By Angela Kerrisk from Activate Fitness

It is a series of beliefs we hold about ourselves which determine our behaviour, outlook and mental attitude. To keep it simple - it is a way of thinking.

Your mindset is your collection of thoughts and beliefs that shape your thought habits. And your thought habits influence how you think, what you feel, and behave in a given situation. What you think about consistently has a direct impact on your behaviour.

Whether you believe you are capable of change or stuck where you are, can make or break your ability to reach your goals. These beliefs are formed by things like your physical and social environments, your unique life experiences, education, culture, values, family upbringing and so much more!

Your mindset impacts how you make sense of the world, and how you make sense of yourself, so of course, it is unique to you.

“Fear of failure is higher when you’re not working on the problem. If you are taking action, you are less worried about failure because you realise you can influence the outcome” - James Clear

So how does it impact nutrition?

Because mindset is a valuable tool that impacts our actions, self-talk and behaviours, it has a huge effect on our ability to achieve our goals. Mindset is learned, so changing it requires both learning and unlearning. This shift can take longer than we might like, but it is this process of learning and growing that builds our growth mindset!

So how does this help us reach our nutrition and health goals?

According to Carol Dweck author of Mindset 

“The view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead and live your life”

As you probably know following through with your goals and commitments isn’t easy, there are constant challenges that you have to face and it is your mindset that will determine whether you push through or give up.

Changing the way you think starts with identifying how you think. If you are not aware of it you can’t change it. Learning the differences between fixed and growth mindsets can be the difference between reaching your goal or going around in circles.

If you have a fixed mindset you hold the belief that your traits and talents are innate and unchangeable, you are more likely to avoid challenges, give up easily and feel threatened by the success of others.

Whereas if you have a growth mindset, you believe your qualities are based on your efforts and you have the ability to change and improve with effort and time. You know you can learn new things and develop new skills.

With a growth mindset, you embrace change and view failure as a chance to grow and feel inspired by the success of others.

This is how it might sound

“If I don’t try then I won’t fail”
            versus
“I only fail when I stop trying"

‘I am not strong enough to be good at lifting”
            versus
“Most beginners are not strong, but if I put in the work I will get there”

‘I am not very good at meal prep”
            versus
“Meal prep feels hard right now, but I am getting better”

Having a growth mindset doesn’t mean you won’t face setbacks, but the way you frame these will be the difference between giving up and trying again.

The good thing is you can use growth mindset habits and self-talk that work in one area and begin to apply them to other trickier areas.

Now that you know the differences between both it’s more obvious why the way you speak to yourself has implications for your success. It’s about telling ourselves that we can get what we want out of life if we put in enough effort and move towards our set goal.

You can have a growth mindset about your growth mindset!

The difference between you in the past and where you are now is proof that you can and will change. Admire yourself for doing the tough stuff - become your own cheerleader.

Remember doing this tough stuff is a choice you are making!

We can take steps to ensure that our children develop growth mindsets by praising efforts, not results. By focusing on the process rather than the outcome, we can help our kids understand that their efforts, hard work, and dedication can lead to change, learning, and growth both now and in the future.