How adaptable are you?

On Sunday morning, we went to watch my youngest son play football as part of a newly formed team playing in a league match. They lost…..badly. On the way home in the car, we had tears. Understandable, I knew he was frustrated. What was most interesting to me was how my husband and I approached it. My husband didn’t want to discuss it for fear of making him more upset. The coach in me reacted differently! Having praised his efforts, I wanted him to understand that how he felt was ok, it’s just part of the process, what could he learn from it?

Setbacks & failures are inevitable in any sport & are a necessary building block to success. By reframing them as valuable learning experiences, this resilience is vital for maintaining motivation & focus when we feel challenged. The mindset a rider/athlete adopts can make the difference between success or failure. A growth mindset helps athletes bounce back stronger.

I read a recent piece written by Dr Devroy called Resilience and adaptability in sport and exercise.

He discusses how resilience and adaptability are essential for optimal performance & well-being. Resilience is the ability to cope with stress, adversity and change in a positive way. Adaptability is being able to adjust to changing situations & demands in a flexible and creative way.

People may see these as fixed traits, but these can be developed using goal setting, mindset coaching, self-reflection, visualization, and feedback.

From scientific research, we know that hours of purposeful practice are the key to success and skills can be refined and developed over time, they are not fixed. This includes your mindset. Those who embrace that view will overcome challenges and see setbacks as temporary obstacles.

It is recognizing that when we learn, we step out of our comfort zone, which means we may experience various emotions including those of frustration & upset when actions, competitions or plans do not go as you wish. Frustration can manifest itself in many ways, which is ok but ask yourself is this emotion getting me any closer to my goal?

When we react, it is quick & emotional whereas responding is more logical & slower but can be difficult when a “threat” or challenge is activated.      View it as an opportunity to master the skill of being flexible in your behaviour, by adapting your actions, it keeps you focused on solutions and moving towards reaching your target.

Successful people know that change & failure is inevitable, that it is part of the process of growing. Those who can adapt their strategies gain a competitive edge and improve performance. The route to success may be different for every person, but the outcome can still be the same with the right mindset!