Your mindset matters for performance optimization

 By: Justin Kobler

As an instructor at the Air Force Special Warfare Preparatory course and the Air Force Combat Dive course, my students and other potential candidates often asked me what the key was to successfully completing the 2-year training pipeline. My answer was always, mindset.

The “pipeline” is a rigorous and grueling process that tests you mentally and physically. While few of the specific events or different courses themselves are very difficult, it’s the cumulative effect of knowing you have to wake up and give everything you’ve got, every day for 2 years that makes the pipeline so difficult. This is where mindset plays a huge factor. You might have a bad day or an event you’re struggling to get past, but mentally, you have to accept that it happened and then move on to the next day or event.

One of the things you’re evaluated on is how you deal with failure and adversity. Do you let failing get in your way of successfully completing the next event? Your mindset can be the difference between overcoming adversity to accomplish your goals—or not.

 Optimistic mindset 

My mindset during my pipeline was, “Why can’t I?” This is a form of an optimistic mindset that helped me see where I had control to accomplish my goals. I asked myself, “Are the candidates who complete this pipeline that much better than I am? If they can do it, why can’t I?” I wasn’t the strongest or fastest on any of the teams I was on during training. But I never doubted I belonged on each team and could find a way to excel. A candidate might have performed better than me on an event 9 times in a row, but knew I was mentally prepared to go again the next time we were called on to perform.

 Mindfulness mindset 

Mindfulness is the act of staying focused on the present task at hand and letting other thoughts come and go without judgement. Having a mindfulnessmindset can play a huge part in your success. Knowing the pipeline lasts 2 years if you don’t have any setbacks, and that you’re going to be tested more than 700 days in a row, can be a daunting task. My mindfulness mindset was, “I am not going to worry about what event comes next, when I get to eat lunch or what time of day it is. Every event has to end and eventually I’ll get to eat and sleep. All I am going to focus on is the event I’m currently doing.” Instructional self-talk is a tool that can help you stay focused on each step to accomplish the task at hand and apply a mindfulness mindset. Check out HPRC’s self-talk optimization worksheet to help you apply instructional self-talk.

 Bottom line 

The biggest difference between a candidate who successfully completes demanding courses like the pipeline and one who doesn’t make it through is mindset. Having an optimistic or mindfulness mindset will greatly improve your chances of success. Don’t let the anxiety of what’s coming next or the knowledge you have 2 years of difficult training ahead affect your performance. The pipeline is a marathon, not a sprint. You complete a marathon by putting one foot in front of the other until you’ve crossed the finish line. You complete the pipeline by accomplishing one event at a time. 

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* The opinions and assertions expressed herein are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of USU or DoD. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the author and do not reflect the views, opinions, or policies of The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. Mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. The author has no financial interests or relationships to disclose.

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