Having the correct mindset is important in all things, and as much so in sports.
A wrong mindset can lead you down a strange path and cause you to do the wrong things, make the wrong choices, and ultimately hurt your health and athletic performance.
Of course, what the right mindset is, is a difficult question, and quite a subjective one.
In our opinion, the right mindset means you have clearly defined long-term goals, reasonable expectations, and an open mind to accept the advice of experts and peers.
If there is a single advice to give, it's that you should view your athletic journey as a marathon and not a sprint. Way too often, and that's something we've committed countless times ourselves, we try to go way too hard, possibly to compensate for a period of inactivity. Don't do that.
Instead you should aim for steady progress. You don't have to make each training session the best you ever had, just make sure you do it according to your plan.
And speaking of plans, let's go to mistake number two.