When you are presented with something that challenges a belief of yours, how do you respond? Are you curious to find out if there is something to it or are you defensive and try to justify your current position? How you answer that question will say a lot about how far you progress both on the bike and in life.

Curious people have fewer barriers erected around their ideas, which makes it infinitely easier to adapt to new ideas and find better ways to do things. Defensive people have carefully constructed walls erected around their ideas for the express purpose of defending them from any and all challenges to them, which makes it tough for any new ideas to make their way in, even if they are better.

The best way to tell what kind of person you are is to listen to how you respond. Curious people ask “why”, defensive people say “but”. For example, in my facility people are often presented with a new way to execute an exercise or approach a goal. The people who do the best ask questions so they know why we are doing it, defensive people say “but…” and then make an excuse. Which response do you think leads to faster progress and results?

It’s hard to stress the importance of this mindset – you can never be successful if you spend more time and energy trying to defend your current ideas than seeking better ways to do things.