“I want you to challenge me, coach. I want to be challenged.”
A few weeks ago Ohio State star freshman wide receiver, Jeremiah Smith revealed a conversation he had with Buckeye wide receivers coach, Brian Hartline.
Heading into the college football playoff, Smith revealed he wanted to be coached - and coached hard. He wanted to be challenged.
In the five words “I want to be challenged”, Smith may have actually revealed what it is that makes him so special.
His size is off the charts, 6’4” 215 lbs. His speed is incredible, he was a state champion in high school in the 110, and 400 m hurdles in Florida, a state loaded with speed and talent. He was the number one recruit in the country coming out of high school last year. Some draft analysts indicate that if he was actually eligible for the draft this year, he would almost certainly be a top 5 pick, and the first receiver taken in the draft.
But all the physical attributes are negated without the right mindset. How many times have you seen talented athletes fail to reach the fullness of their physical abilities because of their mindset? More importantly, the mindset around challenge.
In this edition of the How To Flourish we’re going to explore the difference between a challenge mindset and a threat mindset and have a hard conversation about how our ego is limiting our growth.
Threat, Danger, Not Safe
In stressful or competitive situations our mind defaults to two dominant orientations. We begin to interpret our circumstances as a threat or a challenge. In social psychology these mindsets can be known as “promotion” or “prevention” approaches or “gain” and “loss-prevention” orientations.
Fundamentally we are scanning our surroundings in high stakes situations and our innate fight or flight system is interpreting threats. When we view something as threatening our natural reaction is to protect, and preserve ourselves. In the case of coaching-and-correction we are protecting and preserving our ego, or our self-esteem, or a fragile sense of confidence.
When an athlete is in the midst of a “threat” mindset everything becomes something that could take away our fragile confidence.
Coach comes on strong and it’s “wow I thought I was good, I guess I’m not.”
Coach reveals on film where the athlete blew assignments, or mismanaged the game and it’s “I’m being picked on. I’m being attacked.”
A pitcher faces the top of the batting order and it’s “My great outing could slip through my fingers, failure is possible.”
“I never play well on this field..”
“I never shoot well in this gym.”
“I never pitch well on this mound.”
Threat, threat, threat.
Viewing opportunities as threats has rarely worked in the life of the high performer. Heart rate rises, the body stiffens up, palms become sweaty, nervousness begins to override confidence, leading to self doubt.
Challenge, Growth, Uncertainty
The counter to a threat mindset is to interpret events as a challenge. Challenges are fun. They can help us turn high stakes into opportunities.
The elite performer recognizes they need to be challenged in order to grow. This is what makes Jeremiah Smith’s quote so powerful.
Most 19 year olds would love to sit back and admire their freshman season. One of the top performers in the country. Everyone gawking at the potential. All kinds of attention.
Yet, Jeremiah Smith is willingly putting himself under a challenge.
“Coach, I want you to challenge me.”
Truly elite athletes want to be challenged.
Average athletes find a way to be challenged without getting outwardly defensive but inwardly they remain hostile to challenge.
Below average athletes interpret being challenged as “being picked on.”
Most young athletes are in survival mode. In this mode it’s avoid being challenged at all costs.
Avoid looking stupid.
Avoid failing publicly.
Avoid being embarrassed.
Avoid in any way the situations and scenarios in which your ego could be bruised.
How’s Your Threat Mindset?
If Jeremiah Smith becomes who experts are predicting him to be, it will not be because his innate talent. The cynic will see his success and say “Oh man, must be nice to be 6’4.”
“Must be nice to have blazing speed.”
“Must be nice…”
All of the “must be nice” talk is a smoke screen and a misdiagnosis of why he’s becoming an exceptional talent.
It’s his mindset.
You won’t hear anyone say “Oh man it must be nice to cultivate a challenge mindset day after day for years.”
Because anybody can do that. And we would rather look at the traits we weren’t blessed or born with as the reason our development is stuck and not flourishing.
The truth is you and I can embrace a challenge mindset every single day if we wanted. It may not lead to us going to the NFL but I can guarantee it will lead to you being a better athlete, coach, spouse, parent, leader.
“Well I don’t have a coach.”
You could ask your spouse to challenge you?
You could ask your boss at work to challenge you?
You could ask a friend to challenge you?
You could hire a coach?
There’s an obstacle to every one of those solutions.
It’s our ego.
It’s our lack of humility.
It’s our crazed desire to not look or feel dumb. It’s our desire to protect and defend all the time.
It’s our threat mindset.
How can you develop a challenge mindset?
Start viewing challenges and adversity as the valuable conditions that produce growth, not the undesirable conditions that embarrass you.
Over time you’ll be craving challenge so much you’ll start asking people to challenge you like 19-year old Jeremiah Smith is doing.
(Original video from https://www.elevenwarriors.com/)
Stay The Course,
