Hey Friend!
Do you pass up opportunities for learning, feel labeled by failure or get discouraged when something takes a lot of effort?
Or, do you take on challenges, make a point of learning from your failure, and put in the effort to master or complete something?
Whatever the answer, it gives you insight into whether or not you have a fixed mindset or a growth mindset. In her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, psychologist Carol Dweck Ph.D., explores how a fixed mindset can hold you back, while a growth mindset can help you truly reach your potential.
The good news is that one’s mindset can change and forming new beliefs is entirely possible. Take success for example. Instead of looking at successful people as special talents or gifted geniuses, realize the truth, that “just because some people can do something with little or no training, it doesn’t mean that others can’t do it (and sometimes do it even better) with training.” Dweck’s book further challenges our assumptions of successful people by showing the reality of their dedicated processes and efforts:
“For the invention of the lightbulb, [Thomas Edison] had thirty assistants, including well-trained scientists, often working around the clock in a corporate-funded state-of-the-art laboratory…there was no single moment of invention…but a whole network of time-consuming inventions each requiring one or more chemists, mathematicians, physicists, engineers and glass-blowers…
[Charles Darwin’s] masterwork, The Origin of the Species, took years of teamwork in the field, hundreds of discussions with colleagues and mentors, several preliminary drafts, and half a lifetime of dedication…
Mozart labored for more than ten years until he produced any work that we admire today. Before then, his compositions were not that original or interesting. Actually, they were patched-together chunks taken from other composers.”
Gifted or not, there is a clear reason why some people achieve less and others achieve more: mindset. People either believe they can do or learn it, or they don’t and quit. Dweck writes, “A growth mindset lets people–even those who are targets of negative labels (stereotypes, discrimination)–use and develop their minds fully. Their heads are not filled with limiting thoughts, a fragile sense of belonging and a belief that other people can define them.”
Here are some of Dweck’s tips to help you Grow Your Mindset:
– Think about your hero. Do you think of this person as someone with extraordinary abilities who achieved with little effort? Now go find out the truth. Find out the tremendous effort that went into their accomplishment–and admire them more.
– Is there something in your past that you think measured you? A test score? A dishonest or callous action? Being fired from a job? Being rejected? Focus on that thing. Feel all the emotions that go with it. Look honestly at your role in it, but understand that it doesn’t define your intelligence or personality. Instead, ask: What did I (or can I) learn from that experience? How can I use this as a basis for growth? Carry that with you instead.
– Think of times other people outdid you and you just assumed they were smarter or more talented. Now consider the idea that they just used better strategies, taught themselves more, practiced harder, and worked their way through obstacles. You can do that, too, if you want to.
– Think of a time you were enjoying something–doing a crossword puzzle, playing a sport, learning a new dance. Then it became hard and you wanted out. Maybe you suddenly felt tired, bored, or hungry…don’t fool yourself. It’s a fixed mindset. Picture [yourself]… as you meet the challenge and learn. Keep on going.
– Are there situations where you get stupid–where you disengage your intelligence? Next time you’re in one of those situations think about learning and improvement, not judgment.
– Is there something you’ve always wanted to do but were afraid you weren’t good at? Make a plan to do it.
Keep in mind that no one is perfect. At different times in our lives we may act from a fixed or growth perspective. But, being aware of our thoughts and beliefs helps us to pivot and get back in alignment with what we really want for our lives.
Since our beliefs about our abilities affect our outcomes, we can use our daily hypnosis practice as a way to encourage new thoughts and beliefs, to motivate ourselves to take action and acquire the new skills necessary to move forward. Our daily hypnosis practice can also help us to face the fear of failure and to challenge the labels that we (or other people) have placed on ourselves, allowing our subconscious to consider a more positive reality for our learning and development.
To better help you identifying the ways you might be stuck in fixed thinking, I wanted to share with you the hypnosis portion of last week’s group hypnosis session on limiting beliefs. Take 20 minutes and get some relief, motivation and insight. Click play to listen:
Happy editing,
Robin
