Rethinking Mindset

What Even Is Mindset—and Why Does It Matter?

When people talk about mindset, they often reduce it to thinking positively, believing in yourself, or just having confidence. But mindset isn’t wishful thinking. It’s not a fairy tale where if you think happy thoughts, everything works out.

(Sorry, Tinkerbell.)

What Mindset Is Not:

• It’s not just being positive

• It’s not pretending everything is okay

• It’s not just pushing through

  
  

Two Working Definitions:

• The lens through which we interpret challenge, effort, and failure

• The internal system we use to make sense of our capacity, growth, and capability

  
  

It’s more nuanced than motivation or mantras. Yes, we want to believe in ourselves, try hard things, and face failure with courage. But mindset goes deeper. It’s not about thinking the right thoughts—it’s about building the right frameworks to navigate challenge and uncertainty.

Where Most Conversations About Mindset Go Wrong

We’ve over-simplified mindset into a binary:

• Fixed = Bad

• Growth = Good

  
  

We throw out phrases like “just believe in yourself” without showing people how.We praise grit and perseverance without teaching emotional regulation, strategic reflection, or recovery.

Even the original research by Dr. Carol Dweck, who introduced the concept of fixed vs. growth mindset, has been misunderstood.

Let’s go back to her definition:

“The beliefs people have about the nature of their abilities and talents.”

In other words, mindset shapes how we interpret what’s happening to and around us. It influences how we respond to challenge, feedback, and failure. But a true growth mindset isn’t just about effort. As Dr. Dweck later clarified in Education Week:

“It’s not just about effort. You also need to learn skills and strategies. It’s about learning and progress.”

Thomas the Engine makes a cute story and emphasizes the power of perseverance, but mindset is more than repeating “I think I can.” It’s about building the tools to make it possible.

Mindset Is a Skill, Not a Switch

That’s where other researchers—like Dr. Robin Vealey and Dr. Gabriele Oettingen—add depth to our understanding.

Dr. Vealey, a sport psychology expert, emphasizes that confidence and mindset aren’t just about belief in ability, but belief in how we build those abilities over time. Her work promotes periodized confidence development—built on reflection, strategy, and challenge—mirroring how athletes train.

Likewise, Dr. Oettingen’s research on mental contrasting and WOOP (Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan) shows that success isn’t just about positive thinking—it’s about anticipating obstacles and making a plan.

In fact, her research found that people who only visualize a positive outcome are often less likely to achieve it.Why? Because fantasizing about success can trick the brain into feeling like we’ve already arrived—dampening motivation and follow-through.

Mental contrasting, by contrast, improves follow-through, especially under stress. In one study, students using WOOP were 50% more likely to complete their homework. In health behavior research, people using mental contrasting were more consistent with exercise and nutrition goals.

Compare this to SMART goals: specific and measurable, yes—but often missing the emotional and cognitive resistance that derails success.

The Value of Understanding Weaknesses

If we don’t acknowledge our weaknesses, we can’t set ourselves up for sustainable success.True positive psychology doesn’t ignore weakness—it reframes it.

Think of a sailboat:A leak (weakness) doesn’t mean the boat is broken. It means we pay attention to it, account for it, and keep moving forward.

Understanding our limitations allows us to prepare—not panic—and build systems that work with our brain and behavior.

What Mindset Actually Looks Like

It’s not unshakable confidence.It’s adaptability.And it’s trainable.

Real growth looks like:

• Trying again after messing up

• Asking for help

• Adjusting the plan—not abandoning it

  
  

It helps us:

• Approach challenges with curiosity

• View mistakes as part of the process

• Separate our identity from our outcomes

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Want to Build a Better Mindset?

Start Here:

Reflection Prompts to Build Self-Awareness:

• Today I learned…

• What went well?

• What can I do differently next time?

• Where did I feel challenged—and how did I respond?

  
  

Bottom Line:

Mindset isn’t magic. It’s not fixed.And it’s not something you either have or you don’t.

Mindset is trainable.And that’s exactly what I help people do.

Whether you’re an athlete, a leader, a student, or someone navigating change—your mindset shapes your path. Let’s make sure it’s one you can trust.

📩 Want support? Reach out any time Dr.BHerrick@herrickperformance.com

📝 References

• Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Random House.

• Dweck, C. S. (2015, September 22). “Carol Dweck Revisits the 'Growth Mindset'.” Education Week.

• Dweck, C. S. (2016, December). The Power of Believing You Can Improve. [TED Talk]

• Vealey, R. S. (2018). A periodization approach to building confidence in athletes. Journal of Sport Psychology in Action, 9(1), 1–14.

• Oettingen, G. (2014). Rethinking Positive Thinking: Inside the New Science of Motivation.

• Oettingen, G., & Gollwitzer, P. M. (2010). Strategies of setting and implementing goals: Mental contrasting and implementation intentions. In Social Psychological Foundations of Clinical Psychology.