HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR MINDSET

Mindset is the way we view ourselves; it's the idea that our beliefs influence the way we behave in response to life’s situations.

Are these thoughts helping me or harming me?

Our perceived capabilities, talents, and intelligence all impact our wellbeing.

Setting time aside to focus on positivity doesn’t mean that you become delusional and ignore the negative situations that we inevitably must face in life, but simply that at the start of every week you remember six things that went well for you.

Try to come up with three things for which you are thankful for and three things that you can truly say that you did well. Even if it something that appears insignificant such as “the sun was shining” or “I finally sent my bills ahead of time”, take the time to write it down. At the start of each week, be on the lookout for things that you can write down continually making a list to remember for the following week.

Exercise – Developing your Mindset

Ask yourself... “am I helping myself?”

Then tell yourself... “just for the sake of it, now I will try."

To overcome anxiety or pessimism, when you face a situation that you see as negative and you're berating yourself for a perceived mistake, just ask yourself: “Does it really help how bad xyz is?”

By asking yourself this question, your brain is forced to consider the logical reality: beating yourself up doesn’t help solve the problem. The brain cannot ignore a question, it considers questions even when we are unconscious.

This can lead to negative thought loops, where we ask ourselves over and over again: “What went wrong? Why am I a loser?”.

But it can also be used positively, to trick our brain into a more positive framework.

Similarly, you can try another little experiment. When you face a tough situation, just try to visualise how it could turn out well “just for the sake of it”. You’ll be surprised how these questions and phrases influence your thinking.

15 Ways to Develop a Growth Mindset

Courtesy of PsychologyToday.com

1. Acknowledge and embrace imperfection
   We all have our flaws, peculiarities, and weirdness—our imperfections. Like the small black mole on Marilyn Monroe’s face, our imperfections make us unique.
2. Face your challenges bravely
   If you find yourself terrified in the face of a serious challenge, stop and reframe the situation in your mind. consider your challenge as an “opportunity,” thus slightly shifting your perspective to make it easier for you to engage. Each challenge or opportunity invites us into a new experience that is a sort of adventure.
3. Pay attention to your words and thoughts.
   Start to pay attention to the words you speak, even the words in your mind. If your words are low or dark, the results may be also. So watch yourself. Listen to what you are saying and thinking. Censor yourself and become your own guide.
4. Stop seeking approval from others.
   Approval from others can often prevent a growth mindset. Cultivate self-acceptance and self-approval. Learn to trust yourself. You are the only person who will always be there for you in your life so you are the only one you need to impress.
5. Take a step deeper into authenticity.
   Pretending to be someone who you are not disrespects who you really are. It makes you a fake. It diminishes what you have to offer. Becoming truly authentic is a process that takes time and a lot of inner work. Once you do, you'll likely be more driven to pursue your true goals, which puts you in a growth mindset.
6. Cultivate a sense of purpose.
   Does your life feel like it is purpose-driven? If yes, define for yourself what that purpose encompasses. If you are drawing a blank, ask that your life’s purpose become clear to you. Meditate or contemplate on “purpose” and see what tidbits come through until you feel like you know the essence of your purpose, or perhaps part of it. Then pursue it—that's what'll help you build a growth mindset.
7. Redefine “genius.”
   We all have strengths and weaknesses. Explore and appreciate your strengths, and work to improve your weaknesses. This effort can help you build a growth mindset.
8. Turn criticism around until you find its gift.
   The purpose of criticism is to make things better. Someone else can see what you are doing from a slightly different perspective than you, and may have some valuable suggestions for you. If you open up to hearing suggestions, you can more easily develop your growth mindset.
9. Value the process over the end result.
   Remember, it’s the journey that matters, not the destination.
10. Learn from the mistakes of others.
    If you can learn from the mistakes of others, then you may be able to make fewer mistakes. This can sometimes calm the fear of trying new things, a key aspect of building a growth mindset.
11. “Not yet” is OK.
    When struggling with a task, remind yourself that you just haven’t mastered it “yet.” If you stick with it, time and practice will lead to improvement.
12. Take risks in the company of others.
    Try not to take yourself too seriously. Be willing to make mistakes in front of others, because if you're growing, this is bound to happen. And making mistakes in front of others will usually get easier with practice.
13. Be realistic.
    It takes time, sometimes lots of time, to learn a new skill, like learning a new language or learning to play an instrument or learning how to become a good lawyer. Keeping this in mind can help with a growth mindset.
14. Speed is not important.
    When you have a growth mindset, the end results are less of a focus. Instead, you fully engage and put effort into the process, no matter how long it takes. Incidentally, focusing on the process often also improves results, because you did put a lot of effort in along the way.
15. Own your attitude.
    If you value having a growth mindset, then take the time and make the effort to develop it. Persist and opportunities will come. Cultivate resilience along the way. You are remodeling your mind and that's a pretty cool thing.

Further Reading

Learned Optimism - Martin Seligman draws on more than twenty years of clinical research to demonstrate how optimism enhances the quality of life, and how anyone can learn to practice it.

Offering many simple techniques, Dr. Seligman explains how to break an 'I give up' habit, develop a more constructive explanatory style for interpreting your behaviour, and experience the benefits of a more positive interior dialogue.

These skills can help break up depression, boost your immune system, better develop your potential, and make you happier.

Also see - Learned Optimism Summary

Watch this video by Carol Dweck (TEDx)

Carol Dweck researches “growth mindset” — the idea that we can grow our brain's capacity to learn and to solve problems. In this talk, she describes two ways to think about a problem that’s slightly too hard for you to solve. Are you not smart enough to solve it, or have you just not solved it yet? A great introduction to this influential field.

Listen to this podcast (by Michele McQuaid)

Carol Dweck on Does Your Workplace Have A Growth Mindset?