Bronze medalist mentality
The exam results are out. If you exceeded your expectations, well done you! Congratulations! Your hard work paid off. Enjoy a well-deserved break and go after your next goals with the same tenacity that brought you success.
But what if you failed? What if you did not do as well as you thought you should have? What if a tricky essay question threw you off and now you are left with 2:2 or another low mark? What do you do now?
Perhaps the bronze medalist mentality can be of service in such a scenario. Think about it in the following terms. A silver medalist is unhappy because she missed out on the gold medal for just a few seconds, or meters. All she can think about is: if only I had been a bit faster, a bit stronger, a bit more accurate, now I would have been at the top of the podium. This is a natural way of thinking, but who would be happy with such a mindset? Applied to exams, this is the student that keeps thinking "if only in question 3 I had mentioned this line of case law and this famous article, I would have received a high 2:1". Now that the dust has settled and there is no possibility of changing your marks, this mindset will only make you miserable.
On the other hand, you could choose the bronze medalist mindset. Should you do this, your thoughts will be much different, despite the fact that the outcome will remain unchanged. What does the bronze medalist ponder on the lowest step of the podium? Oh God, I am so lucky! Had I been half a second slower I would not have won any medals! Had I been less accurate I would not be on this podium at all! I can't believe my luck...I feel both fortunate and grateful! Next time I will do even better. I will aim for the silver or even gold medals! It’s feasible, I almost did it this time!
Do you see the difference? The same result leads to a different assessment and thus a different set of feelings. Which mindset is more productive, the one of the silver or the bronze medalist? Sure, both can be useful at times, but while the former combines bitterness with motivation, the latter combines gratidute with motivation. Choose your mindset and allow it to shape your future.