Mindset in Gymnastics

I feel that having the right mindset in sports and schoolwork is my key to achieving success. Here is a list of the qualities of my personal mindset in gymnastics and school:


1. Positivity. 

On days when I feel the most happy to be at the gym and practice my skills, I notice that my gymnastics improves dramatically. I am able to do the skills I was having a hard time with in the past and do harder skills with ease. These days used to happen pretty infrequent for me until I started practicing daily gratitude and positivity. Now I have infrequent "bad" days! Even on these "bad" or tired days, I try my best to stay positive. I notice that when I am able to get past these days, I only get stronger the next day. 


2. Focused. 

When I am focused, I get into this state of what I call "flow." Before I enter this state, I must embody positive emotions and feelings. I then focus that energy into what I am doing and enter into the flow state. When this happens, I feel as though nothing can break my concentration and I can perform my best. I get feelings of confidence and a feeling that I can only describe as "warmth." I have heard some of my other teammates getting this feeling right before they go for a skill that they are scared of or right before they salute a judge at a meet. 


3. Passionate. 

Having a passion for something makes doing it so much easier. When it comes to going to the gym or studying every day, I get excited. Most people can't say the same. However, sometimes getting a passion for something sometimes doesn't happen on day one. That's okay; it can develop. When I continue to do something I think I don't like and start seeing results or start making steps toward my goal, I begin wanting to do it more. A snowball effect occurs and I start getting excited to do this thing that I thought I didn't like at first. For example, I thought I didn't like writing, but it turns out after taking an English 101 class in college that I actually enjoy writing! Even if I don't have a passion for something, I don't give up on it. I know that I may like it in the future or that I may learn something out of it, so I give it my all. Plus, it makes me tougher doing things that I don't want to do (but doing too many things that you don't really want to do will burn you out, so be careful). Sometimes it doesn't work out, and I have to know when to back down and try something else and that's okay. But if I have a passion for something, I won't give up on it because it's something that I love to do.   
 

4. Determination. 

When I am determined to make a routine or do a certain skill, you can believe that I will do it no matter what. Willpower and determination, besides positivity, is what gets me through my tired days and most of the time even turns those days around. I have intrinsic determination for everything I do, from gymnastics to school, but what makes me extra determined is usually some sort of positive leverage, such as getting to play a team game at the end of practice or getting my teammates out of conditioning if I do something my coaches want me to do. I usually don't do very well with negative leverage, such as conditioning punishment or getting sent home if I don't do something. So if I want an extra boost of determination, I'll ask my teammates or coaches to give me some positive leverage. 


5. Embodying the person you want to be. 

When I want to create a positive change in my life in order to achieve my goals, I start with creating a vision of myself in the future and ask myself what kind of person I would be like if I had achieved my goals. Once I have this vision, I pretend to be my future self and embody the emotions I would be feeling, the thoughts I would be having, and the beliefs and values I would have that drive my decision making on a daily basis. At some point, I don't even have to pretend because I have changed and become my vision. If I can feel, think, and make decisions like my future self, then I can achieve what the vision of myself has done. 


6. Hard Working.  

If I want something, I go and get it. I don't wait for it to come to me. I have always been a hard worker and put 100% in everything I do, and I can't even imagine putting in anything less. On my hard days, even if I think about half-doing something, I get a guilty feeling that I can't bear. I think this is one of the qualities, which I share with my family, that has led me to getting so far in gymnastics and to becoming a good student in college. 




Having this mindset keeps me going throughout the hard days, helps me make my good days even better, and I believe it makes my gymnastics and work ethic better. Give it a shot if you want and comment any changes you have experienced after applying this mindset. Or comment about the mindset qualities you use in your everyday life. 



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