If You Knew You Could Not Fail, What Would You Do Today?

Your Mindset Matters

It’s been widely reported that the average attention span for an adult is just 8 seconds, less than that of a goldfish. If these figures are accurate, you’ll stop reading now, but I hope most of you will continue for another two minutes because the question I posed this week is too important to overlook.

Have you ever asked what you could do if you knew you could not fail?

The Summer Olympics begin soon. If you’re like me, you enjoy watching world-class athletes compete. Year after year, they train to be the best. Their commitment to their sport is extraordinary. But more than their commitment, I’m interested in their mindset.

Oprah Winfrey often speaks about the transformative power of a winner’s mindset. I liken it to a growth mindset on steroids. If you missed my article about growth mindsets, you can find it here.

Olympians have a winner’s mindset, even if they never step on a podium.

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When you start your day believing you cannot lose, you step into a powerful state that transcends the ordinary, propelling you into an extraordinary life.

-Oprah Winfrey

While only a handful of athletes take home a medal, the ability to compete in the Olympics requires a belief that you cannot lose.

But you don’t need to be a world-class athlete to share that mindset.

What do you need to have a winner’s mindset?

• You need to believe in yourself.

• You need to maintain that belief regardless of life’s circumstances.

When you act and think you cannot lose, you will transform your belief system and your approach to challenges. New opportunities will arise.

When doctors told me there was nothing they could do to help me, I had a choice. I could believe what they told me, or I could believe they just didn’t know.

I chose the latter and maintained that belief during my two-decade search for answers. I expanded my research like a Ph.D candidate and traveled hundreds of miles to find specialists who were out-of-the-box thinkers, those with a winner’s mindset.

I let go of the limiting belief that my illness had an unknown cause and I could not be helped. And while I certainly waivered at times over the years, I uncovered the truth, found answers to the mysterious illness, and began treatment.

I would not have found the answers without transforming my belief system and mindset.

We all fall victim to limiting beliefs. We question ourselves and our abilities. We listen to those who tell us we can’t or we shouldn’t.

Internalizing these thoughts and letting that voice direct your actions is common.

But this week, I ask you to consider questioning that voice and examining your mindset each day.

Note when you have a negative thought or accept a limiting belief. When it happens, consider how you can change it.

Ask yourself, “What do I have to lose by believing I can do this.”

If that’s not enough, consider the Olympic athlete who has trained for years to reach the pinnacle of their career. Remember, they spent endless hours correcting mistakes, improving their form, and telling themselves they could make it.

They didn’t start as a world-class athlete; they became one.

When you start believing in yourself, wonderful things can happen. The belief takes hold and propels you in a new direction, especially when challenging times arise.

Small shifts turn to larger ones. Soon, every thought and action reinforces your newfound confidence.

Build on each small step. Notice your internal dialogue and learn to stop the limiting belief in its track.

Once you’re aware of how often your thoughts limit your actions, you can begin to change both your thoughts and your actions.

If changing your mindset seems difficult or illusive, consider a time you felt focused or invincible.

You finished a project that seemed too large to tackle.

You were hired for a job that seemed out of reach.

You finished your education despite the challenges.

You accomplished what you set out to do.

Think back to that feeling and harness it! Keep it in the forefront of your mind.

A winner’s mindset is not only for world-class athletes; it’s available to all of us.

It’s the power that resides in you.

The power to achieve a goal and succeed despite a challenge.

A winner’s mindset dares you to dream and asks you to believe in that dream.

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Until next week, be mindful and stay safe.

Tracy xo

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