The mindset you bring to the dance floor matters more than the result
After a recent two day event where I was judging and evaluating students, something caught my attention.
When I return to the same studios over the years, I get to witness something special, the long arc of a dancer’s journey.
Some students show noticeable growth each time I see them. A stronger frame, clearer timing, more confidence on the floor.
Others are simply enjoying the experience of dancing, happy to stay where they are.
Neither approach is right or wrong.
What really matters is the mindset they bring to the event.
If the intention is growth, the event becomes a mirror for learning and improvement.
If the intention is simply enjoyment, the event becomes a celebration of dancing.
Both can be deeply rewarding.
The only place people tend to get stuck is when the intention isn’t clear.
Recently I heard a conversation with Simon Sinek that connected beautifully with what I’ve observed on dance floors for decades.
Goals matter. But systems are what actually make progress happen.
In dance we often focus on the goal.
The competition.
The showcase.
The medal.
The event.
But these moments are really markers along the road, not the reason progress happens.
The dancers who grow the most use events differently. They don’t treat them as a test of their worth. They treat them as feedback on their process.
How consistent were my lessons?
Did I practice with intention?
Did I stay curious when something felt awkward?
The event simply reveals the work that happened beforehand.
This is where the difference between a growth mindset and a comparison mindset becomes clear.
Growth mindset dancers walk off the floor asking,
“What did I learn today?”
Comparison mindset dancers often ask,
“How did I rank compared to them?”
One question builds skill.
The other often builds frustration.
Comparison itself isn’t the problem.
The problem is what we compare.
A dancer might look across the floor and think, “They are so much better than me.”
What they don’t see are the hundreds of lessons, the awkward practices, and the small corrections repeated over and over that built that skill.
Comparing outcomes shuts down growth.
Comparing skills fuels it.
Instead of asking, “Why are they better?” a growth mindset asks,
“What are they doing with their posture, timing, or connection that I can learn from?”
That question turns comparison into education.
Nature understands this better than we do.
An acorn doesn’t look at a towering oak tree and think it’s behind.
It simply grows.
Through wind.
Through rain.
Through seasons where progress is slow.
Growth is encoded in its design.
Lately I’ve been thinking about this while training for my Kilimanjaro climb in October.
Some days the training feels strong and steady. Other days the conditions make progress slower. Snow that feels like quicksand. A body that asks for patience.
Instead of judging the pace, I focus on the system.
Keep hiking.
Keep building strength.
Keep adapting.
Progress may not always look dramatic in the moment, but it is happening.
Just like in dance.
Events are not there to define you.
They are simply there to reflect the journey you’re on.
Whether your intention is growth, enjoyment, or a bit of both, the key is to be clear about it.
Because once your intention is clear, every step on the floor becomes part of the process.
And if we stay curious enough to keep learning, and committed enough to keep showing up, growth tends to happen quietly over time, just like it does in nature
In Joy,
Patty Contenta
P.S.
Some of you know I’m training to climb Mount Kilimanjaro this October. I’ve already reached my original fundraising goal, which I’m deeply grateful for.
The donations have continued, and it’s starting to make me wonder if this might not be the last mountain I climb. I’m quietly considering another expedition next year… we’ll see.
If you’d still like to contribute to the journey, you can do so here:
Thank you to everyone who has supported this adventure.
P.P.S.
Training hasn’t been glamorous lately. On a recent hike the melting snow felt like quicksand and every step turned into a squat workout. If you want to see what that looked like, I posted a reel here:
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1MrUdzYdvH
Let’s just say Kilimanjaro training is keeping me humble.
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