Unlocking Personal Growth: How Changing Your Mindset Transforms Your Life
Sep 06, 2023
[1]"When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change”
I remember that as a child, I held the belief that each person was dealt their very own deck of cards at birth, and that's just how we got to go through our human experience. We were either extremely lucky and our “hand” was comprised of a high IQ, a trim physique, good looks, or a special talent, or we were less fortunate and struggled through school, or felt awkward in social situations, and had to work harder than most, or we felt just plain "average" all around.
I felt average... maybe even a little unfortunate to be precise. To be content with my “lot in life”, I adopted the saying, “You get what you get, and you don’t get upset”. This belief seemed to serve me well. I was able to endure the circumstances in my life, however challenging they were, without throwing in the towel, having tantrums, or even complaining. Between you and me, I was getting quite good at it. My focus quickly became acceptance. But with that acceptance came a sense of stagnation. Was this it? Could it be that who I was, was all there would ever be to "me"?
[2]Through Dr. Carol Dweck’s research, I learned that my theory was false. We either walk through life with what Dweck calls a "fixed mindset", where we believe that who we are is all we will ever be, or with a "growth mindset". With the latter, we see challenges and failures as bits of information that can guide us in learning and making changes moving forward, thus fueling personal growth. We have a choice! The choice is in how we perceive each situation, and then how we choose to move forward. Our brains are malleable, which means that we can learn and grow to become more competent in any area. Everything is figureoutable! What a relief!
At a certain point in my adult life, despite all of my hard work, I felt stuck. It hadn't dawned on me that I was, in fact, stuck in my thinking. After reading Mindset, by Carol Dweck, I was amazed at the fact that a simple shift in the way we choose to look at things, could lead to personal growth and evolution. Realizing that it was only one decision away, I immediately chose to start observing my thinking and discover when I was falling short of adopting a growth mindset. I was ready and eager to test Dweck's theory of personal growth and development in my own life.
I chose to believe that anything is possible, if, I take the necessary steps to move toward my goal. I also changed my definition of failure. Instead of translating failure as confirmation that I am not enough, I redefined failure as refusing to get up after falling. That meant that as long as I kept getting back up, I had not failed. Seeing my shortcomings as bits of information that I could gather to help me better move forward the next time has empowered me to keep going. And as long as I keep putting one foot in front of the other, I will continue to progress. This has been eye-opening!
Since then, along my journey, I have used my growth mindset to surpass multiple habits that kept me feeling stuck. Quitting smoking, losing weight, and keeping it off, adopting an active lifestyle, expanding my knowledge and expertise, growing my business, and now, setting out on a new career adventure are some of the transformations I was able to secure. Knowing that the human brain is malleable empowers me to keep learning and evolving, staying curious about what else I can accomplish. It has become an experiment and I am eager to see myself push past the limits of my mind. I invite you to try it! You might just get blown away by what you can do.
[1] Dr. Wayne Dyer- quote
[2] Mindset- Dr Carol Dweck
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