We know how powerful the mindset is when it comes to making everlasting change in our lives.
In fact, did you know that many well-known successful people cultivate the same mindset that contributes to their success?
It just takes a simple shift in the mindset in order to create a life that you truly desire. What a lot of people end up doing though, is they operate from a fixed mindset vs a growth mindset where change can truly happen.
In this blog post, I want to help guide you on finding the difference between fixed mindset and growth mindset.
People who operate from a fixed mindset are generally fixated on their opinions through their own belief system. They generally have a hard time rewiring the way they think and have a limited way of thinking that prevents them from taking steps towards their dream life.
Some examples of a fixed mindset would be:
-avoiding anything that challenges them out
-fear of getting out of their comfort zone
-feels like mistakes equal failure
-lets their failure prevent them from trying ever again
-can’t handle criticism or feedback from others
-far too focused on proving themselves to others
-gets very threatened by other people’s successes
-has no desire for self-improvement
-gives up very easily
And these can be just a few of the many examples out there on what a fixed mindset is. Most of the time, people don’t even realize they are doing these things that causing them to have a fixed mindset.
So, what you are going to want to focus on is shifting these beliefs towards a growth mindset.
We’re going to be talking about some tips that you can start doing to change your fixed mindset into a growth mindset.
Many people with fixed mindsets don’t like to be challenged and when they do run into a challenge, it seems like they are very adamant at avoiding the challenge at all costs.
The thing is, challenges are necessary for growth.
It’s like putting strain on your muscles to grow. It’s a necessary part of building and growing muscles. It’s uncomfortable at first, yet, you know that doing this will bring you one step closer to your goals.
So, how are you going to become stronger if you aren’t willing to face challenges when they arise?
In order for a growth mindset to happen, you have to face challenges when they arise. Instead of taking on the whole challenge, freaking out, and throwing it to the wall (or suppressing those feelings you don’t like to feel when you run into a challenge), I’d like to encourage you to break down the challenge.
Take the challenge and break it down into micro steps that you are able to manage.
After all, it’s the small steps that make a massive shift into the bigger picture.
I’m sure you can relate to that little chatter in the back of your mind that constantly brings up doubts, excuses, and a limited way of thinking. And you probably hear it most often when it comes towards something that is challenging you.
This little chatter in the back of your mind often stems from the belief system that we grew up in.
So, you really have to ask yourself questions like “Are these thoughts really my own? Or did I hear them from someone else from my past?”
“According to whom said these thoughts were true to me?”
“Is it from my Ego? Is it from my parents? Is it from society?”
Before you perceive anything, whether that can be a challenge or just anything you are facing in your life, I encourage you to not have a preference or opinion at all.
Or maybe we can look at challenges as a fun game? A puzzle to solve?
Let’s challenge the thought process and flip the narrative around into something that can serve you better.
Someone with a growth mindset vs a fixed mindset will learn from their mistakes and not let their mistakes define them.
I’ve said this before many times, that anything you fail in life is not a failure, but a redirection.
Your mistakes don’t have any definition towards your character and you will get way further in your life if you learn from your mistakes and grow through them.
I’ve even heard many others use the term to “fail forward” which is just another way of saying if you fail at something, learn from it, and move forward once you learn the lesson.
Often people let their mistakes take over their mentality and quit before they really get anywhere. It is this type of behavior that can hold people with a fixed mindset back from experiencing their life to the fullest.
We don’t usually put that pressure on children to learn something the first time, do we? So why, as adults, do we do this to ourselves?
Why are we expecting to not make mistakes? It sounds absurd to me.
You want to cultivate a growth mindset? Learn from your mistakes and don’t let them define you.
No matter who you are, what you do, how far you are in life, you are always a student to life.
There is always something to learn through life experiences and no one is an exception to that.
When you open yourself up to being a student to your life, you are opening yourself to so much wisdom that will truly shape the way to look at life.
When people close themselves off to learning and growing, they feel stagnant. Sometimes, it’s their ego that will get in the way of them making any shifts into their reality.
In fact, when you rely too much on your Ego, generally you operate from a lack or “fear” mentality which can easily fall into the fixed mindset category.
I encourage you to, again, look at life curiously.
Let us just be a student to life and see what life has to offer you.
Sometimes it’s far beyond what you can imagine for yourself.
Oooh how we take offense to criticism.
So many people find criticism a threat and it’s just not always the case.
Sure, there is unhelpful criticism, but when you are able to look at criticism from a neutral perspective, especially from a professional or someone who has successfully done what you want in life, criticism can actually be the key towards your success.
When you have a growth mindset, you take criticism like a champ.
In fact, when I was a freelancing as a graphic designer, I would post around forums where professionals could give me advice on my portfolio and work.
And oh wow did I get ripped apart by criticism.
It can be hard at first, but when I was genuinely able to take the criticism and improve my work, I found that my work looked far more professional than if I hadn’t taken the professional’s advice.
Again, be discerning when you take criticism from others because some people may not have the best intentions for you, whether that’d be out of jealously or other ego reasons.
When you take criticism for others, make sure to examine the person and see if they have what you want in life.
Do they have the body you want to achieve?
The healthy marriage that you strive for?
The money you want to make?
Make sure you take criticism like a champ from those who know what they are doing and actually walk the walk.
Jealousy is part of the fixed mindset that will really set you back from getting the very things that the other person/people have that you want. A growth mindset can look at jealousy as inspiration to improve themselves.
Instead of letting jealousy consume you, use jealousy to be inspired by others.
Jealousy is just a sign that you are able of what the other person has and once you identify this jealousy, you can start asking questions like:
“How can I get to where they are in life?”
“What ways can I do something like that?”
“How can I start the process of achieving my goals?”
I find that people who become very envious or jealous of others are triggered by feelings of unworthiness or not feeling like they are enough which are generally the core beliefs that form limiting beliefs.
Hence, the fixed mindset appears.
So, I truly encourage you to use any sort of jealousy or envy towards others as a sign that what is possible for them is also possible for you.
How are you taking the steps to go from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
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