For many people, selling time on a day job just to get by seems more and more like an unsustainable option.
If this feels familiar, odds are that you are on the first stage of unlocking a new type of mindset – The growth mindset.
Now certainly, given that your brain is extremely used to your current mindset, changing that would be quite a hard task.
Though highly beneficial, kicking the brain into the growth mindset may be quite overwhelming, due to the fact it is something unknown for the mind.
With a methodological, gradual approach however, you can transition seamlessly.
In this short beginners’ guide, we’re going to tell you the most important considerations of your transition to a growth-oriented mindset.
What Is The Growth Mindset?
The term “growth mindset” was coined by the psychologist Carol Dweck, in her book called “Mindset: The New Psychology Of Success”.
Now, in its very essence, the word “mindset” is basically a self-perception, or a so-called “inner story” which people believe about themselves.
For instance, believing that you are bound to be successful, or bound to be a 9-5 worker for your whole life, are both a type of mindset.
Both of these can be true, as each mindset will push you towards certain thoughts, emotions and actions, which will produce a result, equivalent to the beliefs that created it.
Following that train of thought, we can conclude that the growth mindset is more oriented towards realizing that your talents, knowledge and skills are not really fixed.
They are ever-flexible and can be worked on and changed throughout any point of your life.
THIS is what the growth mindset is – Believing you can do and achieve more if you put in the time, work and effort.
Consistently.
The Fixed Mindset
On the flipside of the growth mindset, is what we refer to as the “fixed mindset”, which as the name suggests is mostly fixed on the negative.
The main characteristics of a fixed mindset are:
- Seeing effort as fruitless/meaningless
- Seeing your qualities as something fixed, which can never change
- Giving up easily in the face of hardship
- You are best off cozy and comfortable
- You refuse to change obviously toxic habits
Now certainly, the fixed mindset wasn’t all your choice, since it is built on the foundation of limiting beliefs, which you absorb like a sponge during your early years.
As long as you latch onto and follow up with those limiting beliefs however, sustainable change won’t have the proper environment to emerge.
Your quest in that context is to recognize the mental blockages and work through them.
Recognizing Behavioral Patterns
As we just mentioned, your belief system/mindset (whether it’s negative or positive) is what shapes your reality to a big extent.
The reason why that happens is because on the foundation of your beliefs and mindset, lies a set of behaviors and habits.
Each type of behavior/habit is linked to a certain belief you hold about yourself.
A big part of your quest to establish a growth-based mindset, is recognizing those behavioral patterns.
In doing so, you will unlock the opportunity to make a conscious decision and make a change for the better, at the moment when that behavior/habit manifests.
Now in many instances, certain habits and behaviors can overtake our ability to consciously realize what we’re doing and how it affects us.
For that specific reason, it is important to engage your inner observer on time and take action beforehand.
Looking within
From what we’ve talked about so far, we can without a doubt conclude that introspection is one of the most viable tools when it comes to shifting your mindset towards growth.
Introspection is essentially the observation of one’s own thoughts, feelings, emotions and reactions.
And though that is a very important part of your way to a better mindset, the modern-day world tends to deprive us of opportunities to look within.
Because of the big saturation of things to do and consume, we rarely get that chance in the first place.
For this reason, most people are without a doubt spiritually deprived.
Again – In the context of recognizing certain traits, behaviors and thought patterns, engaging in introspection is essential.
Taking Conscious Decisions
When you realize that most of your daily life is predictable and revolves around automatic emotions and behaviors, the game changes.
Once that breakthrough comes in, you come to realize that you can always take different decisions and create a different end result.
In most cases, you want to do that for the toxic/harmful habits and thought patterns you have.
Granted, it is not easy to do something different than what you are accustomed to, but facts are facts – At any moment, you can choose to use your free will and do something different.
The Shift
As soon as you see behind the curtains of your own reality, the mental shift starts happening, accompanied by a flurry of realizations and personal breakthroughs.
Once you are in that vortex, there is nothing left to do but to support its development.
That support, of course, relies on your conscious decisions and a breakage of your normal habits (and especially the toxic/limiting ones).
7 Growth Mindset Tips
When it comes to kicking your brain into growth mode, there are some essential things to remember and look out for in yourself and in your environment.
Below, you can find our best tips, along with important considerations to help you install a new set of beliefs!
#1 Don’t Give In To Negativity
As humans, we are prone to giving in to negative opinions and thoughts that seem to be true.
One of the best ways to enhance your personal growth is to consciously develop a more positive outlook.
This would imply recognizing the negativity that may arise from various places, and then analyzing it with your own critical thinking.
#2 Face Challenges With Excitement
In the main traits of the growth mindset, you can find a desire for new, unknown and challenging endeavors.
If you are not yet used to thinking in terms of growth, challenges and obstacles may seem frustrating and the effort to get over them feels like too much.
Much like anything else though, the frustration is automatic, so try and consciously change your perspective in the face of challenges.
#3 Failure Is Not The End
In many instances, failure is the end because it is us who decide to cut everything off.
However, you should think of failure as something constructive, because it simply shows you your lacking areas.
Learn to recognize those and work through them.
#4 Spend Time With Yourself
In the modern-day world, the only time we close our eyes, is when we’re going to sleep.
For the most part, we are engaged with things in the environment and never really get to learn anything about ourselves.
Don’t forget to spend time with yourself, in solitude and silence, because this is where the greatest visions, ideas and motives arise.
#5 Learn More, Do More
Adopting the growth mindset will allow you to realize that your current skills and knowledge are not really a fixed constant.
On your journey to transitioning from the fixed mindset, try and look for more and new knowledge and skills.
This will literally create new connections in the brain and also develop certain thinking patterns and physical capabilities.
Always learn more and do more than you think possible.
Take-Home Message
Installing the growth mindset into your brain is mostly about overcoming limiting beliefs and realizing that you are capable of much more.
This aspect of personal development is related to laying a solid foundation of habits, that will help you grow in all aspects of life.
Recognize patterns.
See the bad stuff.
Change it.
Consciously.
