“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” — Albert Einstein
This is Step 2 of my series “The beginners guide to happiness.” In my last post (click here if you missed it) I challenged everyone to take an A4 piece of paper and write all the things that make you happy. This is a super easy way to start changing our negative thinking patterns to positive ones.
Today I want to challenge everyone to start testing out a “growth mindset.” Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck and author of the book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, asserts that adopting a growth mindset can help us succeed more and be happier – both at work and in our lives.
So what is a growth mindset? A “growth mindset,” is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: a tendency to believe that you can grow. Dweck explains that while a “fixed mindset” assumes that our character, intelligence, and creative ability are static givens which we can’t change in any meaningful way, a growth mindset thrives on challenge and sees failure “not as evidence of unintelligence but as a heartening springboard for growth and for stretching our existing abilities.” In this mindset, the hand you’re dealt is just the starting point for development so keep reading below for some tips on how to cultivate your growth mindset today.
5 simple tips to kick start your “Growth Mindset”
Do some research – I recommend doing some research into how our brain works and mindset in general. I initially started researching growth mindset for my son and once I had read all of the research and positive outcomes I was motivated to adapt this mindset myself.
Take a quiz – Are you wondering what type of mindset you have? With a simple google search “mindset quiz” you’ll have a million different options pop up. I really enjoyed this quiz as the questions prompted some self reflection and before even getting the results I had identified areas where my mindset is fixed and started to challenge myself as to why I felt that way.
Adjust your Self talk – How many times have you thought…? “I can’t,” or “I won’t” or given up before even starting something? This is part of having a fixed mindset and those 2 words alone actually creates a barrier for you thinking of ways around a situation. Try replacing them with “How can I” or “I choose” as it will empower you to open your mind and take control of the situation instead of giving up.
Embrace failures – Failure can build a pathway to a growth mindset. People who have a growth mindset give things a go regardless of the outcome, they see challenges as opportunities and failure as learning. Don’t believe me? Check out my post “15 famous people who failed before they succeeded.”
Give it a go- When we believe that our intelligence, creative abilities, and character are things that we can improve, we learn and get better at what we do. I can guarantee that this change will not go unnoticed to the people around you which may spark something within themselves to adopt this mindset too. Be encouraging of others as when we surround ourselves with people who have or are developing their growth mindset it actually becomes easier.
By opening yourself up to the growth mindset you are able to balance any shortcomings with optimism and unlock that magical feeling that is true happiness.
Thanks for reading and make sure you share your smile with the world today ☮