We’ve all heard the saying that life is a journey, not a destination. Yet how many of us live with anxiety or low self-worth because we feel we aren’t good enough? No matter how hard we try we can’t reach finish lines we set for ourselves. Maybe we dream of having a better body while we snack on potato chips. Perhaps we hate our job, so we spend weekends watching TV or playing video games instead of updating our resumes. There’s an instrument in the closet we’ve always wanted to play, but never take the time to practice. Cultivating a growth mindset can sound like a daunting task. Yet, luckily, each of us can grow! Even small adjustments can invoke positive change in our lives. It just takes a little courage and figuring out what is holding us back.
Taking inventory
Anyone can cultivate a growth mindset. But before getting started we need to take some time to ask ourselves who we are and what we want. Everyone’s life circumstances are vastly different. Physical health, mental health, age, access to resources, family history, cognitive functioning, and many other factors contribute to our identity. If we grew up with difficult childhoods, we may feel like major improvement is impossible. For instance, experiencing repeated stressful situations can cause us to experience a type of learned helplessness. Despite this, cultivating a growth mindset means understanding no matter what is going on in your life – you can transform.
What separates the doers from the people who just feel stuck?
Believe it or not, not much! A sprinkle of believing in yourself here, a smatter of taking care of yourself there. Significantly, individuals who have a growth mindset aren’t any better than you or me. They have just decided to focus on what they want, instead of lamenting what they currently have. Believe in themselves even if no one else has. Another secret they know is taking one day at a time. Therefore it’s important to realize being human is all about learning, and reaching your goals is a process! In his book, Atomic Habits, author James Clear describes in easy-to-follow detail how to get better 1% every day.
Born that way
It is easy to get caught in the trap of believing some people are just better at things. Surely they have more money, less problems, and more success because they were born that way! When we have a fixed mindset it means we believe some people or are born with more skills and intelligence. But having a growth mindset means believing that skills and intelligence can be developed. Therefore, no good comes from comparing our lives to others because we all of us have the capacity to improve.
10 ways to cultivate a growth mindset
Stop caring!
It helps each of us to stop caring so much about what other people think. Part of taking stock of what we want in our lives may mean releasing other people’s expectations of us. Of course we want to live in reciprocity with those we love. However, hearing our inner voice is always most important.
Make lists!
Be outrageous and dream big. Or, if it feels too scary to write down your wildest dreams, make two columns. Call them Practical and Magical. When we cultivate a mindset of growth we allow our minds to be free and more childlike.
Baby steps!
No matter how busy or overwhelmed you are with your current life, making one small adjustment can have huge benefits over time. Hence, start with one goal, break the steps into manageable pieces, and begin! It’s never too late to work on yourself.
Be nice!
Individuals who live a life with a growth mindset are compassionate, to themselves most of all. Take the opportunity to lean in and be soft and nurturing with yourself. In effect, stop warring with perfection, because it’s a battle no one wins!
Visualize it!
If you can’t see your accomplishments in your mind, it will be much harder to see them in real life. At some point, all adults feel hopeless. Having a growth mindset means acknowledging your fears and not being ashamed you have them.
Enlist help!
There are many avenues for supporting yourself when you want to make changes. Such as books, podcasts, meditation, journaling, therapy, exercise, and more. Utilize whatever resources are available to you or make sense for your schedule.
Forgive yourself!
We don’t get many assurances in life, but setbacks are guaranteed. Sometimes we will be our own worst enemy. In contrast, people who have a growth mindset not only expect failure on their journey, they look forward to the lessons they will learn.
Cultivate agility!
It’s important on our growth journeys to be flexible. Having emotional agility can give us the courage to take risks, navigate disappointments, and overall be more accepting.
Find heroes!
People benefit from someone to look up to. Some of us didn’t have healthy caregivers or feel discouraged right now. Seeking healthy humans to admire and emulate can go a long way in motivating our growth mindset.
Keep going!
Rebranding ourselves is meant to be an ongoing process. In other words, there will always be people further along, as well as further behind. Thus, we benefit from staying in the present and doing our best every day.
Why is growth important?
As we age, there is no doubt we will face challenges. Not to mention circumstances may arise that will shake our worldviews. Most of the time the things we fear are things we aren’t familiar with. Individuals who practice a growth mindset will be able to weather the waves of life that will surely come.
Mental health first
Having untreated trauma can cause depression, anxiety, and self-sabotaging behaviors. If you find that no matter what you do, you just can’t see improvement, you are not alone! Ultimately, each of us needs guidance at some point. Taking the initiative to reach out to a therapist or trusted friend for assistance is already the path to cultivating growth.
Brighter moments
Learning about ourselves and the world enriches everything we do. It stretches our limits and challenges our beliefs. When we work towards a goal, and are kind to ourselves about the progress, it will help us feel more open and satisfied. When we banish the finish lines and cultivate a growth mindset, it expands our capacity for connection with ourselves and others.