Trainer Road’s “Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast” answered the question I submitted about climbing Haleakula in Maui. Every year I visit Maui in March with family. Every year I sit in a van while we explore the island and I look longingly out the window at all the cyclists riding on the side of the road. I see cyclists climbing the mountain and I am in so much envy. One time we stopped at a rest area and I chatted a bit with a woman taking a rest. It wasn’t her first time taking the climb and she seemed to enjoy every moment; its reward and struggle. After we chatted a bit I found out she was from Seattle and lived not far from me.
My question starts at 1:42:04. They took a direction I didn’t expect. They started talking about “The Growth Mindset”. They pulled that I had a fixed mindset from the way I phrased my question. This is an uncanny direction to take. Just weeks ago my employer held a forum on the Growth Mindset and asked me to present as part of a penel. Each person talked about their fixed mindset past and the struggle trying to take a growth approach. A bit part of my personality is my drive to experiment. I am constantly trying to learn about the world around me and thrive with novelty. And barely weeks away, the group of strangers pull my fixed mindset out from just a few sentences of writing. In crafting my question I thought about how I would sound. I didn’t want to come across too boastful because I am not a racer. I phrased it with the goal of coming off humble, not fixed. But where did my need for humility come from? How fixed is my mindset really? I grew up in the Western culture that declares “you can do anything if you just put your mind to it”. At the same time, I am filled with worry and fear every time I ride. I still ride, and I guess that’s what makes me different from others. Needless to say, I don’t love the Growth Mindset approach. I can see how it’s what my employer needs, but it doesn’t touch me personally. That being said, I am now more driven than ever to take on the next challenge. Prove them wrong. I lived many years filled with insecurity, but that isn’t me now and hasn’t been for a long time. Check back soon to find out what my next big challenge will be.