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We all know someone who is constantly learning, trying new things, and pushing themselves to their limits. Similarly, we all know someone who is perfectly happy to sit back, let someone else steer the ship, and go with the flow. But did you know that there are specific terms for both of these behaviours - a growth-mindset and a fixed-mindset.
When we look at the most “successful” people in society, Bill Gates, Michael Jordan, Elon Musk, they all possess one similar trait, a growth-mindset. The belief that every skill can be learned, sharpened, and honed is the key to achieving excellence.
Prominent psychologist Carol Dweck has studied both mindsets and denotes that people with a growth-mindset are more likely to succeed in any field, be it art, business or sport. If you’re reading this thinking ‘well that’s great, good to know I’ll never be successful’, don’t give up the fight just yet. Dweck believes, and studies show, that you can change your mindset to help you achieve your goals.
It won’t happen overnight, it will take time and practice. You’ll need to develop new habits and ways of thinking. But that’s not much to ask in order to unlock your unlimited potential, is it?
Ok, I hear you. You’re thinking yeah that sounds good but how do you even begin to change your mindset? Here are our ten best tips to help you make the change so that you can tackle challenges head-on and springboard to success.
Try and view every challenge as an opportunity. Rather than being overwhelmed by it, recognise a challenge as a chance to learn something new which will benefit you in the future.
Ask yourself questions. When you have completed a task ask yourself what would I do differently next time, what worked and what didn’t? By analysing yourself and your achievements you will come away with the best way to proceed in the future.
Similarly, ask others questions. If someone asks you to do something, ask them why, understand the reasoning behind their decisions.
Proactively seek feedback. Your peers might see something that can be improved that you may miss. For some asking for feedback is instinctive, for others take the challenge and recognise how much growth can come from it.
Stop seeking approval from others. By prioritising approval over learning you are sacrificing your potential for growth. Cultivate your own self-approval and learn to trust your instincts.
Be persistent. Failing comes hand in hand with learning. You need to be persistent and get back up after you fall, every time you fall.
Redefine ‘genius’. We all have strengths and we all have weaknesses, know where yours lie. “If you judge a fish by it’s ability to climb a tree, it will spend it’s whole life thinking it’s stupid.”
Value the process over the end result. What you take from the process may be so much more beneficial to the rest of your life than this potentially fleeting end result, enjoy and value the learning process.
Have high standards. By setting higher standards for ourselves we will often surpass what we believe our abilities to be and reach those new targets. Always push yourself, nothing grows inside your comfort zone.
Set goals. Setting goals can help give you a long term vision, and it is much easier to define a path to reach your target once you have specified what the target is. Having something that you can clearly define and visualise is key for finding motivational energy in periods when you find yourself waning.
As you continue to develop and evolve your growth-mindset, being able to look back at the goals you have ticked off along the way will be extremely motivational, and help encourage you whenever you encounter the next hurdle.
With these tips in your back pocket, there’s nothing stopping you embarking on your journey to building a growth-mindset and achieving all your goals - and here are our 20 favourite growth-mindset quotes to remember during those challenge embracing days!
“It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” - Albert Einstein
“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says I’m possible” - Audrey Hepburn
“To succeed, you must first begin.” - Theodore Roosevelt
“A challenge only becomes an obstacle when you bow to it.” - Ray Davis
“Failing to try is like trying to fail.” - Michael Jordan
“Don’t wait for success.” - Marva Collins
“Success is not an accident, success is a choice.” - Stephen Curry
“The only thing that overcomes hard luck is hard work.” - Harry Golden
“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.” - Henry Ford
“Treat life as an experiment.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Don’t take it personally.” - Tony Robbins
"The problem human beings face is not that we aim too high and fail, but that we aim too low and succeed." - Michelangelo
“Become a master at failing.” - J.K. Rowling
“If you shoot for the stars and hit the moon, it’s OK. But you’ve got to shoot for something. A lot of people don’t even shoot.” - Confucius
“Dreams don’t work unless you do.” - John C. Maxwell
“Effort is grossly underrated.” - Gary Vaynerchuk
“You have not failed unless you have quit trying.” - Gordon B. Hinckley
“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” - Charles Swindoll
“I am always doing what I cannot do yet. In order to learn how to do it.” - Vincent Van Gogh
“If parents want to give their children a gift, the best thing they can do is to teach their children to love challenges, be intrigued by mistakes, enjoy effort, and keep on learning.” - Carol Dweck
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