Hello and welcome again to my blog.
Last week, I shared about my dealings with the fixed and growth mindset plus why I started working towards the growth mindset. Simply put, a growth mindset enables you grow and get better while a fixed mindset keeps you stuck and unable to push yourself. In this post, I’d share in more details five practices to help you commit to your growth.
1. Reframe Your Thoughts: On the premise of cognitive-behavioral therapy, we learn that our thoughts influence our actions and emotions. Now pause and think about the last time you acted out or you were demotivated, what thoughts were going through your mind? Can you notice any link between your thoughts and how you acted or felt? The growth mindset comes with challenging yourself and taking steps that are great but not necessarily comfortable. To be able do these, it is important to reframe your thoughts. You would have to change your thoughts from “I can’t do it” to “It’s possible, I understand it will take time but I will stick with it” As you reframe your thoughts, you start to reprogram your mind and are more motivated to confront whatever challenge it is (take action).
2. Learn from others: Glean from the wisdom of those that have gone ahead if they are gracious enough to share. Read their audio and written materials. Sign up to their email list, follow them on social media and while engaging their materials look for common themes and identify their thought patterns. Learn from the stories they share. If the stories include a phase of life similar to yours, some of the strategies they share might be useful. Usually, you would be able to draw strength from their stories and be inspired to keep evolving.
3. Value the process: As you set your eyes on a specific goal on what you want to become or do, understand that the process is as important as the end goal. So, don’t give up on yourself because things aren’t happening based on your initial timeline. Remember the famous quote Rome was not built in a day? Take it one day at a time and appreciate the journey. Tell yourself the changes and setbacks that are happening as you are aiming for this goal, will hand you wisdom for the future.
4. See Failure as a learning opportunity: I have observed how the fear of failure can be paralyzing and stops a person from achieving what’s on their heart. With the growth mindset, you embrace fear. You remind yourself that it’s all part of the learning curve and the lessons you draw will help you with the bigger vision. You don’t fear failure, you dare in it in the face. Easier said than done lol but that’s again where reframing your thoughts come in. Flip the what if it goes wrong? to what if it goes right? So after making a mistake, and crying, and moping for a while, don’t stay there. Pick the lessons and keep it moving.
5. Don’t forget you are a spec!: Hey you! Yes you! There is only one you in the world and that is something special. Lots of people may be doing what you are doing but you do it in your own way and uniquely so. You are the wow factor. Repeat this to yourself as many times as possible till you start to embody it and see the change you desire. This way, you develop a positive self-image that translates into the effort you put into building yourself and accomplishing your desires.
As I sign out, remember that a lot of these practices require identifying your thinking pattern and changing it to something positive or maintaining it if it is already positive. It’s also called renewing your mind! And then you start to see yourself getting closer to the dream you.
And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 12 vs 2 KJV
Till next week,
Enjoy yourself and reframe those thoughts
p.s: I didn’t quite get the quietness I needed to write this but I am glad it is done. I pushed myself rather than procrastinate (proud moment here ?)
