Developing a Growth Mindset!
Below I’m sharing the Growth Mindset Toolkit which details 5 helpful tips that you can start implement right away to develop a growth mindset.
1. SELF-TALK
Self Talk refers to the ongoing internal conversation with ourselves, which influences how we feel and behave. Self talk can be both negative & positive. It can be encouraging, and it can be distressing. Much of your self-talk depends on your personality like If you’re an optimist, your self-talk may be more hopeful and positive. The opposite is generally true if you tend to be a pessimist.
Positive Self Talk: Positive self talk is where we encourage or appreciate ourselves for certain tasks. It can also improve mental states and improve focus, concentration and boost self confidence. Individuals having a more positive outlook on life can have a better quality of life. However, research suggests people with positive self-talk may have mental skills that allow them to solve problems, think differently, & be more efficient at coping with hardships or challenges. This can reduce the harmful effects of stress & anxiety.
Negative Self Talk: In negative self talk, we self doubt ourselves. Excessive negative self talk can affect our performance and diminish our self image. This type of thinking & self-talk generally falls into four categories:
Personalizing: You blame yourself for everything.
Magnifying: You focus on the negative aspects of a situation, ignoring any & all of the positive.
Catastrophizing: You expect the worst, and you rarely let logic or reason persuade you otherwise.
Polarizing: You see the world in black and white, or good and bad. There’s nothing in between & no middle ground for processing & categorizing life events.
Never ever do the negative self talk. Why? Because, YOU, yourself is getting in your own way by saying all those negative things to yourself.
2. GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE
How do you define your comfort zone?
The dictionary says it’s the place where “you feel comfortable and your abilities are not being tested.” It sounds like an easy phrase to throw around, but sometimes advice is easier to give than to take.
How to get out of our comfort zone?
Breaking out of boxes & restrictions — sometimes self-imposed. Embracing new experiences, confronting a fear, setting a major goal, changing your daily routine, saying “YES” more, trying a new hobby, exploring more can do more that enrich your life & career. Those new experiences could change your life & the direction of your career.
There’s nothing wrong with accepting that you like being comfortable and there’s a time and place for that. But do you also like excitement? If you want to do things in a new way, you’re going to want to step outside your self-imposed box. That may have seemed uncomfortable at first, but brought me joy, excitement & opportunities.
Be not afraid. Lean into what life has to offer. Go for it!
3. CREATE NEW HABITS
Your life today is essentially the sum of your habits. What you repeatedly do (i.e. what you spend time thinking about & doing each day) ultimately forms the person you are, things you believe, & personality that you portray.
I highly recommend this book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen R. Covey. If you want to develop a growth mind set from a fixed mindset then you should definitely give it a read. As motivation is what gets you started, habit is what keeps you going.
4. ASK PEOPLE HELP
Seeking support isn’t a weakness. In fact, it’s often the difference between failure and success. It can prevent costly or embarrassing mistakes, and mark you out as someone with self-awareness, confidence, and an understanding of shared goals.
Of course, you can’t ask for help all the time & it might not look good if you have to do so over & over again. It’s a good idea to pause and consider your options before you get other people involved.
Many jobs are easier to accomplish than they first appear, and just a little thought may reveal a way to complete a task, or to get the information that you need to do it. Deadlines often dictate how much help you need, so look carefully at the timescales involved.
Everyone needs to ask for help sometimes. This is not a weakness — in fact, it’s a vital part of being successful at your job, developing in your role, and dealing with problems before they get out of hand.Take care not to overlook easy solutions, or to complicate a situation by seeking help too early. But don’t wait so long that issues become difficult to fix, no one will thank you for keeping quiet until it’s too late!
5. FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT
When it comes to exploring this principle, I prefer the tricks & perspectives learned from rigorous studies in neuroscience to flesh out the truth. No one is an advocate of hypocrisy, fake news, or blatant self-deception. But in some cases, a few psychological “white lies” (to oneself or others) can accomplish a miraculous change in mood or behavior. In other words, enlightened deception can lead to higher truths & realistic goals.
Keep in mind that these short-cuts are designed to trick our brains to produce real-life changes, often on a temporary basis. When it comes to permanent behavioral change, this advice especially applies to taking actions designed to make you a better person. The more you act in a positive, friendly way, the more it becomes natural. The more you pamper yourself with hugs & smiles, the more habitual your strategies become.
Pretending, forcing, or modeling behavior sends a signal from the unconscious to the higher stratosphere. Tricking the body in appropriate ways has been shown to alter the brain’s mood, personality, & judgment.
I found these tips to be really useful and effective to develop an entrepreneurial or growth mindset. This toolkit helps me to build a foundation of how a fixed mindset can be changed into a growth mindset. My favorite tips are; Self talk & create new habits.
So I’ve been struggling with getting out of my comfort zone. I usually don’t open up to people easily which sometimes acts as a barrier for me. I’ve started working on this area by pushing myself out of my own limitations or boundaries that I have as being an eloquent introvert. Exploring new things, hobbies, experiences, taking risks, confronting my fears, changing my routine, & by going an extra mile to get myself out of my comfort zone.
I’m applying tip#2 currently & will surely include all of them one by one. Regarding the cheats on this list, don’t overdo things. Act out of a genuine wish to improve, not simply to impress others. In simple words, don’t put on an act to hide the real you. Keep your intentions pure. You must be motivated from within!
