Continuum Performance

BE ABOUT IT

Mindset: Growth or Fixed?
Eric Belliveau • February 28, 2017

I’m going to start out today with a scenario.

You are taking a new class at CPC. You decide that today is the day you are ready to take that intimidating class you have always been nervous to try. There are twelve people taking the class and you know most of them because you’re all from the same small town. The class begins and the first half goes great. You are enjoying the fact that you can keep up. It seems like you made the right decision to try the harder class. With ten minutes left in class, you are tasked to complete a workout that includes ten pull-ups without any assistance. Everyone in class is able to complete the workout with extra time remaining, while you are stuck unable to complete the pull-up portion. After five minutes of struggling, time is up, class is over, and you could not finish.

How would you honestly react in this situation? Would you decide the class is not for you? Maybe you think you aren’t ready? Are you embarrassed and not interested in going through that again? Or are you excited to give the class another chance? Maybe you’re determined to be able to complete a few more pull-ups and finish the class.

The way you approach successes and failures says a lot about the person you are and who you’ll become.

I recently finished reading “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success” by Carol Dweck. An awesome book for anyone in leadership positions, business, or athletics. As someone with experience in the field of athletics as a player, coach, and strength coach, I have learned that the mental part of the game is almost as important as the talent it takes to play the game. The way you approach successes and failures says a lot about the person you are and who you’ll become. The book dives into this topic and focuses on two ways of thinking: growth vs. fixed. The book explains the fixed mindset as “believing your qualities are carved in stone.” This is like believing the new CPC class is just not meant for you. You’ll never be able to do ten pull-ups, so going back to the class is pointless. The growth mindset is based on the belief that “your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts.” The idea of growth and improvement through application and experience are the basis of the growth mindset. This is like signing up for the same, tough class next week because you understand it will make you better in the long run. Going into your next session and wanting to learn how to do pull-ups because you know you can do it with practice.

From a personal perspective, I know that there have been times in my life where I have taken the easy road and given up on something I could have improved on because I looked foolish or I wasn’t great at it. This book has given me a different perspective on the way I approach even minor daily activities. My goal is to learn from everything I do. Whether it be success or failure, it can teach me something that will make me a better person. Next time you find yourself in a situation where it would be easier to give up and not do it again, make sure you take a step back and realize that you can learn from it and make yourself better.

The Meat Hangover

By Eric Belliveau • October 7, 2020
When it comes to taking meat out of your diet, some people have the idea that they will only see positive changes immediately following this choice. While those positive changes are definitely part of the deal, so is an adjustment period for your body.

We're Trying

By Eric Belliveau • September 23, 2020
We were all thrown on this crazy ride together. Emotions were running high but so were patience, empathy, inclusion, and respect. Most of us could rally behind the #WeAreInThisTogether manta. We wanted to do right by each other - donate to charities, lend a hand, check-in on one another. Do our part. As the days turn to weeks and the weeks into months these dispositions decayed rapidly. I know that this Quarantine order has been going on for a long time. I know that a great number of us do not agree on the why. I know an even greater number of us are “over it”. I am painfully aware of the difference of opinions surrounding the pandemic. It is impossible to NOT be aware of this. This leads us all to frustration, anger, resentment, and the feeling that you are not being heard. Very real and very human emotions! It is okay to feel this way. I am not only writing this from the perspective of a fellow struggling human. I do find myself struggling with everything I mentioned above. Not just daily but multiple times a day. My ability to focus has been challenged by my worry. My ability to create time for myself and focus on self-care has been derailed for fear of other things becoming more pressing. I work on this every day. I am not only writing this from the perspective of one of the business owners who were never given a playbook for this. For weeks on end I thought WTF happened to the business and how would our model need to change and remain viable, how each business owner had to either weather a period in which we were completely shut down or allowed to operate under capacity restrictions, etc. The unknown of what the timeline would bring and whether we would be able to continue our dreams or make an extremely difficult decision of not continuing. This still haunts every one of us daily. I AM very much writing this as a service provider! I am writing this as an impassioned human who genuinely loves what I do for a living. I feel incredibly lucky to be able to have built a career surrounding something I get excited about every day. I am making a stand for all of us that make their living in the service industry. To the receptionist, hostess, waiter, cook, dry cleaner, teacher, technician, barista, utility worker, automobile service technician… It is truly impossible to be inclusive of everyone here.  No one human mentioned above asked for this ‘situation’ we are in. We are sure as hell trying to provide a level of normalcy, service, care, and happiness to the lives in which we choose to serve. With added restrictions, added expense decreased capacity and the fear of being fined or shut down for doing it incorrectly, everyday.

The Meat Hangover

By Eric Belliveau • October 7, 2020
When it comes to taking meat out of your diet, some people have the idea that they will only see positive changes immediately following this choice. While those positive changes are definitely part of the deal, so is an adjustment period for your body.

We're Trying

By Eric Belliveau • September 23, 2020
We were all thrown on this crazy ride together. Emotions were running high but so were patience, empathy, inclusion, and respect. Most of us could rally behind the #WeAreInThisTogether manta. We wanted to do right by each other - donate to charities, lend a hand, check-in on one another. Do our part. As the days turn to weeks and the weeks into months these dispositions decayed rapidly. I know that this Quarantine order has been going on for a long time. I know that a great number of us do not agree on the why. I know an even greater number of us are “over it”. I am painfully aware of the difference of opinions surrounding the pandemic. It is impossible to NOT be aware of this. This leads us all to frustration, anger, resentment, and the feeling that you are not being heard. Very real and very human emotions! It is okay to feel this way. I am not only writing this from the perspective of a fellow struggling human. I do find myself struggling with everything I mentioned above. Not just daily but multiple times a day. My ability to focus has been challenged by my worry. My ability to create time for myself and focus on self-care has been derailed for fear of other things becoming more pressing. I work on this every day. I am not only writing this from the perspective of one of the business owners who were never given a playbook for this. For weeks on end I thought WTF happened to the business and how would our model need to change and remain viable, how each business owner had to either weather a period in which we were completely shut down or allowed to operate under capacity restrictions, etc. The unknown of what the timeline would bring and whether we would be able to continue our dreams or make an extremely difficult decision of not continuing. This still haunts every one of us daily. I AM very much writing this as a service provider! I am writing this as an impassioned human who genuinely loves what I do for a living. I feel incredibly lucky to be able to have built a career surrounding something I get excited about every day. I am making a stand for all of us that make their living in the service industry. To the receptionist, hostess, waiter, cook, dry cleaner, teacher, technician, barista, utility worker, automobile service technician… It is truly impossible to be inclusive of everyone here.  No one human mentioned above asked for this ‘situation’ we are in. We are sure as hell trying to provide a level of normalcy, service, care, and happiness to the lives in which we choose to serve. With added restrictions, added expense decreased capacity and the fear of being fined or shut down for doing it incorrectly, everyday.
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