Mindset Matters

And we're back!

For the past few months (all of this year, actually, but especially the last few months) this reoccurring concept of "mindset" keeps popping up. And I never thought about it much before.

I heard the term "mindset" thrown around like confetti and only gave it one ear. But that's partially due to not understanding what "mindset" actually encompasses and how it actually shows up and effects my everyday life.

And you probably know what "mindset" is. You probably even think you know your own mindset, but I hope you keep reading a little bit more so that you can not only remind yourself to be conscious of your mindset but understand how important it is to your life and life direction.

The term mindset gets tossed around, usually with one or two options: positive or negative. But understanding your mindset isn't just about thinking positively; it's about how you tackle life's rollercoaster, dodge curveballs, and embrace the process of personal development and success. 

"Mindset"

What's a Mindset Anyway? 🧐

You may or may not skip this section, but I'm still going to write it, just in case.

In simple terms, a mindset is your mental compass guiding and orienting you through life. 

It encompasses how you view the world, yourself, and all the situations that you interact with. So yeah, I think it's pretty important.

Mindset is the term of the sum total of your beliefs, attitudes, and thoughts that influence your daily decisions and actions. Your mindset is where your habits and perceptions take place, and it shapes your outlook on, well, everything.

It shapes:

1.  Attitudes: If you've got a positive mindset, you're more likely to see silver linings, opportunities, and reasons to celebrate. On the flip side, a negative mindset can paint everything in shades of gray, making even sunny days seem gloomy.

I know you know what I'm talking about because we've all had days where we've woken up on the wrong side of the bed. Everything just seems off and irritating even though it's the same environment as yesterday morning. The only thing that changed was your perspective/mindset which of course then directly influences your attitudes, if you aren't aware.

2. Behaviors: A lot of how we operate in life is through subconscious programing. And our mindset is no exception. Typically, when our mindset is working and influencing our behaviors it takes shape in the decisions we make and the actions we take. 

Your mindset most likely will have a large part in determining whether or not you'll leap into action or take a cozy spot on the sidelines. 

3. Perspectives: And this is why two people can experience the same event but see it in completely different ways. Crazy, isn't it? It's like the lens on your mental camera, focusing on what it deems important and quite literally blurring out the rest. Your mindset influences how you see the world and can either blind you to good things and opportunities or unveil them. That's why when you work on improving your mindset, often times you will be able to see more solutions that you were previously unaware of. 

We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are.

-Anais Nin

Love, love, love this quote^

Types of Mindsets

Of course there are so, so many different types of mindsets. Fear based, success, growth, etc. 

For the sake of my mindset :) and the length of this post I'm only going to touch on two overarching ones. Though pretty much any other mindset you can think of can be categorized under the umbrella of either of these two.

Fixed Mindset: The Comfort Zone

Whenever you see the words "comfort zone" sit up and pay close attention, because this is not a zone you want to stay in for too long or else it will start wearing on your growth and success.

We get caught in fixed mindsets because our brains - specifically the amygdala - loves warmth, comfort, and familiarity and fears the unknown (aka change). That's what a fixed mindset is all about—it's the cozy comfort zone couch potato of mindsets. And I say couch potato because while it's comfortable for a while, it's also not very healthy if you stay there. 

And because your mindset encompasses attitudes, behaviors, and perceptions, it starts affecting your belief system creating beliefs that think our abilities and qualities are as set in stone. Because if you buy into these beliefs you will always be in what your brain perceives to be a familiar "safe" zone and never experience the unknown/change/growth. 

Are you starting to see how this type of a mindset can eventually become detrimental?

The opposite of a fixed mindset is a growth mindset.

Growth Mindset:

The essence of a growth mindset is that it's all about growth, learning, and embracing the adventure of life. 

And I'm glad to be able to tell you that since you are reading my blog and have gotten all the way to this section of this particular blog post that there is a very good chance that you fall into the category of someone with a growth mindset. Hooray!

A growth mindset creates beliefs that abilities and qualities can be cultivated and developed with effort and perseverance. You believe that you're not stuck with what you've got; you can become whatever you want with some dedication and hard work. Which, I don't know about you, but this is a way more empowering mindset to me than one where you fear change (which is actually impossible to avoid).

When we think of growth mindset we think about challenges and exciting opportunities for learning and growth. That's true and very fun and exciting, but also realize that failures are also opportunities to exercise a growth mindset by changing your outlook to perceive them as just a stepping stone to success, mere detours on the road to achievement. 

Self-improvement and constant development are a must in order to have a growth mindset. And this is a law of nature because in nature, if you aren't growing, you're dying. Kind of a blunt way to put it, but it's true.

The Impact of Mindsets

I kind of already described how mindset impacts you, but here are a few areas in your life where mindset can be really apparent. 

1. Self-esteem and Self-belief: Your Inner Confidence

A fixed mindset magnifies your flaws and shrinks your self-belief because you think you're stuck the way you are.

A growth mindset you believe in your ability to improve, and that, my friends, is like wearing an invisible suit of invincibility.

2. Resilience and Adaptability: Your Armor

The ability to bounce back and adapt is a necessary life skill to cultivate.

With a fixed mindset, you don't have the mental capacity to adapt and look for new opportunities, let alone success. Of course, you'll still ride out whatever life situation happened, but there will be way more stress, negative health effects, and emotional upheaval. Not fun, especially since it's unnecessary.

With a growth mindset, you can embrace challenges as opportunities and see setbacks as mere detours. You adapt, you evolve, and you emerge stronger.

3. Motivation and Goal-setting: 

A fixed mindset will only take you to what you're already familiar with. You set safe, easily attainable goals because you fear falling short and losing your way. Safe, but rarely successful and rarely happy.

But a growth mindset? This lets you free think and set audacious goals. You're motivated by growth, not just achievement, and that makes your journey far more exciting. Being able to think big is the first step towards taking steps towards making waves. And having a growth mindset doesn't have to be earth shatteringly big, it just means that instead of setting the feasible, safe goal of running 1 mile, you aim for working your way up to 5. 

4. Relationships and Interpersonal Interactions

Your mindset can determine whether you're a loner or part of a vibrant social group.

Picture Batman brooding alone in the Batcave. That's what a fixed mindset can do to your relationships. You might tend to avoid collaboration, fearing judgment or competition.

And that's not to say that you have to be a social butterfly to have a growth mindset, but with a growth mindset you at least have the opportunity and the CHOICE to be able to work as a team, get feedback, and be open to getting to know new people - even if you don't become best friends. 

Cultivating a Growth Mindset

As I have found out this year, changing your mindset is a process. I'm not going to put an amount of time on it because I don't believe that it has to be a slow process. I believe you can change your mindset in a day, in a second. 

But for a lot of us, mindset is also habitual, and it does take time to break bad habits and install new ones. So here are some practical suggestions that can help foster growth/positive mindset.

Tip 1: Be the Hero, Not the Villain 

Tip 2: Throw a Progress Party

Tip 3: Be open to saying "Yes" to New Adventures 

Tip 4: Practice self-awareness and mindfulness 

Alright, it's time to wrap up this post. 

So, what have we learned today? 

Mindsets that shape your outlook on life, influence your decisions, and determine your success. 

Why It Matters: Well, because understanding and harnessing the power of your mindset is key to unlocking potential and success and is necessary if you want to level up in your career, conquer personal goals, or simply live a happier life. Which are things all of us desire.

So, take a moment to reflect on your own mindset. Are you more of a fixed mindset thinker, or do you lean toward the growth mindset? It's okay; we all have a mix of both. The important thing is to recognize where you stand and consider how you can cultivate a growth mindset for personal growth and success.

Remember that you have the power to be the hero of your own story.

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