Growth mindset doesn’t get enough credit in the discussion on optimal performance – in sport, business, or life.

While many people know it’s benefits to learning and healthy development, far fewer people know how critical it is to accessing flow state – or being in “the zone” – which matters in business as much as it does in sport.

People with a growth mindset more frequently set “mastery goals” (centered on learning and development) instead of “performance goals” (centered on competence). And mastery goals are linked to more flow experiences.

One explanation for this could be that people with a growth mindset set mastery goals that are more challenging – that truly push their potential (because they’re not worried about proving their competence or failing). And challenge is necessary to accessing flow state.

Additionally, growth mindset helps us to interpret performance situations as a challenge instead of a threat. This singular shift in our thinking sets of a cascade of physiological changes in our body that prime optimal performance – quite literally the right mix of neurochemicals, hormones, and the way our brain functions.