Ready, Set, Growth!

Change your mind; you change your life.

It sounds cliché, but it is often true. As a man thinketh, so he is. 

It's the concept of mindset. And over the past two years, it has become quite popular. Mindsets are beliefs. They can be powerful. We have seen the effect of people's beliefs on society in many ways. I am sure you can relate to the variety of Covid mindsets your friends and family possess and how this directly affected their lives. In the same way, we have many particular areas in life that create certain mindsets.

Repetition of similar beliefs and thoughts create a mindset. Mindset comes in different categories. For example, there are personal growth, business development, relationship, sports, and health and wellness mindsets, to name a few. These mindsets are the foundation for how you live your life. They are the compass for your decision-making and personal interactions and the reason for outcomes.

Stanford University psychologist Dr. Carol Dweck's famous book “Mindset” describes two types: a fixed mindset - those who believe that abilities are fixed and a growth mindset - those who believe that abilities can be developed. The fixed mindset limits the person's potential and power. The growth mindset allows for infinite personal growth, development, and infinite possibilities. A growth mindset is where we move toward self-mastery, continual learning, working, and moving toward our fullest human potential. Once they identify their fixed mindset, I have not yet met a person who wants to remain there!

Unfortunately, life events may give us negative belief systems along the way. These negative beliefs drive your thoughts, feelings, actions, and ultimately the results and outcome of every situation in your life. We all know the "Debbie Downer" mentality: ‘it never works out for me,’ 'what's the point of even trying?', or 'it's just my luck, we lost the game.' Nobody wants to hear it! And most of the time, they prophesied their negative situation.

The first step in attaining a growth mindset is turning negative thoughts into positive thoughts and identifying what they are and why you have them. Then, we consciously change them by writing them down followed by writing out an alternative powerful, positive affirmation.

For example, the limiting belief might be "I'm not good enough." Instead, change it to: "I am creative, resourceful, and do my best in every situation."

Simply writing down the positive affirmation increases your chances of changing your mindset by 42%! Psychology professor Dr. Gail Matthews at the Dominican University in California led a study on goal setting with nearly 270 participants and proved the power of writing goals helped participants achieve their goals by 42%. Writing down your affirmations will solidify them into reality. If you want to go a step further, record them into your voice memo and listen to them every day.

The second step in improving a growth mindset is removing negative people and influences from your life. Ha! Easy right? Far from it, but you can begin by limiting your time around the people that bring you down or inhibit your ability to build a positive mindset. You can immediately pose a positive affirmation to neutralize their negative statements when you are with them. Practice smiling and reinforce the positive things you see in them. Remember, it may not be their fault, and they may not even be aware. Please show them your awareness by being positive.

Lastly, a growth mindset involves expansive thinking, or visualization. Visualize your masterpiece day and life, and then WRITE it down. Visualize how you see your best self, playing out each moment of each day, week, month, and year. See yourself achieving the goals, lifestyle, and health status you aspire to have. Then, contrast that dream visualization with reality. How will you achieve it? Put your dream into action by making a step-by-step plan on how to get there. Use your positive mindset to help you when things get challenging and demanding.

A growth mindset is a choice. You have every moment to choose to change your thoughts. Training your mind is just as important as training your body. When you make a new decision, you change your brain. You access new ideas and change your perception of reality. The world is not how you see it; it's how you perceive it. Perceive it as a positive, supportive, healthy environment, and you will likely see your life change to mirror that perception! 

"You have a choice. Mindsets are just beliefs. They're powerful beliefs, but they're just something in your mind, and you can change your mind." Carol Dweck, “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.”