Did you ever read Tillie The Little Engine That Could? What comes to mind? Perhaps the words: “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!”
As children’s characters will attest, a winning mindset is a trait to adopt. It attracts happiness, health, fulfillment and success. But what is a mindset, really?
Your mindset is your set of attitudes that are based on your beliefs which predetermine your reactions and interpretations of any event, environment or situation. Whether positive or negative, your mindset is habitual and affects all aspects of your professional and personal life.
Is Your Mindset Working for You or Holding You Back?
When facing a new challenge, do you react with confidence, knowing that with time, effort and practice you can succeed? Or do you find yourself questioning your abilities, talent and motivation?
Do you view failure as simply part of the process? Or do you avoid challenges in order to preserve your pride?
When you encounter setbacks, do you re-calibrate and persevere or simply give up to save face?
How you interpret and answer those questions gives insight into what type of mindset you have.
You can divide mindset into two general mindsets: fixed and growth.
Fixed Mindset
- Talent and intelligence is static
- It’s better to avoid challenges
- It’s okay (even preferable) to quit before failure
- Effort is pointless
- Ignores useful feedback
- Views success of others as a threat
Growth Mindset
- Talent and intelligence can be developed
- Embraces challenges to grow
- Failure is an opportunity for learning
- Effort leads to mastery and success
- Uses feedback to improve
- Finds inspiration and learning from the success of others
Here are six simple mindset shifts to improve success and keep you focused on a growth mindset:
1. Embrace failure instead of avoiding it. The faster the failure, the quicker the learning. Before starting his auto manufacturing company, Henry Ford failed at his first several businesses. What would the industrial landscape look like had he given up after his first time? Remember, embracing failure also means success can arrive that much sooner.
2. Embrace challenges. People who have a mindset of “growth” realize that challenges are just opportunities in disguise, and they choose to actively seek them out.
3. Use setbacks as learning opportunities. No matter how thorough the plan, no matter how well-executed the details, obstacles will surface. Besides, who can predict with any real accuracy what setbacks will occur? Instead of wasting energy trying to prevent the unknown, why not just face obstacles as they show up?
4. Don’t take it personally. Sometimes the best opportunities for personal and professional growth come from leveraging feedback from others. How well do you listen to your family and friends?
5. Invest in yourself. When it comes to spending time on your health and wellbeing, many women resist it. Instead of thinking of your health as less important , think of it as an investment in your future.
6. Surround yourself with similar mindset. You are far more likely to succeed and grow when you surround yourself with others who inspire and encourage you.
Incorporating these simple shifts in mindset provides opportunities to experience not only tangible results (i.e., achieving your health goals), they also go a long way to shoring up determination, building self-confidence and encouraging action, productivity and fulfillment.
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Affirm to yourself:
“I can easily create a life I love. I make positive choices for myself.”
Your Make It Happen Bold Action Step:
Think of a situation where you were not as successful. What attributes of a fixed mindset stopped you? What attributes of growth mindset helped you?
Remember, I am here for you, to support and believe in you.
What helps you to keep focus on a growth mindset?
Leave us a comment below and share on fabcebook.
Tae
16 Sep 2015Powerful information to keep in mind. I know I’ve been guilty of a few of the items listed under “fixed” mindset in the past. I’m striving to meet those in the “growth” category every day…fear often pulls me backward. Thanks for the lesson, Josee!
Josee
16 Sep 2015You’re welcome Tae. Just keep working at it. It gets better over time.
Peggy
16 Sep 2015I absolutely love #2. I have yet to meet a challenge that I didn’t find the opportunity in! xxoo
Josee
16 Sep 2015Wonderful mindset Peggy. Good for you.
Rachel
16 Sep 2015Terrific list. I love that you started it by embracing failure. I really think we all need to celebrate failure, because it means we’re trying and learning.
Josee
16 Sep 2015You’re so right Rachel. Where would we be today without failure? It’s a game changer. That’s for sure.
Maggie Chula
16 Sep 2015I love your six simple mindset shifts and I know they work. Thank you for writing such a clear, empowering blog.
Josee
16 Sep 2015You’re quite welcome. Mindset is a key factor in everything we do. Glad to see you’ve figured this out.
Pamela
16 Sep 2015Powerful post Josee! Your six simple shifts for a growth mindset are the key to success in every area of life. They’ve helped me reflect on the areas where I would like to improve. Thank you. <3
Josee
16 Sep 2015You’re absolutely right Pamela. Mindset is key to everything.
Andrea
16 Sep 2015#3 is my favorite… never had a mess that didn’t contain a message! Thanks for posting.
Josee
16 Sep 2015You’re welcome Andrea. It’s one of my favorties as well.
Minette
16 Sep 2015I love the differentiation between the two types of mindsets and how we can stay in growth mode! Great post Josee.
Josee
16 Sep 2015Thanks Minette. Staying in the growth mode is key to living a vibrant healthy lifestyle.
Sheila Callaham
16 Sep 2015Great post! This is my year to work on #5 — investing in me! It’s been an interesting ride so far, and I’m so glad I had the courage to love myself enough to do it. :-)
Josee
16 Sep 2015Glad to here that Sheila. You most certainly are worth it. Keep up the good work!
Theresa Williams
17 Sep 2015Love the fixed mindset vs. growth mindset comparison!