There are 2 basic mindsets that shape our lives.
"Fixed Mindset." "Growth Mindset."
What is the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset?
In a fixed mindset, people believe their qualities are fixed traits and therefore cannot change. Such people don’t put in effort to develop and improve themselves.
In a growth mindset, people have an underlying belief that their learning and intelligence can grow with time and experience. When people believe they can get smarter and succeed if they put in some effort, it leads them to higher achievement.
Your fixed beliefs about you will hold you back from making positive change.
Growth and change is something every person needs to be working on. Put in some time and effort so that you can accomplish your goals!
Your mindset is what will determine your success in anything you do, whether its sports, business, fitness, coaching etc.
In this article I will help you find and control your "growth mindset". In order to develop a growth mindset, you have to be willing and committed to changing your beliefs about what you are able to do.
So here are some points I would advise you to work on in order to achieve personal success.
Learn to give and receive criticism – When a person is criticized, the first 2 instinctive reactions are defensiveness and anger. Think of criticism as a favor. You can never learn if nobody tells you that what you are doing is wrong. So how do you learn to take this criticism and use it for your personal growth?
Here are some ways in which you can work on yourself to accept constructive criticism like a champ:
Stop your first reaction – When someone criticizes you, stop! Take a second to let your brain process the negative comments. Do not let your emotions control your logic. Remind yourself to stay calm and accept the criticism as a favor.
Listen – Once you have mastered the challenge to control your emotions, it is time for you to listen and understand the lesson that can be learned from this situation.
Say thank you – Expressing appreciation doesn’t have to mean you’re agreeing with the assessment, but it does show that you’re acknowledging the effort they took to evaluate you and share his or her thoughts.
A need for improvement does not mean failure – The greatest of people are constantly on the hunt for improvement. Improving yourself, challenging yourself to do better is key to creating the correct mindset. Never in the history of man did a need for improvement mean that you have reached a dead end. On the contrary, it opens a new door for you. So gather the tools you have acquired throughout your journey because you're off to the next level of the game.
Here are 3 do's and don’ts for when you receive your opportunity for improvement:
Claim Responsibility – Blaming yourself for things that were out of your control shows that you take too much responsibility. This is not a healthy way to improve your mindset. Claiming responsibility means stepping up to where your involvement truly matters. Understand where you have taken the wrong action and correct it.
DON’T blame others! When you don’t take ownership of your actions and choices, you miss out on the chance to correct course.
2. Admit – What constitutes success? Success is dedicated work and true determination coupled with mistakes and uncertainty. Never think that admitting to a mistake means that you failed, for the secret to success is falling but remembering to get up again.
DON’T deny your mistakes! By doing so you are bound to repeat your mistakes. Ignoring them [mistakes] will cause you to miss out on the valuable lessons they provide.
3. Take effective action – Once you have admitted and claimed responsibility, now it is time for you to regroup. You must now find yourself a new course of action since the first has obviously not satisfied your needs. Set out specific action steps that you must take and focus on doing them right.
DON’T give up! If you are unwilling to challenge yourself, you limit your opportunities for success. Recognizing your failures, are normal and often necessary to your success!
Learn from the mistakes of others - You don't always want to compare yourself to other people, but it is important to see that other people have the same weaknesses as you. Wise men learn from the mistakes of others. "You must learn from the mistakes of others. You can't possibly live long enough to make them all yourself" - Sam Levenson.
As such, why not focus on the mistakes that others make in order to avoid them? From the moment we are born, we start realizing that failing is a way of finding truth in the long term. Life is a constant opportunity to learn! Take your chances and grow with each challenge that comes your way. As time goes on, you will start recognizing these obstacles and you will be able to work around them – this is success! With this in mind, you will be able to master your growth mindset.
Remember that it takes time to learn - Nothing worth doing comes quickly and easily. We are constantly challenged to work our way up and take the risks along the way. Learning anything requires commitment and the ability to push through the uncomfortable feeling of not being very good until reaching competency.
Tip – It will benefit you to remember that it may take several different methods of learning or several times of applying a new technique until it really sticks and you are able to master it.
"The value of work, and of always learning something new, and what it takes to achieve excellence. I really believe in those things that you have to dedicate yourself and spend time, that excellence is elusive. It's a little maddening, to try to have that level of discipline in your life, and I don't succeed all the time. But I do try" - Ben Affleck
Stay determined - It's easy to set a goal, we do it all the time. Staying determined, this is the challenge. For instance, New Year's Resolution – 93% of people set them, while only 8% still have the inner drive that leads them to accomplishment. Staying motivated is not something that happens naturally all the time. This is something that requires hard work.
So how can you work on yourself to stay determined until your goals are accomplished? What can you do to give yourself that extra push towards success? The key is all in your mindset!
Below are 2 tips I acquired throughout my journey and found them to be useful. Learn them, understand them and take them to heart because these will help strengthen your determination and perseverance.
Make sure they are your goals! One of the biggest challenges in staying motivated and sticking to our goals is in making sure that the goals we have set our ones we really want to attain. Staying motivated to accomplish a goal for someone else will lose its meaning when you stop pushing forward. If you really want something done, you will find the drive in you to win the challenge and achieve personal growth.
2. Visualize the results! This means visualizing the sweat on your back, all the effort and hard work you put into accomplishing this goal and the end result. By trying to visualize the end result you can feel some sort of relief, a satisfaction that you will only receive once your goal is complete. Keep this in mind because you'll need it for the long run. By doing this you are making sure that you are staying focused and strong.
Developing a growth mindset is not an easy task. Overcoming that challenge will be difficult but stay strong, because when you succeed, you will come out the other end a smarter and more confident person. The feeling of achieving something unimaginable is remarkable. Show the world how you were able to accomplish the unimaginable – changing your brain patterns and working against your logic.
Change your fixed mindset to a growth mindset and see how your life will change for the better!