All things are difficult before they are made easy.
Having a growth mindset is a blessing, but having a fixed mindset, I believe, is a curse. When you have a growth mindset, you are always open to new ideas. You have the flexibility to change your perspective. You can view the world with another person’s eyes. But when you have a fixed mindset, you do not enjoy the same pleasures of life. You are rigid and you lack the ability to easily grasp new ideas.
Amal totkey provided 5 tips for developing a growth mindset, which I’ll be talking about in more detail.
1- Self-talk:
Self-talk is really important and what you talk to yourself is also very important because that has a great impact on your life. When you consider yourself a weak and fragile person, you end up being weak and easy to hurt. However, when you think about yourself as a strong person who is capable of doing almost anything, then you become a person who is a reflection of your positive thoughts. Therefore, when you talk to yourself, make sure it’s the good and positive things only.
2- Get out of your comfort zone:
If you find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere.
Great things do not happen in the comfort zones. You have to get out there, and go through a difficult road to find contentment in your life.
Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations.
3- Create new habits:
If you don’t have a growth mindset, don’t worry. It is not something that is undoable. You can always create new habits that will change your lifestyle. If you have a fixed mindset, and you want to have a growth mindset, just start working small and try to develop those habits that will change your perspective. These include reading books, listening to podcasts, listening to other people only for the sake of listening, not for answering them back or proving them wrong, etc.
Dreams don’t work unless you do.
4- Ask people for help:
If you are trying out new things, or you are trying to develop new habits, just ask your peers to help you. Don’t be shy. Just ask them whether they have felt any change in you or not. Ask them if you are improving or not. Do not hesitate. For a growth mindset, it is important to remain open to new ideas.
5- Fake it till you make it:
If you are trying really hard but haven’t gotten instant results, then I’ll suggest you to be patient. You cannot change your mindset at the speed of lightning. You cannot wake up one day with a growth mindset. Things take time. Give them their proper time. Don’t worry if your mindset hasn’t changed a bit. Just start acting like you have a growth mindset. Act like those people who have a growth mindset. Learn new things. Accept challenges. Listen to other people’s ideas, etc. Eventually you will see that you will end up having a growth mindset. As Shakespeare said:
All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players.
So fake it till you make it.
From the above mentioned five tips, my favorite is self-talk. I believe that before anyone else, your perspective about you really matters. What you think about yourself plays a huge role in shaping your life and your life choices.
It’s hard to beat a person who knows his potential and never gives up.
It has been many years since I have implemented this tip in my life. I don’t care what other people think about me but I do care what I think about me. I think that I am not less than anyone in any way. I am capable of doing almost anything. If I want to achieve something, I can do it with hard work and prayers. This belief of mine has benefitted me a lot in my academic career.
Though I already have a really strong growth mindset. At least this is what the Growth Mindset Assessment from Dr. Carol says. However, I would still like to improve it and for that purpose, I will try to read more to explore what I don’t know yet. I will listen to other people to learn from them.
Whoever has made it this far, I’ll suggest you the same. Happy learning.