Mindset. That is, set your mind. It’s funny how simply switching around the sequence of words can trigger a new understanding to a common word. “Mindset” is a word thrown around frequently in all performance domains – heck, it’s even in our tagline. But have you ever stopped to think about what “Building Championship Mindsets” really means?
A Championship Mindset is a mind set on the things of Champions. Things that are true, noble, right, admirable. Things that are excellent. Greatness. Of course, Champions reflect on past performances, strategize during tough seasons, and plan for adversity, but ultimately, their mind is set on their vision for the future and the things they must do in the present throughout the process to be successful.
Our brains have what is called a limited attentional capacity. That means that at any given time, we can only consciously hold and process so much information. For demonstration purposes, imagine your brain is like a 12 ounce cup:
How much water could this cup hold? …You are correct! 12 ounces!
And what would happen if I continued to pour water into this cup even after it was full? …You are correct! It would overflow!
If we desire to BE a Champion and yet fill our minds with junk on a daily basis – whether it’s things we read or watch or listen to – we are filling our cups with things that are not in alignment with our goals and objectives. And if our mind is full of a random collection of things that are not things of Champions, then when we do try to focus or choose confidence or remain emotionally controlled, it’s incredibly difficult for our brain to do that because like the water, it just overflows.
Conversely, if we fill our minds with the right things – if we start looking for excellence and reading and thinking and observing things of greatness – then, when fear, doubt, worry, and insecurity try to get in, it becomes a lot more difficult for those thoughts to negatively impact our performance. There is simply no room in our conscious brain for that type of processing!
The good news? We get to choose what goes into our cup because we can control our thoughts! If we want to Build a Championship Mindset, then we must set our minds on the things of Champions.
