Author: Kathryn Chung
3 minute read
When we think of our goals for the year, it’s easy to get caught up in our ‘to-do’ lists and forget about our mindset. When we dig deeper, we often find the barriers to growth aren’t a lack of time, knowledge or resources, but our own attitudes.
4 ways to shift towards a growth mindset.
The new year brings with it new opportunities for growth. As this new decade kicks off, many of us are reevaluating our careers, lifestyle and personal ambitions. But as many of us know, new year’s resolutions can be tough to maintain. We often start off full of motivation, and as daily life gets in the way, we lose steam and let our goals be pushed aside.
When we think of our goals for the year, it’s easy to get caught up in our ‘to-do’ lists and forget about our mindset. Yet, when we dig deeper, we often find the barriers to growth aren’t a lack of time, knowledge or resources, but our own attitudes – how we approach challenges, deal with failure, and react to change.
Positive growth can’t be achieved without the right frame of mind. So, before you begin setting out your goals, start by looking at your mindset. Read on to see our tips from our Mindset for Leaders workshop on how to shift your mindset and focus on your goals.
1. Turn ‘I can’t’ into ‘I can’.
This is about changing your mindset from a fixed one to a growth one. A fixed mindset sees qualities carved in stone, always striving for perfection and avoiding failure. This fixed mindset is often something we’ve been brought up with, taught to us through school and reinforced through work. Because the ‘fixed’ is so deeply ingrained in our psyche, we often automatically avoid things that could end in failure, assessing all the ways we can’t reach our goals.
By shifting ‘I can’t’ to ‘I can’ you can begin to dismantle the fixed and move towards a growth mindset, one that is about seeking learning and development opportunities.
So, the next time you catch yourself thinking ‘I can’t’, challenge yourself to think about how ‘you can’. This simple shift can have a powerful effect, helping us recognise our capabilities and embrace real growth.
2. Be open to failure.
One of the key differences between a fixed and a growth mindset is an openness to failure. Whether you’re starting a new business or changing your career path, the truth of the matter is, you’re going to experience failure.
Our fixed mindset likes to avoid failures, seeing it as a barrier to achievement. But a growth mindset believes that strength can be achieved through effort, seeing failure as an opportunity for learning.
Try to look at failures as learning opportunities; what did you gain from this? What lessons did you learn? How will this experience help develop you? Cultivate patience and compassion within yourself and remember that often the most powerful lessons come from failure.
3. Set practical steps.
Goal setting requires accountability. It’s not something others can do for you. It starts with yourself and sets you up for an attitude of self-reliance.
Begin by writing down your goals and ambitions. If you want a change in career, how will you get there? If you’re looking to change your lifestyle, what will it take? Be practical and detailed. Set timeframes and roadmaps.
To get you started, here are some things to think about:
- Where are you now?
- How long will it take? A few months, five years?
- What skills do you want to learn? What knowledge do you want to gain?
- How will you hold yourself accountable?
4. Find a community.
Your goals are your own, but that doesn’t mean you have to go at it alone. A great support system can do wonders for motivation. Find others that are working on their own goals and share in your milestones and roadblocks. Challenge each other to stay committed, check in with each other’s progress, talk about the lessons you’ve learnt.
By sharing your experiences with others, you’re not only holding each other accountable but building a community that can teach, energise and inspire.
Our Mindset for Leaders workshop shows you how to shift your mindset to see the possible from the impossible, gives you the tools to create pathways to get there, and enables you to become a more effective leader of yourself and others. Sign up today!
