While your legs may be limber, could your thinking style be inflexible?

You’ve just been to an audition and it didn’t go so well, or so you think.

Perhaps you weren’t ‘successful’ this time and are feeling like your ability has let you down.

Here’s a thought! Acclaimed author and mindset researcher, Carol Dweck believes success is showing up and going for it.

It’s all about how you’re spending your energy.

Flexible thinking is like switching gears in a car, it allows energy to flow so you can keep moving forward.

Using only your current ability and the outcome of an audition as a measure of your success, means you are limited by beliefs that aren’t completely accurate. Like only allowing you to think you’re ‘good’ or ‘bad’ at something, or that if someone is better than you, you must be ‘not good enough’.

This style of thinking can be described as a Fixed Mindset, where you believe your ability is a built-in talent, not something that can grow.

A Fixed Mindset can feel like a major obstacle is standing in your way, no matter how high you jump, or rev that car engine, you can’t escape it. You may feel that if you don’t succeed right away, maybe you’re not cut out for this?

“Remember, Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, but backwards and in high heels.” -Faith Whittlesey

As a performer, it’s easy to feel that sense of pressure to have it all together and be at the end result right now.

But where’s the fun in that?

Having a Fixed Mindset could mean you’re missing out on learning opportunities because you don’t want to expose a perceived weakness. This means you might not stretch yourself and reach as much of your potential as you could.

A more flexible and compassionate way to look at your ability is through a Growth Mindset. Believing your ability is something you can change, grow and develop by putting in effort.

So that obstacle you were trying to conquer? The good news is, there’s another way to approach it.

Just like Ginger, you can turn things around, you can adapt.

How many people do you know with an innate talent for walking backwards, let alone dancing backwards, and in heels!?

Performers at the top have inevitably worked very hard to get there. They’ve experienced challenges, made mistakes, struggled with their confidence and they’ve persevered through it.

Sounds gruelling, and of course the industry can be, but it doesn’t have to compromise your enjoyment in the process.

With a Growth Mindset, you love a good challenge.

Adopting a Growth Mindset allows you to become curious, experimental, to reflect on what’s holding you back. It also means you can learn from someone else’s success, rather than resenting it.

“There are infinite combinations of notes that will lead to an artful outcome.” – source unknown

You can thrive by learning to dance in the rain.

A Growth Mindset is a state of mind that doesn’t breed on shame. In fact, it thrives on acceptance and curiosity. It’s flexible, like a swaying palm tree, bending with the fierce wind in a storm, before standing tall again, and continuing to grow after the storm has passed.

Allow yourself the freedom to enjoy your work again and develop in ways you never imagined were possible.

Here are 5 ways to help get you started on the path to developing a Growth Mindset.

1. Embrace a challenge

2. Work through obstacles

3. Accept, reflect on and learn from criticism

4. See effort as necessary to grow

5. Find lessons in the actions of others and get inspired

“Backwards dancing in heels? This may take some time and effort but I’m going to figure out how Ginger did it!”

StageMinded is all about taking performance psychology out to the performers, so that wherever you are, you can access quality support and mental skills training to help you reach your potential, whilst staying balanced.

Of course, your journey to developing a Growth Mindset is deeply individual.

Take charge of your progress and success as a performer today, get on board and join Mindset School.