Esports Library

An Esports Mindset: Learning How to Improve

Plateauing or a state of stagnation is a common problem among gamers. A potential explanation for this lies in our very own mindset, a set of beliefs about our abilities that fuels actions and motivation.

Often I hear people say, you need to have a different mindset about different things. Your mindset makes you who you are. But really, what is mindset? To put it simply, it is a set of beliefs that everyone possesses when facing various situations. This belief system is connected with how we handle and perceive things in our life like achievements, abilities and ultimately ourselves. As an example, let’s say you or your team suffered a 3-game losing streak and got dropped from the tournament feeling frustrated. The question is what are you going to do next? Will you ignore it and act like it doesn’t matter, or will you use this opportunity to learn?

Remember the belief system I mentioned in the first paragraph – the next step you take will largely depend on what kind of mindset you and your team have. Before I go any further, remember OG and their TI 2018: A Dota 2 Cinderella Story – I don’t know what their mindset was over the years, but after several attempts, they finally managed to lift The Aegis of Champions, more than once.

There are two types of mindset – the first one enables us to notice opportunities that can help us grow and develop, which is called the growth mindset. These people strive for improvement in their abilities and failure is just an indicator that they need to improve more. They don’t run or hide from feedback and criticism but instead welcome it. Resilience and perseverance usually follow this type of mindset when failure is experienced, which additionally fuels their motivation and desire to change and improve.

Maintaining a positive mindset after a crushing defeat or a personal failure is not easy – some of us are “wired” differently and raised in a different environment. These are typical reactions associated with the growth mindset:

• Stepping out of the comfort zone and learning how to play new roles;
• High motivation and confidence after experiencing defeat;
• Always open for constructive feedback;
• Find inspiration and motivation in other people’s success;
• Constantly seeks to improve and learn.

On another side, our mindset can trap us into thinking that this is who we are and we can hardly change anything. This one is called the fixed mindset. A typical characteristic of people with this type is that all of their talent and abilities are God-given. As such, they see defeat as a testimony to their abilities, not as an opportunity to grow. The fear of failure is very real and unsettling and it makes them doubt how good they are. They seek to prove themselves by winning and measure themselves by their failures. Therefore, they become defensive when facing feedback and criticism. As a result, people with a fixed mindset may plateau more often and never achieve their full potential.

These are some other typical characteristics and reactions for the fixed mindset:

• Picking the road more traveled and dodging new roles and responsibilities;
• Avoiding to go back and analyze the lost games;
• Focusing on the pressure of the expectations of a new team;
• Feel threatened by the success of others;
• Giving up on the team after defeats.

So, the question is how to facilitate the growth mindset in an esports environment and in players?

Unlike the weight scale, there isn’t a tool that will tell you which mindset you have. This is decided by actions you take every day when facing challenges. Additionally, this is not something that is “set in stone” and you are one way or another. The key thing here is maintaining a growth mindset in everything that we do. It is not easy, but like everything, it takes time and practice. That is why I am leaving you with this list of actions that you can start implementing today:

1. Learn from failures – The faster you understand this, the better you will become in all segments of your life. Every famous person in the world went through this and that is why they are successful;
2. Embrace challenges – View them as an opportunity to grow and learn. Encourage yourself to step out of your comfort zone;
3. Love learning – Learning and acquiring new skills never stops. It is not like in school, you are doing this ONLY for yourself;
4. I CAN DO IT – Instead of saying I CAN’T DO IT, switch to I CAN DO IT! If you have to, write it on a piece of paper and put it on your wall;
5. Feedback and criticism – Learn to accept feedback and criticism but don’t take them personally.

© Photos by Michal Konkol – LoL Esports Photos 2019