1 00:00:00,260 --> 00:00:02,730 Hello and welcome to Pickleball Therapy, 2 00:00:03,430 --> 00:00:06,050 the podcast dedicated to your Pickleball improvement. 3 00:00:06,880 --> 00:00:08,970 It's the podcast with you in mind. 4 00:00:10,010 --> 00:00:13,070 My name is CJ Johnson and along with my partner Tony 5 00:00:13,290 --> 00:00:17,910 Roy, we bring you insights and techniques to help you navigate 6 00:00:17,930 --> 00:00:21,830 the mental hurdles that accompany Pickleball improvement. 7 00:00:22,810 --> 00:00:24,350 Now, over the last couple of weeks, 8 00:00:24,660 --> 00:00:29,510 Tony has been talking about the essential ingredients players need to 9 00:00:29,550 --> 00:00:32,390 successfully navigate their Pickleball learning journey. 10 00:00:33,420 --> 00:00:38,650 Today I wanna dive deeper into one of the crucial elements 11 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:41,010 that can make all the difference, 12 00:00:41,750 --> 00:00:44,610 not just in the effectiveness of your learning journey, 13 00:00:45,460 --> 00:00:47,040 but in the enjoyment as well. 14 00:00:48,270 --> 00:00:50,330 And that's a growth mindset. 15 00:00:51,860 --> 00:00:52,360 So first, 16 00:00:53,010 --> 00:00:56,480 let's define what we mean by growth mindset. 17 00:00:58,140 --> 00:01:01,630 It's a term that was coined by researcher and psychologist, 18 00:01:01,760 --> 00:01:02,550 Carol Dweck, 19 00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:07,980 and it refers to the belief that your abilities and intelligence 20 00:01:08,950 --> 00:01:11,570 can be developed through dedication, 21 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:12,930 hard work, 22 00:01:13,710 --> 00:01:14,850 and feedback from others. 23 00:01:16,490 --> 00:01:19,990 Now, this contrasts with a fixed mindset, 24 00:01:21,010 --> 00:01:25,510 and that's where players believe that their talents are innate gifts 25 00:01:26,020 --> 00:01:27,470 that are unchangeable. 26 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:29,720 I have to tell you this, 27 00:01:30,110 --> 00:01:34,920 nowhere is a fixed mindset more apparent than the comments of 28 00:01:35,100 --> 00:01:36,440 our YouTube channels. 29 00:01:37,290 --> 00:01:41,270 You can quickly see which players have a growth mindset and 30 00:01:41,270 --> 00:01:42,750 which players have a fixed mindset. 31 00:01:43,950 --> 00:01:49,540 Fixed mindset players have a tendency to seek instant gratification or 32 00:01:49,570 --> 00:01:55,160 easy solutions rather than engaging with the content critically or recognizing 33 00:01:55,540 --> 00:02:00,360 an opportunity to use that video for both growth and learning. 34 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:03,780 So as we dive into this, 35 00:02:04,140 --> 00:02:06,660 I want to read a post from one of our Pickleball 36 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:07,700 system members. 37 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:12,420 She left the left this in the Pickleball system Facebook group, 38 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:14,260 and I wanna to, 39 00:02:14,920 --> 00:02:21,460 she really illustrates how the growth mindset has helped her manage 40 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:24,060 the ups and downs of her learning journey. 41 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:26,220 Before I do that, 42 00:02:26,500 --> 00:02:27,780 speaking of the the system, 43 00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:30,900 we are gonna be starting a new class in March. 44 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:34,140 So if you are not a member and you are looking 45 00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:36,740 for a personalized path to improvement, 46 00:02:37,140 --> 00:02:39,740 I highly recommend you check it out. 47 00:02:40,290 --> 00:02:42,780 Alright, so here's what CT wrote. 48 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:43,700 She said, 49 00:02:44,620 --> 00:02:47,520 my last post was shortly after the Tampa camp. 50 00:02:48,670 --> 00:02:53,880 I reported that my game took a big step backwards one 51 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:57,640 of those times when it's two steps forwards and a giant 52 00:02:57,670 --> 00:02:58,560 leap backward. 53 00:02:59,500 --> 00:03:01,000 But I just kept working the process, 54 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:04,760 trusting all the magic was working behind the scenes. 55 00:03:05,780 --> 00:03:08,510 I've had a rough couple of weeks where it looked like 56 00:03:08,710 --> 00:03:10,270 I had regressed big time. 57 00:03:11,650 --> 00:03:12,820 Fast forward to this week, 58 00:03:13,670 --> 00:03:14,170 as usual, 59 00:03:14,570 --> 00:03:18,920 I was just focusing on return of serve and secondarily, 60 00:03:19,380 --> 00:03:19,880 my serve. 61 00:03:21,030 --> 00:03:24,000 Even my serve had fallen apart during the past couple of 62 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:26,600 weeks. And here she puts sigh, 63 00:03:28,330 --> 00:03:31,140 bam, everything was clicking this week. 64 00:03:31,990 --> 00:03:35,370 My return of serve has been consistent and usually deep. 65 00:03:35,990 --> 00:03:39,080 My serves were consistent and deep. 66 00:03:40,170 --> 00:03:41,150 And here's the bonus, 67 00:03:42,290 --> 00:03:45,110 the other parts of my game came along for the ride. 68 00:03:45,870 --> 00:03:50,480 Someone even commented that I had really good reflexes up at 69 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:50,800 the net. 70 00:03:52,100 --> 00:03:55,080 I'd never really been comfortable up at the net until recently. 71 00:03:55,460 --> 00:04:00,170 So that comment really took me by surprise and she ends 72 00:04:00,170 --> 00:04:00,770 up by saying, 73 00:04:01,860 --> 00:04:03,210 trust the process. 74 00:04:04,580 --> 00:04:08,600 So there's a lot to unpack in here and ct, 75 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:11,320 thank you so much for not just writing the post, 76 00:04:11,460 --> 00:04:12,000 but for, 77 00:04:12,660 --> 00:04:15,800 for allowing us to share the post because this, 78 00:04:15,870 --> 00:04:22,520 this post perfectly encapsulates the principles of the growth mindset. 79 00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:25,460 So let's break it down a little further. 80 00:04:26,630 --> 00:04:30,690 Why is a growth mindset imperative for our improvement? 81 00:04:31,530 --> 00:04:38,260 There's this really popular misconception that great athletes in any sport 82 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:40,820 are simply naturals, 83 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:44,850 when in actuality nothing could be further from the truth. 84 00:04:46,140 --> 00:04:51,500 Yes, there are some athletes that may possess specific, 85 00:04:51,610 --> 00:04:52,740 well, that was hard to say, 86 00:04:53,300 --> 00:04:59,060 specific physical attributes that are advantageous to their sport. 87 00:04:59,660 --> 00:04:59,900 I mean, 88 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:00,940 as an example, 89 00:05:01,420 --> 00:05:05,860 a seven foot basketball player at height would be advantageous, 90 00:05:06,990 --> 00:05:09,770 but those alone don't guarantee success. 91 00:05:11,030 --> 00:05:16,960 What sets exceptional athletes apart is their willingness to embrace challenges, 92 00:05:17,940 --> 00:05:22,450 to persist in the face of adversity and to view failure 93 00:05:23,390 --> 00:05:25,890 not as a reflection of their inherent abilities, 94 00:05:26,900 --> 00:05:28,840 but as an opportunity for growth. 95 00:05:30,060 --> 00:05:33,890 Those qualities or the growth mindset in action. 96 00:05:35,130 --> 00:05:36,520 Lemme give you an example. 97 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:39,770 Legendary basketball player, 98 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:42,590 Michael Jordan. 99 00:05:42,910 --> 00:05:44,070 You remember Michael? 100 00:05:44,130 --> 00:05:48,270 He was widely regarded as one of the greatest athletes of 101 00:05:48,270 --> 00:05:49,990 all times, 102 00:05:49,990 --> 00:05:55,530 but his success was not solely attributed to his natural talent, 103 00:05:55,530 --> 00:05:59,870 but rather to his Unparalleled work ethic. 104 00:05:59,870 --> 00:06:02,830 And he had unwavering determination as well. 105 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:07,180 Now, despite facing numerous setbacks, 106 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:09,700 and one of those came very early in his career, 107 00:06:10,170 --> 00:06:14,780 Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. 108 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:20,830 He continually focused on refining his skills, 109 00:06:20,970 --> 00:06:23,070 expanded his knowledge of the game, 110 00:06:23,070 --> 00:06:28,190 and he kept pushing himself past his limits. 111 00:06:28,190 --> 00:06:34,330 The myth of a natural athlete diminishes the importance of a 112 00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:38,350 growth mindset to success. 113 00:06:38,350 --> 00:06:40,150 Pickleball is like any other sport or skill. 114 00:06:41,130 --> 00:06:44,260 It's a journey of continuous learning and development, 115 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:48,140 as we've seen with many members of the Pickleball system, 116 00:06:48,330 --> 00:06:55,890 including CT embarking on this journey often involves facing and overcoming 117 00:06:56,850 --> 00:06:58,730 numerous challenges and setbacks. 118 00:07:00,340 --> 00:07:04,660 Cultivating and maintaining a growth mindset allows players to see these 119 00:07:04,900 --> 00:07:07,460 challenges, not as barriers to their success, 120 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:13,460 but as opportunities to grow and to learn and to improve 121 00:07:13,460 --> 00:07:13,820 their game. 122 00:07:15,180 --> 00:07:20,500 Now it's important to acknowledge that we all exhibit traits of 123 00:07:20,530 --> 00:07:21,500 both mindsets, 124 00:07:22,090 --> 00:07:25,300 both the growth as well as the fixed mindset. 125 00:07:26,230 --> 00:07:30,530 And it may be growth and fixed mindsets with the same 126 00:07:30,890 --> 00:07:33,650 activity. It may be different activities, 127 00:07:33,650 --> 00:07:35,490 it might even be different times. 128 00:07:36,940 --> 00:07:40,800 We are not all one mindset or the other. 129 00:07:41,330 --> 00:07:42,720 We're a combination of both. 130 00:07:44,090 --> 00:07:47,630 But the important thing here is to know that it's not 131 00:07:47,660 --> 00:07:51,990 only imperative to cultivate the growth mindset, 132 00:07:52,740 --> 00:07:58,380 it's equally important to recognize when we have fallen into a 133 00:07:58,430 --> 00:07:59,220 fixed mindset. 134 00:08:01,180 --> 00:08:05,400 Now that we understand that improvement in Pickleball or really in 135 00:08:05,460 --> 00:08:10,280 any area of our lives requires embracing that growth mindset. 136 00:08:11,150 --> 00:08:15,860 Let's explore a little bit about how CT story exemplifies that 137 00:08:16,140 --> 00:08:20,540 approach and what we can learn from her journey to apply 138 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:22,820 to our own paths towards improvement. 139 00:08:24,250 --> 00:08:25,470 So in her post, 140 00:08:25,890 --> 00:08:29,670 she described her game at the very beginning as taking a 141 00:08:29,850 --> 00:08:32,630 big step backwards after coming to camp. 142 00:08:33,090 --> 00:08:33,470 In fact, 143 00:08:33,590 --> 00:08:35,990 I think there were two backwards in there. 144 00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:40,180 But instead of viewing this setback as a failure, 145 00:08:41,900 --> 00:08:45,120 CT demonstrated a key principle of a growth mindset, 146 00:08:46,820 --> 00:08:48,700 perseverance in the face of difficulty. 147 00:08:50,270 --> 00:08:50,930 Here's the thing, 148 00:08:51,550 --> 00:08:53,090 if we're challenged by something, 149 00:08:53,560 --> 00:08:57,810 it's doubtful That we are gonna have immediate success. 150 00:08:59,250 --> 00:09:04,460 Success comes from embracing that challenge and from learning and growing. 151 00:09:05,170 --> 00:09:07,980 That comes from struggling with something hard. 152 00:09:09,340 --> 00:09:12,620 C T's experience of feeling like she had regressed, 153 00:09:13,410 --> 00:09:16,060 only to find out later that her game had improved. 154 00:09:16,850 --> 00:09:22,180 Underscores the importance of seeing challenges as an opportunity, 155 00:09:23,570 --> 00:09:25,830 an opportunity to develop skills. 156 00:09:27,580 --> 00:09:31,180 Moreover, cts focus on specific areas of the game, 157 00:09:31,370 --> 00:09:33,980 such as the return of serve and her serve, 158 00:09:34,730 --> 00:09:37,820 even when it seemed like she was not making progress. 159 00:09:38,850 --> 00:09:45,400 Exemplifies another critical aspect of the growth mindset focus and the 160 00:09:45,420 --> 00:09:50,600 belief that effort will lead to improvement over time. 161 00:09:52,540 --> 00:09:57,600 Effort is seen as the path to mastery in sports and 162 00:09:57,940 --> 00:10:01,200 cts eventual realization that everything was clicking. 163 00:10:02,150 --> 00:10:03,370 And to her surprise, 164 00:10:03,560 --> 00:10:08,930 receiving compliments on her reflexes at the net illustrates the payoff 165 00:10:08,990 --> 00:10:13,890 of persistent effort and the willingness to tackle difficulties had on 166 00:10:15,570 --> 00:10:20,200 finally cts encouragement to trust the process. 167 00:10:20,460 --> 00:10:24,280 Her final message on the Post is a mantra that echoes 168 00:10:24,380 --> 00:10:28,800 the growth mindset's emphasis on learning and improvement, 169 00:10:29,060 --> 00:10:31,240 and that it is an ongoing process. 170 00:10:32,470 --> 00:10:37,050 It's a reminder that growth and development are usually not linear. 171 00:10:38,160 --> 00:10:39,660 It requires patience, 172 00:10:40,450 --> 00:10:46,200 time, and really faith in the effort that we're investing now. 173 00:10:46,780 --> 00:10:50,240 Cts approach to her Pickleball to to practicing Pickleball, 174 00:10:50,850 --> 00:10:53,770 particularly after facing setbacks, 175 00:10:54,360 --> 00:10:56,110 highlights a real critical lesson, 176 00:10:57,180 --> 00:11:01,840 and that's the value of focusing on effort and persistence rather 177 00:11:02,270 --> 00:11:05,160 than being solely focused on outcomes. 178 00:11:06,570 --> 00:11:10,120 After experiencing what she described as that big step backwards in 179 00:11:10,120 --> 00:11:10,560 her game, 180 00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:16,620 she could have easily succumb to disappointment and disillusionment. 181 00:11:17,360 --> 00:11:23,130 However, her dedication to working the process and trusting, 182 00:11:23,190 --> 00:11:26,690 as she said all the magic was working behind the scenes, 183 00:11:27,630 --> 00:11:31,610 is a testament to her commitment to effort and persistence. 184 00:11:33,230 --> 00:11:38,920 Now, the process of learning and the effort put into overcoming 185 00:11:39,440 --> 00:11:43,060 obstacles are much more important than immediate results. 186 00:11:44,130 --> 00:11:49,060 Embracing effort as the pathway to mastery encourages a love of 187 00:11:49,260 --> 00:11:55,130 learning in a resilience which are Essential for great accomplishments. 188 00:11:56,790 --> 00:12:02,130 Cts story exemplifies this as her focus on improving specific aspects 189 00:12:02,150 --> 00:12:02,730 of the game, 190 00:12:03,160 --> 00:12:07,110 like the return of serve and her serve through consistent effort 191 00:12:07,290 --> 00:12:12,750 and practice eventually led to a breakthrough where she told us 192 00:12:12,750 --> 00:12:13,710 everything was clicking. 193 00:12:14,500 --> 00:12:19,940 Moreover, cts realization that other parts of her game improved alongside 194 00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:21,260 of her focus efforts, 195 00:12:21,810 --> 00:12:24,620 even leading to compliments on her reflexes. 196 00:12:24,680 --> 00:12:25,260 At the net, 197 00:12:25,830 --> 00:12:29,200 that underscores another vital aspect of the growth mindset, 198 00:12:30,700 --> 00:12:36,860 indirect benefits that come from directed effort and persistence. 199 00:12:38,050 --> 00:12:41,070 Now, the journey that she shared with us is a powerful 200 00:12:41,390 --> 00:12:47,100 reminder that Pickleball as in life outcomes are beyond our direct 201 00:12:47,100 --> 00:12:53,570 control, but our effort and our persistence or not by concentrating 202 00:12:53,710 --> 00:12:55,370 on what we can control, 203 00:12:56,150 --> 00:12:56,930 our dedication, 204 00:12:57,790 --> 00:12:58,650 our work ethic, 205 00:12:59,270 --> 00:13:00,170 our practice habits, 206 00:13:01,670 --> 00:13:03,890 our resilience in the face of challenges, 207 00:13:04,750 --> 00:13:09,490 we set the stage for growth and improvement that can far 208 00:13:09,790 --> 00:13:11,250 out seat our expectations. 209 00:13:12,710 --> 00:13:18,810 Now, cts experience encourages us all to adopt a mindset that 210 00:13:18,830 --> 00:13:22,170 values the journey of improvement itself, 211 00:13:23,390 --> 00:13:27,720 celebrating the effort and persistence it takes to progress. 212 00:13:29,280 --> 00:13:33,370 This approach not only fosters a deeper love of the game, 213 00:13:34,700 --> 00:13:39,880 but it also co cultivates a resilient spirit that's capable of 214 00:13:40,050 --> 00:13:43,880 navigating the ups and downs of any learning journey. 215 00:13:44,950 --> 00:13:50,240 It's really a powerful lesson in the transformative potential of focusing 216 00:13:50,420 --> 00:13:57,060 on effort and persistence over immediate outcomes That reinforces the idea 217 00:13:57,250 --> 00:14:00,930 that true growth lies in the process, 218 00:14:02,300 --> 00:14:03,800 not just in the product. 219 00:14:04,610 --> 00:14:06,070 Now, if you enjoyed today's podcast, 220 00:14:06,810 --> 00:14:09,550 please share it with your Pickleball playing friends. 221 00:14:10,660 --> 00:14:12,380 Remember, if you are enjoying the podcast, 222 00:14:13,050 --> 00:14:14,100 they probably will too. 223 00:14:15,030 --> 00:14:18,230 I wish you a great week and a growth mindset for 224 00:14:18,230 --> 00:14:19,270 your Pickleball game. 225 00:14:20,100 --> 00:14:21,550 Tony will be back next week, 226 00:14:22,050 --> 00:14:22,950 but in the meantime, 227 00:14:23,420 --> 00:14:25,310 have fun out on the Pickleball courts.