Growth Mindset: A Key Attribute of Successful People
Can We Increase Our Ability To Achieve Success?
How do you define success? Some people have probably never stopped to think about the answer to this question. If you were to perform a Google search on the definition of success, you would find that success is commonly defined as “the accomplishment of a set goal or obtaining a favorable or desired outcome”. While most people understand what success is, our beliefs can play an important role in our ability to achieve desired outcomes in our lifetime. Many of us repeatedly pursue success, fall short, and move on, or start over again with no change in thinking or strategy (think New Year’s resolutions). Ultimately, we never stop to ask the question, what is the missing ingredient that would get me closer to (or even position me to achieve) the desired outcome? What are the key attributes of the “successful”? Today, let’s consider the concept of growth mindset, but first, let’s look at some of the generally agreed upon qualities of successful people.
When you think of successful people in sports, the successful athletes all share some common qualities. I have listed a few here for your consideration:
· Exceptional determination – They work harder than most and are not deterred by errors.
· Unshakable willpower – They stay focused despite unfavorable odds.
· Consummate optimists – They always believe that they will reach their objective.
· Healthy level of self-confidence – They don’t doubt their ability to reach the objective.
· Highly adaptable – They have learned to instinctively adapt to changing conditions.
Often, successful people can repeat the attainment of their objectives even if the objectives are in different area, or areas where they have no prior involvement or experience. Part of the reason for this is that successful people possess qualities such as the ones I’ve mentioned above, and they apply those qualities to every situation. Moreover, a key component of successful people not mentioned above is their belief that they are going to learn and adapt until they can leverage that new knowledge to their advantage, and ultimately achieve their objectives. The process of developing one’s abilities, learning, and adapting is a way to describe “growth mindset”.
Growth mindset is a term coined by Carol Dweck based on scholarly research that began in the early 1970s. In a nutshell, growth mindset embraces the idea that you can develop your abilities and ultimately succeed despite any preexisting limiting beliefs or your existing circumstances. This contrasts with what is known as a fixed mindset. The fixed mindset believes that one’s abilities cannot be improved or developed (think of the saying “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”). While the research on growth mindset initially focused on children and their beliefs about themselves, developing your own abilities to learn and adapt are not confined to any particular age group.
I know from personal experience that you can adopt a growth mindset no matter where you are on the mindset continuum. I have developed my abilities as an accounting professional and currently I’m developing as a writer, and eventually as an author. In fact, it is not uncommon for people to have a growth mindset in some areas of their lives and a fixed mindset in others. This could be attributed to the system of beliefs that developed during childhood or adolescence; or it could be a result of what we learned from teachers, coaches, or simply the culture that we are exposed to on a daily basis. Regardless of our current frame of mind or where it came from, we can move toward, or strengthen our ability to achieve any desired outcome by doing two simple things; first, we must stop telling ourselves that it is beyond our ability to grow and develop. Second, and more importantly, we must permanently redefine how we view failure. Simply put, if success is the attainment of a desired outcome, through a growth mindset framework, the lack of success then becomes the deferral of the desired outcome until such time as you have developed the ability to obtain your goal. Falling short becomes a learning opportunity and the desired goal remains very possible. Finally, in a growth mindset, “no” is replaced with “not yet”.
Failure can no longer be defined by you as the inability to reach your desired outcome. Instead, and according to a growth mindset, failure is choosing to stop trying.
When success is not yet reached, we acknowledge that our desired outcomes are always close by, and we commit to fight through the obstacles, and learn from criticism (read feedback) to become more dynamic in how we press forward. We do not surrender to the temptation to quit but always find the lesson that is embedded in the challenge so that we can continue to press on. The result is that each step forward gets us over a hurdle, and that much closer to our goal.
This may sound complicated, but it is quite simple, and very powerful. It is a choice. We can control our perceptions. We must believe that we can succeed, and we must try to learn from our shortcomings so that the next attempt is an improvement upon the previous try. We must persist until we reach the desired outcome.
If you’ve ever watched a new baby learn to move on their own, you will recall that there are several milestones that must take place in sequence before the baby can successfully walk. We see with our own eyes many steps such as learning to turn over; learning to crawl, learning to stand, and ultimately learning to walk. We also see that the baby will not stop trying until they can walk by themselves. Happily, even the baby can recognize progress. It is evident when the toddler stands for the first time because a smile breaks out on his or her face. They realize the milestone has been reached as they stand and balance themselves for a second or two. The next milestone is to take that first independent step and then, before you know it, the baby is running around the house. Growth mindset is a process of small, sequential successes combined to reach the desired objective.
You are never too young or old to choose tenacity. Choose to see setbacks as a “not yet” in your quest for success. If you need a little encouragement or inspiration, a good coach can assist you with expanding your growth mindset. If you need to see a growth mindset in action, watch a toddler learn to stand and walk. Sometimes we must see it to do it. Through repetition, consistency and recognition of each new milestone reached, achieving your goals remains possible with a growth mindset.
Hope Byus Coaching LLC can help
What decision do you need to make that will move you toward your goals? What steps does this decision involve? Without limits, what does a fulfilled life look like for you? Are you excited about your future or are you facing it with apprehension and fear?
For those of you who could use an accountability partner for ongoing support and inspiration, a professional coach can help you to find out what you need and can help inspire you to get there. Our goal is to successfully support you in realizing your full potential and assist in giving your life a new direction.
Our task oriented, collaborative sessions will help you to identify any problems and concerns that stand in the way of achieving your goals, and we will support you in applying the actions I shared earlier. We understand that breakthroughs require growth and growth requires vision followed by consistent action to successfully reach your goals. Book a free discovery session now!
