus operandi, or how they work, they are driven to prepare at maximum capacity.
Develop the right mindset
One of the main reasons that right mindset is so important is that it prevents you from wasting energy on counterproductive activities. Whether your reaction takes the form of a personal sympathy party or a relentless inward bite, you are taking away the time and energy you can spend preparing to win next time. But when overreacting a retreat, “What can I do to better prepare you for the next situation?”
Instead of owning to unproductive negativity, I recommend honestly analyzing defeats about what you can learn from it. Learning to do this will give you valuable tools to improve your performance next time. I move on to the next challenge with confidence, gained from the lessons I have learned.
If you notice that there is a bad mental filter on how you handle defeats, you can change it. You can develop a mindset for sustainable success, and the stronger you think, the more you can go.
Be very careful of the conversations that are happening in your head next week or so while you’re working, training or playing sports. Make a conscious effort to investigate how to handle the challenges that arise.
How long are you complaining, loudly or in your head? How much time do you spend worrying about situations that you can’t control? Do you often think of it in a chaotic way, as if you were fighting the fires of brushes one after another?
If these are your mental habits, you have convinced yourself that the situation is out of your control.
The way to get out of such a victim mentality is to stop your negative thoughts. Discontinue these self-defeating patterns and retrain your brain with new habits.
Develop the thinking necessary to succeed through these actions.
Determine how to respond. When you’re complaining, stop and create a list of what practical changes you can make to respond to the situation. Focus on one action. Once you catch yourself worried about a situation beyond your control, ask yourself: What is the one action you can take right now to deal with the challenges of my work? And then take that action. Your mind moves from worry to actual action, and spikes your confidence. Determine a specific solution. If you are constantly experiencing problems and are constantly fighting fires, how can you categorize these issues and solve them forever? Find clarity that allows for real progress towards a permanent solution. Tame conversations in your head. Content that feeds your mind will shake up your way of thinking. Train yourself to realize you’re feeding your brain. If it’s all about complaints and nuisances from external forces, it’s like giving your brain a stable diet of junk food. Choose to nourish your brain in a way that builds a mindset for the pursuit of excellence.
By mastering the thought process, you will have a mindset that will allow you to crush your thoughts of self-defeating and keep driving in the direction of sustained success.
Author’s Bio
Matthew Mitchell is the Wall Street Journal, USA Today’s bestselling author, speaker, three-time SEC Coach of the Year and the most won head coach in the history of the University of Kentucky women’s basketball program.
He currently coaches the University of Houston Women’s Division 1 basketball team. Mitchell’s new book, Ready To Win: Fraying (19 November 2024, Winning Tool) – Already USA Today’s bestseller – shares proven principles that lead to resilience, preparation and growth.
For more information, please visit www.coachmatthewmitchell.com.
