Growth Mindset: Shift Your Thinking and Achieve Your Potential
Apologies to the folks who put up with my raspy voice in this week’s coaching sessions. But because my main goal is to ask the right questions (and not talk much), we still made impressive progress.
In other good news, the mental health training I've begun is absolutely incredible. Can't wait to bring these techniques into my conversations.
Which leads me to this week's topic...
How exactly should I work on myself internally to elevate my life externally?
"Fearless? Me?"
I bumped into one of my first bosses last weekend, and he mentioned how I never tire of reinventing myself and inching toward my calling.
It was such a realization.
I never thought the word "fearless" applied to me, but, looking back, I can see how the work I've done on myself has made me bold and daring when it comes to what matters to me. (And I'm not done yet — I work on myself daily.)
It made me think of a poll I put out a while back.
When I asked my squad what part of their lives they want to level up, their answer surprised me:
It caught me off guard because I'm a firm believer that our outer actions (like work performance) are a reflection of our inner selves.
Just yesterday, one of our readers (hi Matt!) tweeted about this and it confirmed my thoughts:
That investor understands how key it is to take care of your mind before you can crush it. It's the pre-game warm-up and post-game cool-down that sets you up for future success. Only then can you hit the ground running and knock it out of the park.
Pause — to go hard
For the dozens of people I've worked with, taking a step back to recalibrate has always led to major gains. That's actually the "Big Idea" behind my entire philosophy.
You want to up your deal-closing game? Or maybe create more space and time for yourself? Increase your revenue? Or even score that promotion? How about improve your relationship with your boss?
No matter what your goals are, the first step on the path to achieving them is through self-work. That's the start of unlocking your full potential in the outside world.
As I partner with people from all levels of the business world, I've seen a ton of different goals, but they all hear me ask this on repeat:
"How can you create a life that is aligned with your unique values?"
And it all comes down to one word:
Mindset.
The right mindset empowers your mental health
Part of anyone's mental health journey is mastering their mindset, but it's very difficult to have a positive outlook and empowering mindset when mental health isn't properly taken care of first.
Or is it the other way around? Chicken and the egg?
Actually, they go hand in hand.
Sometimes, just flipping from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset helps boost mental health by allowing for more flexibility, resilience, and adaptability.
Studies show that individuals with a growth mindset have greater resilience, lower rates of depression and anxiety, improved self-esteem and motivation, and higher levels of life satisfaction and happiness.
Yes, please.
So what is a growth mindset and how can we get it?
Let's explore.
A fixed mindset believes that our abilities and intelligence are static traits that cannot be changed. This makes it so we constantly want to prove ourselves to others.
A growth mindset believes our abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication, hard work, and learning from experience. This makes constant growth our goal.
If you want to reach your goals, adopting a growth mindset is key. It unlocks your full potential and helps you become the best version of yourself.
The image below (by @junhanchin on Instagram) illustrates:
When you have a fixed mindset, where you're at is where you stay. Your puzzle pieces are all facing inward. But when you have a growth mindset, you can add new learnings, new insights, and ideas to your life.
So, if everyone wants to increase their work performance, how does this play out there?
When it comes to the workplace, in a fixed mindset, you're more likely to:
Avoid new tasks or responsibilities, especially if you have to stretch your abilities
Give up on challenging projects too soon
Constantly seek validation from others
Compare yourself to peers and feel inadequate
Dismiss feedback / guidance from others who want to help
In a growth mindset, you're more likely to:
Embrace challenges, regardless of how much you'll need to stretch
Persist in the face of setbacks
View effort as a positive, necessary thing — the pathway to mastery
Have flexibility around how you view situations
Adapt to uncertain situations
It seems obvious we'd all want to live in the world of the growth mindset, but there are a few elements that need to exist to make this possible.
The first is hope.
You need to believe that positive change is possible for you. This can be challenging, especially if you've struggled with negative thought patterns in the past. But it's important to cultivate a sense of optimism and possibility, even in the face of adversity. Without hope, it can be difficult to stay motivated and committed to your goals.
The second is agency.
You need to believe you have the power to make the changes necessary for growth. This means taking responsibility for your own life and recognizing that you have the ability to shape your own future, instead of being a the mercy of external circumstances.
The third is caution.
Once you shed your fixed mindset, it's never gone for good. It is sneaky and can weasel it's way back into your thoughts. Old habits die hard, and it's easy to slip back into negative thinking patterns if you're not vigilant.
With those three things in mind, here are some practical steps to growing your growth mindset and leaving the fixed mindset behind — particularly at work.
Embrace challenges: View challenging tasks as opportunities for growth rather than threats. Break them down into smaller, manageable steps and approach them with a positive attitude. The one thing you need to "prove" is your ability to learn and grow.
Learn from feedback: Instead of feeling defensive or discouraged by feedback, see it as valuable information that can help you improve. Reflect on the feedback and identify areas where you can grow. Feedback doesn't define you as a person.
Celebrate effort and progress: Recognize your hard work and the progress you make, even if it's not perfect. Celebrate small wins and share your achievements with your team.
Seek opportunities for learning: Be proactive in seeking out new skills and knowledge. Attend workshops, watch videos, listen to podcasts, whatever you need to do to stay updated in your field and expand your skillset.
Collaborate with others: Surround yourself with folks who share a growth mindset and are open to learning from each other. Engage in discussions, exchange ideas, and support each other's growth. Cheer each other on and share resources.
Develop resilience: Learn to bounce back from setbacks and use them as learning experiences. Analyze what went wrong, what you can do differently next time, and apply those lessons moving forward.
Do these things, and you're way more likely to:
Take on new challenges with confidence
Adapt to change and embrace innovation
Develop stronger problem-solving skills
Build more meaningful relationships with your team
Achieve your badass goals
Enjoy greater life satisfaction
I don't know about you, but SIGN ME UP?! That is exactly kind of life I want to live. This kind of "fearless" feels really good.
If you're ever in doubt as to what kind of mindset you're in, ask yourself this:
Am I focused on being validated or learning something new?
That should keep you focused on growth, no matter what.
And remember: it's never too late to start adopting a growth mindset.
You got this. ✌️
All the best vibes ✨
