Top 10 Tips for... Developing a Positive Growth Mindset
Our blog this month focuses on finding the right mindset for success as a leader and explains the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. To complement the advice given in that article, here are our top 10 tips for developing a positive growth mindset:
1. Allow yourself to dream
Every new adventure or achievement begins with a dream. Let yourself dream and don’t place any limitations on your dreams. Your dreams are part of your creative self: if you embrace them, you will identify new opportunities for growth. Now try them out.
2. Acknowledge and embrace imperfections
Hiding from your weaknesses is a sure fire way to guarantee you will never overcome them. It will also hamper your attempts to develop a growth mindset. If you embrace your imperfections you can break their power over your mindset and succeed in spite of them.
3. Try one new thing every day
If you commit to trying one new thing every day, by the end of the year you will have tried 365 new things. The chances of finding something you like, enjoy or are good at are much higher. More importantly, you will soon develop a personal growth mindset where you see challenges rather than problems, and are unafraid to try new things.
4. Be your own cheerleader
When taking on a new challenge, be your own cheerleader. Develop the habit of encouraging yourself by using positive self-talk. Focus on how good you will feel when you have mastered your new skill. Think about how you would encourage a friend or colleague if they were embarking on a new learning experience and coach yourself in the same way.
5. Cultivate a sense of purpose
When you start to develop a growth mindset you will notice that you start to have a greater sense of purpose. Keep the big picture in mind, and it will help you maintain your momentum.
6. Engage with new people
Get to know and have conversations with people and groups that you might not have previously spent time with. If you approach these conversations with an open mind you will learn new things and have your own views challenged. This will help to stimulate your creativity and sense of adventure.
7. Have faith in your own ability
Commit yourself to having faith in your ability to learn new things and change. Guard against being side-tracked or demotivated by other people’s negative comments. Although constructive criticism is always helpful, it’s important to develop and listen to your own voice. Filter and decide whether the criticism is coming from a place of growth or fixed mindset.
8. Emphasise growth over speed
It’s good to remind yourself that you are cultivating a growth mindset, not a ‘quick fix’ mindset. This is a continual process where you keep on learning and growing. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Don’t get discouraged if some new skills and behaviours take time to master. Adapt to your own pace.
9. Focus on the experience, not the end result
There may be activities you have avoided because you are not confident you would be good at them. Ask yourself ‘Does it really matter if I am not very good at it?’ The answer is ‘No’. You don’t need to be good at it, if you enjoy it. If you focus on the experience rather than the end result, you will have a lot more fun and you might, unwittingly, find something which you are actually good at.
10. Take ownership over your attitude
Once you develop a growth mindset, own it. Acknowledge yourself as someone who possesses a growth mentality and be proud to let it guide you throughout your career.
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