Have you heard of the term Growth Mindset? If not, let me explain. A growth mindset is a belief in yourself and your abilities that can have a profound effect on your life. Many who do not fully understand what it means often refer to it as being “superior”, “athletic”, or “elite”. These are all valid labels, but I would like to define it for you.
The growth mindset is a belief that you are an individual with unlimited potential, that you possess amazing gifts, and that you can change the world. It does not matter if you are young, old, or anything in between. Those who possess this type of mindset believe that by utilizing their gifts, talents, and abilities they can improve the quality of people around them, and therefore the quality of their lives.
To develop a growth mindset is something that takes time. It will not happen overnight, and it certainly won’t happen while you are living in the moment. For example, if you want to learn how to play the piano, you won’t start studying just because you heard someone play the instrument. You’ll need to study and practice, over an extended period of time.
Another aspect of developing a growth mindset is to eliminate fear. Most people equate fear with accomplishment and rightly so. However, there are many instances when fear can keep us from moving forward. I’ve met people who fear asking for help, for instance, or even speaking up. Don’t fear these things, and you’ll become a more effective leader.
Another aspect of developing a mindset is to always look to improve. It’s important to note that this doesn’t mean that you should never make mistakes, but that you should learn from them and try to do things differently next time. That doesn’t mean you have to replicate your mistakes, but you can learn from them and try to do things differently the next time. The point is to understand that your growth mindset is only as good as the person is willing to allow it to be. If you’re not willing to let go of old beliefs and behaviors, then you will find it very difficult to adopt a new one.
Yet another element of developing a growth mindset is to be persistent. I remember a time when I had initially considered becoming a travel agent. I was told that I’d have to drive many hours to meet the people I wanted to target, and that would really be a hassle. To me, this was a sign of a mindset that valued education and experience, and I didn’t want to put unnecessary effort into something that wasn’t going to be valuable to me.
Over the course of my career, I was able to change many bad habits that I was previously using to keep me from succeeding. One of the most important elements to developing a growth mindset is to set short term goals, and work towards achieving those goals. You’ll have a much easier time getting things done when you’re working toward something rather than just focusing on the future. This will also help you to eliminate feelings of failure because you know that you can make things happen if you’re willing to take action. Failure should be used as a stepping stone, not an excuse.
Another element of having a growth mindset is to be prepared for changes. People who haven’t ever achieved any kind of success in life often expect the world to come to them on a silver platter, but that rarely happens. You’ll have to take action, even if it’s tough or it seems like the world is against you. It’s the only way to achieve real, meaningful success in life.