Improving your mindset can help you grow both personally and professionally in achieving your goals.
But do you know what is the number one factor that determines whether or not someone succeeds at achieving a goal?
Is it genetics? Luck? What about skills or natural talent? Hard work has to be in there somewhere, right?
All of these factors are important, some more so than others, but none hold the number one spot.
So, what is number one?
If you guessed mindset, you are right. Mindset is a better predictor of future success than every other factor you can consider, including working hard and natural talent.
Welcome back to GinAdmin. My name is Gina Koran and I, along with my trusty sidekicks (a.k.a. my cup of joe and my pup) will be your host into this journey of changing your mindset to help you grow both personally and professionally, and achieving your goals.
What is a Growth Mindset?
A growth mindset is where you believe in change and improvement.
You believe that your skills and talents can be improved through hard work, practice, and dedication.
You embrace challenges.
People with a growth mindset set challenges as learning and growth opportunities rather than obstacles standing in their way.
They don’t get easily frustrated by failures and roadblocks; they believe these things are to be expected and are a sign that they need to adjust and try again.
I never see failure as failure, but only as a learning experience.
Tom Hopkins
The success of other people is inspiring to people with a growth mindset. They try to figure out how the other person succeeded and how to imitate them. This increases their own odds of success
You’ve heard the old adage “A leopard cannot change its spots”. Well, yes. But you are not a leopard, you are a human being. And we, as humans CAN change our spots!
Mindset is Changeable
Don’t buy into the myth that mindset is static. Not only CAN it change, but it DOES change throughout your life, whether or not you purposely try to change it.
So if your mindset is changing anyway, why not guide these changes and help them along so that you can grow into the best possible version of yourself?
Now, you’re probably asking yourself “HOW can I make these changes?”.
Well guess what…I have some tips. These tips are actually some habits you can create to help you change your mindset into one of growth!
Changing your mindset takes time and work. There’s no magic that will let you do it overnight.
And, of course, you don’t want to do ALL of these!
Pick the ones you think you can do easily and start there. You can always come back later and start on a new one!
So here we go…
Create a morning ritual to get your day off to a good start.
What makes you feel best in the mornings?
What can you do to set yourself up for success every day?
Maybe it is journaling over a cup of coffee or going for a morning run.
Maybe it is taking a few minutes to meditate or stretch before you get in the shower.
It might even be something as simple as making your bed before you leave for work.
Figure out a ritual that works for you and prioritize doing it every day.
If you have been with me for a while, you know that running…yeah, probably not going to happen.
But as the weather gets warmer, I will start going walkabout with the pupper. (AND my cup of coffee!). This gets my blood flowing and sets me up for a good day of good old-fashioned work!
Reflect on your day.
Every night before you go to bed, take a moment to reflect on your day.
What went right?
What didn’t and how can you make it go right tomorrow?
Did you get done what you wanted to do? Why or why not?
What can you do to make sure tomorrow goes well?
I mentioned in a previous article that my best tool is my very colorful calendar.
Every morning before I start my day, I look over my calendar and have a snapshot of what I need to accomplish.
This also helps clear my brain most nights so that I can rest knowing that tomorrow is already laid out for me.
You can read that article here to get more ideas on how I use my calendar.
Practice gratitude daily.
Find at least one thing you can be grateful for every day. There are ALWAYS some good things in life you can be grateful for.
Stop and be thankful for them every day.
This only takes a few seconds and can be done any time of the day!
Always be working towards a goal
Big or small, it doesn’t matter. The important thing is that you always have a goal you’re striving for that makes you stretch and challenge yourself.
When you reach one goal, move on to another.
If you’re headed to a city you’ve never traveled to before, your journey will be more efficient and effective if you have a detailed road map to guide your travel.
John Boitnott
Entrepreneur contributor
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/342898
Break big goals down into subgoals that will help you see quick progress.
Start journaling
Use prompts to write a journal entry about your mindset 2-3 times a week. Or free write and see what comes out.
You don’t need a fancy journal; a pen and a sheet of paper or a notebook are all you need.
You can write about literally anything – what did you see the crazy barn cats doing on your morning walkabout with the pupper?
What funny story did your kids or your best friend tell you today that gave you a chuckle?
Remember…this is YOUR place to just let the words fly!
Eat healthy foods.
Food is fuel for the body and the mind. What you eat affects how much energy you have, how well you can focus, and your overall mood.
So, a couple disclaimers here.
First, I am NOT a dietitian! I bring this point up because I know that personally, if I eat a lot of carbs, I’m going to be sluggish and not really accomplish much.
That being said, I have a plaque on my desk that reads “I’m a woman of many moods and they all require Chocolate”.
And to quote a friend of mine…”just sayin’”.
The key for me is that I know my body and what it needs to function productively.
Start an exercise habit.
Exercise is good for you in so many ways and has profound, positive effects on your mindset as well.
You don’t need to train for a marathon (shudder). Maybe go for a walk, go swimming, take up yoga or another gentle workout like tai chi, or do anything else that appeals to you.
ANY exercise will help you improve your mindset.
I find that by simply doing some stretches and going walkabout, I’m more energized and my brain just functions better.
Prioritize sleep.
Nothing makes you feel better than a good night’s sleep. And nothing makes you feel worse than a bad one.
Most people today are chronically sleep-deprived. If you want to cultivate a growth mindset, don’t be one of them.
Prioritize getting a good night’s sleep every night.
And again with the disclaimer…I am not a doctor. Do what is best for you, your body and your brain.
Take regular breaks from social media.
Social media is fun and lets you connect with friends, but it has a downside.
It is easy to get drawn into that video of the dog doing tricks, like fetching its owner a beverage. From the neighbor’s fridge.
I have started to set an alarm when I pop into my social media. If I don’t, there I sit…watch videos of things that are keeping me from being productive.
I have also started “saving” posts so I can go back to them in the evening, AFTER my work is done and I am relaxing. Then I can binge dog videos to my heart’s content!
Do something creative.
Creativity is one of the most necessary, yet often neglected aspects of being a well-round person.
The challenge involved in it will make you grow and improve your mindset.
Aim to do something creative every day, or at least several times a week. Write, color, paint, draw, play a musical instrument -the options are endless.
And there you have the 10 habits I found for changing your mindset to help you grow both personally and professionally, and achieving your goals.
None of these habits are magic. They won’t change your mindset overnight.
What they will do is support you and help you along on your journey. They will motivate you to keep going when things get tough and to feel your best.
That will help you cultivate your growth mindset. It may not be magic, but it sure is helpful!
I would love to hear your ideas on changing your mindset (IF you need to make a change, that is) to a growth mindset.
And if you try any of these ideas, pop back in and let me know how it goes!
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