QCCQ: Mindset of a Champion
Q - Quote
“Finding #1: Those with the growth mindset found success in doing their best, in learning and improving. And this is exactly what we find in the champions. For me the joy of athletics has never resided in winning. Jackie Joyner-Kersee tells us, I derive just as much happiness from the process as from the results. I don’t mind losing as long as I see improvement or I feel I’ve done well as I possibly could. If I lose, I just go back to the track and work some more. This idea that personal success is when you work your hardest to become your best was central John Wooden’s life.”
C - Comment
I chose this quote because it is a great perspective when looking at success. John Wooden, the head basketball coach of UCLA, looks at every game as an opportunity to grow and improve on your skills. This is something that every athlete should think of rather than striving for perfection. He gets his players to play with their hearts and not their heads. This results in an ambitious team that is willing to learn.
C - Connection
This has a strong connection to me and my life right now in school and with my hobbies. At school, when it comes to my grades, I used to be obsessive about points and extra credit. I didn’t care whether or not I learned, I just wanted an A. Over that last year I have pushed my head and my growth mindset has expanded. I have different goals and intentions when it comes to my education. In dance I often compare myself to other dancers. I get jealous if they can do a triple pirouette and I can only do one. I have changed my mindset to, instead of getting jealous, use them as inspiration in a way and to learn from what they are doing to improve on my own skills. It takes persistence, practice and patience to get good at something. I have done this and have shown major breakthroughs in my dance classes because I stopped looking at others and focusing on what I can do to be a better dancer.
Q - Question
What would John Wooden say to a teenager about how to start shifting his/her fixed mindset?
“Finding #1: Those with the growth mindset found success in doing their best, in learning and improving. And this is exactly what we find in the champions. For me the joy of athletics has never resided in winning. Jackie Joyner-Kersee tells us, I derive just as much happiness from the process as from the results. I don’t mind losing as long as I see improvement or I feel I’ve done well as I possibly could. If I lose, I just go back to the track and work some more. This idea that personal success is when you work your hardest to become your best was central John Wooden’s life.”
C - Comment
I chose this quote because it is a great perspective when looking at success. John Wooden, the head basketball coach of UCLA, looks at every game as an opportunity to grow and improve on your skills. This is something that every athlete should think of rather than striving for perfection. He gets his players to play with their hearts and not their heads. This results in an ambitious team that is willing to learn.
C - Connection
This has a strong connection to me and my life right now in school and with my hobbies. At school, when it comes to my grades, I used to be obsessive about points and extra credit. I didn’t care whether or not I learned, I just wanted an A. Over that last year I have pushed my head and my growth mindset has expanded. I have different goals and intentions when it comes to my education. In dance I often compare myself to other dancers. I get jealous if they can do a triple pirouette and I can only do one. I have changed my mindset to, instead of getting jealous, use them as inspiration in a way and to learn from what they are doing to improve on my own skills. It takes persistence, practice and patience to get good at something. I have done this and have shown major breakthroughs in my dance classes because I stopped looking at others and focusing on what I can do to be a better dancer.
Q - Question
What would John Wooden say to a teenager about how to start shifting his/her fixed mindset?