There are two types of mindset – fixed and growth. Your success or lack of it depends on what mindset you develop.
A fixed mindset is a belief that your intelligence, talents, and skills are static and limited. So, when there’s an opportunity for growth, you tend to decline it. You may have received an offer to take up a leadership position, but you turn it down because you don’t believe that you are good enough. You don’t think that you have what it takes to be in charge and lead others.
Clearly, a fixed mindset is holding you back from doing greater things in your life. If you want to succeed, what you need to change and develop is a growth mindset.
A growth mindset is where you believe that you can improve your current situation by exerting extra effort and seeking new opportunities. You are eager to sharpen your skills, gain new knowledge, and face new challenges. Having this positive mindset can bring a wide range of opportunities in your life.
Here are some tips on how you can develop a growth mindset for success:
Embrace Your Flaws
No one is perfect. We all have our imperfections, weirdness, quirkiness—something that make us unique. We all make mistakes and have weaknesses. But rather than hiding them, denying them, or avoiding them, you must embrace your flaws. Doing so will allow you to see opportunities from these weaknesses and improve yourself and grow.
Treat Failures as Opportunities to Learn
Failure is part of everyone’s journey to success. You may feel inadequate or disappointed with yourself when you experience failure. However, if you want to cultivate a growth mindset, you must treat failures as opportunities to learn.
As Thomas Edison said, “I have not failed 10,000 times. I have successfully found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
In failing, you learn. When you accept that failure happens, you won’t feel bad about it and be afraid of it. As a result, you are prepared to take more risks, which is often necessary if you want to succeed.
Keep the Big Picture in Mind
In cultivating a growth mindset, you need to identify what it is that you want to achieve. What is your purpose? What is the essence of everything that you do? Set goals and keep your dream in front of you. That will drive you to get out of your comfort zone, take up new challenges, and do things you’ve never done before. Then, when you’ve achieved a goal, set a new one. That way, you’ll never feel stuck again, wondering where to go next.
Censor Your Words and Thoughts
Do you often find yourself in negative self-talk? Is your inner critic always winning? If you always have negative thoughts and words, you’ll only see what’s wrong, and that influences your attitude and behavior. When you want to shift to a growth mindset, you should also flip the switch. Be conscious of what you say and do.
If you catch yourself in negative self-talk, replace it with positive words and thoughts. Think of the good things that will lift your mood and spirit. That will guide you in getting the results that you want.
Don’t Seek Other People’s Approval
Stop seeking the approval of the people around you. You can’t control what they think about you, and you can’t please everybody. When you care too much about what they will say, you tread too carefully. As a result, you don’t do things that are out of the ordinary, you don’t take risks, and you doubt yourself. But when you stop caring about whether others approve your move or may criticize you, you break free and trust your potential.
What goes on in your head does make a whole lot of difference in your life. If you stay with a fixed mindset, you’ll be stuck wherever you are. But when you cultivate a growth mindset, you’ll reach places far and wide. Accept your imperfections, be hungry for learning, trust yourself, and be positive always. With a growth mindset, who knows how far you can go!
