Why would a Champion stop learning?

Why would a Champion stop learning?

I started to learn dancing when I was 7 years old. I was sent by my parents to learn Chinese traditional dance and when I was 15 years old, I began to explore Hip-Hop dance. Together with a bunch of friends who also love dancing, we formed a dance crew and started to practice together regularly. Our hard work finally paid off after 2.5 years of practice, we won a few championships in the town. It was an unforgettable experience in my life in which I can do what I love and the very first time in my life, I tasted a great sense of achievement.?

So why should I tell you about my dancing journey?

It’s definitely not to show off but the lesson I learnt is much more valuable than the prices I won. So, here is what happened after our crew was dismissed when we all entered into different universities all over the country. With the love of dancing in my soul, I was trying hard to find any groups I could dance with during my 3 years-time in university. I attended a few classes but I found myself unable to dance with the group, hence I stopped dancing. At that point of time, I couldn’t figure out why I behave in this way.?

One day, I finally realized why I didn’t continue joining dancing class. The real reason is because of my pride. I must say I was forced to learn dancing by my parents at the beginning. But soon and later, I found myself falling in love with dancing and I love being on the stage performing. I put in a lot of effort, time and money despite the fact that I was still studying in high school. Until that day, our crew won the best dancing crew in town. But what a pity that our crew dismissed when we reached the top. Ever since then, I view my past achievements in dancing as trophies I have to protect. For many years, I will hold on to my past successes and will not do anything to jeopardise the prestige of being one of the members of the best dance crew in town as I go forward. Therefore, I was stuck in the past and I even wasted 5 years in not pursuing my interest. What a waste! How I wish I could go back in time.???

So, what’s next?

According to research by Prof Carol Dweck, there are two dominant mindsets: the growth mindset, and the fixed mindset. The growth mindset is one that embraces failure as learning. People who display this mindset know that they don’t know everything, hence it is up to them to uncover that. For those who embrace the fixed mindset, their self-construct is based on past successes, and they will not do anything if they know that there might be a chance of negating those successes.?

This is exactly talking about me! I didn’t want to dance with the inexperienced dancers and I was reluctant to learn new techniques also. I’m more convinced after doing the 5 Dimensions of the Growth Mindset (5DGM) Assessment.?

There are 5 dimensions being identified to describe my growth mindset status. As we all know the growth mindset is the preferred mindset for learning. Without any surprise, my pride score is in the transition region. It means I could be fixed or have a growth mindset based on the circumstances. In this scenario, I’m having a fixed mindset on dancing. It is my self-concept that holds me back. I have to learn to let go and understand what worked before may not work now.?

How does this impact me?

I could say the impact of this may not seem to be very big or serious now. If I see it in the long term, it will be a stumbling block for me in unleashing my potential. If I don’t make any improvements now, I am sure I will regret it when I am older.

There are a few changes I need to adapt in becoming more growth minded.

1.?????Seek not to be perfect, strive towards it.

I used to be a perfectionist. Always make sure I gather all the resources and information needed before I start something. That’s why I ended up doing nothing. The truth is you will never get enough to start something. We all learn along the way but the key is to start now. However, the chance of success at the very first time is low. It implies that we will make a ton of mistakes before we succeed. A perfectionist will try to avoid mistakes at all cost because they see what happened to them as a direct measure of their competence and worth. Eventually they lost the opportunity to learn and grow.

·???????Do you set yourself high standards and then criticize yourself for failing to meet them?

·???????When striving towards a goal, do you tend to focus on the results or prizes only??

·???????Do you feel offended when others say you are wrong?

If yes, you might need to learn to let go and know you are good enough as you are.

2.?????Don’t let fears paralyze you, let it motivate you

Looking back at my dancing story, I want to protect the image brought on by my?past?successes. Those feelings associated are fears of failure and fears of disapproval. I also tend to perceive others as achieving success with a minimum of effort and few errors. Fears are not always a bad thing, but we shouldn’t let too many fears paralyze us in achieving greater outcomes or stop us from learning new things. So, ask yourself “What is the worst thing that could happen?”

Recognizing where the fears come from and what impacts have it done in your life will help you to come out with a better plan on how to overcome it.?

3.?????Stop the self-defeating thoughts, start believing in yourself

In 2005, the?National Science Foundation?published an article summarizing research on human thoughts per day. It was found that the average person has about 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts per day. 80% were negative and 95% were exactly the same repetitive thoughts as the day before. Therefore, what we think about ourselves is very important, it can either develop you or destroy you.?There is a saying said, “Sow a belief and you reap a thought; sow a thought and you reap an attitude; sow an attitude and you reap an action; sow an action and you develop a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny.”?

My self-defeating thoughts are “I will not be dancing as good as before.” and “People will look at me as a beginner and someone who cannot catch up the steps.” Have you noticed that we used to see ourselves either better or worse than others? Hence, we should shift our focus from external to internal. Make sure we put in more effort, fine-tune the processes when needed and set realistic goals for ourselves.

4.?????Find a partner to journey with you

Two is better than one. I know I need someone who can hold me accountable in the journey of becoming a better self. It doesn’t mean you cannot do it alone, but unless you are a person who is highly disciplined and perseverance no matter how difficult it will be. Does it sound insurmountable for you? Don’t panic! We are human and we are not perfect. Sometimes, we might tend to overlook our own weak points or we just choose to sweep it under the rug. But what if there is something that hinders you from achieving your goals and you are unable to spot it as quickly as possible. Then you might miss the opportunity to learn and grow. Therefore, you need someone who is pushing you to grow, not pulling you.?

It’s okay to feel uncomfortable when you are growing. Keep trying!??