How to Develop a Growth Mindset

We’ve all heard this before:  Optimists see the glass as half full, while pessimists view it as half empty.  And evidently, the same is true for those with a growth mindset vs. a fixed mindset, according to Dr.Carol S Dweck, Stanford psychologist.  She has found that “the view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life.”

Our mindset comes from our own thoughts and beliefs and we have the ability to change our mindset when these thoughts and beliefs no longer serve us.  Here are 8 things you can do to develop a growth mindset and achieve goals with more success.

1. Create a New Compelling Belief– believe that your talents and skills are valuable and work at mastering them.
2. View Failure in a Different Light– Rather than giving up, see what you can learn from your mistakes; how can you build on what you have and improve?
3. Increase Your Self-Awareness– Really hone in on your strengths and gifts as well as your weaknesses.  Take assessments, ask trusted friends,, family, or colleagues for their perspective so you can identify areas where you want to grow.
4. Be Curious– Remember when you were young, and life was full of wonder?  Be like a child, ask questions, discover new things.  Be open to people’s stories and their experiences…what can they teach you?
5. Befriend Challenges– People with a growth mindset revel in challenges.  They embrace obstacles and problems as a way to learn and grow; they are compelled to find solutions and persevere even after failure.
6. Love What You Do– When you love what you do, obstacles don’t deter you from your goal.  With a growth mindset, your energy carries you through the barriers and fuels you to keep moving forward.
7. Build Tenacity– Perseverance is key to a growth mindset.  There is no giving up, just a fierce commitment to a goal.  With tenacity, when you fall, you get back up and try again.
8. Be Inspired By Others– People with a growth mindset love to help others on their paths to success.  Cheering others on keeps their energy flowing and keeps opportunities coming their way.

If you tend to see the glass as half empty, change won’t happen overnight.  But if you’re willing to  commit to changing some of your long held beliefs, you can shift your mindset, and in doing so, increase your awareness, see things from a different perspective, and achieve new results.

Adapted from Shift to a Growth Mindset, Inc.com