You never know what challenge will be waiting for you next. That's not a bad thing, because what really counts is how you react to it. And it's your mindset that decides.
It is formed over the years based on your experiences and influences, among other things, how open you are or how much courage you bring to challenges. A growth mindset moves you forward! What exactly this means and how you develop it, you can read here.
The word "mindset" can be translated as "way of thinking" or "mental attitude". "Growth", on the other hand, means "growth". This makes a growth mindset a mental attitude that is shaped by your personal growth. What does it mean exactly?
American psychologist Carol Dweck has been studying this question for years. Her interest was aroused by students who were not annoyed by almost unsolvable tasks, but were quite enthusiastic about the challenge. Dweck wanted to find out how they developed this attitude and what it would mean for their later lives.
Countless experiments and studies followed, in which the psychologist intensively researched the Growth Mindset and its counterpart - the Fixed Mindset. She came to the overriding conclusion that our willingness to develop, learn and improve our skills is a key determinant of our success in life.
The experiences we gain influence our entire life and thus, of course, the attitude we display towards certain things. Let's look at a few examples. In the case of people who received very little encouragement in childhood and often had the feeling, not good enough to be, will often doubt themselves again and again, even in adulthood. They often do not recognize their own potential and do not dare to come out of their Venture out of comfort zone. They are too afraid to make mistakes and thus deprive themselves of the chance to grow.
On the other hand, those who are repeatedly strengthened and know from experience that no matter what happens, their loved ones will always stand behind them, often dare to do more. These people often have a strengthened Self-confidence and face challenges courageously. And it is precisely this courage that forms the basis for a Growth Mindset and moves you forward in your private and professional life.
The most diverse experiences determine our everyday life. Of course, they are not all positive or negative. Consequently, our mindset can also change in certain situations or when dealing with certain people. So your Growth Mindset in your job, where you want to aim high, becomes a Fixed Mindset in your private life, for example when you feel restricted in your relationship. But that doesn't have to be the case!
It is up to you from which perspective you want to look at things. In situations where you have a rigid image of yourself and your possibilities, you can actively decide to put on the Growth Mindset glasses. Granted, this will take some practice, but it will be worth it!
One thing first: Being the best at everything is not a criterion for a Growth Mindset. What it is about is recognizing your potential and knowing that there is always a way up for you. How can you develop this mindset? By taking our 8 tips to heart!
Success is not handed to anyone on a silver platter, not even to you. You yourself are responsible for your happiness and you have to be aware of that! No fairy godmother will come along and conjure up the life you've always wanted. The only way is to become active yourself. So what are you waiting for?
Moving out of your safe comfort zone is not always easy. The outcome of many situations is so uncertain that you prefer to avoid them. But if you don't face them, you can't grow from them. So show courage!
Even if you fail the first time, you've still taken a step forward. Why? Because you analyze your mistakes and then know exactly what you can do better next time!
There are countless impressive personalities who we often think were simply lucky, were in the right place at the right time, or were born into success and prosperity. But in truth, this is very rarely the case. Just take a look at some of their biographies and you will be surprised how hard they worked for their success and what kind of setbacks they might have had to face. And yet they made it to the top. So why shouldn't you succeed?
You have colleagues who are always at the forefront, open to new challenges and simply can't be stopped? Remarkable, isn't it? You can learn from them! If you surround yourself with people with a growth mindset, it will be easier for you to change your attitude as well.
The positive energy they radiate will spill over to you as well. Surely they also have great Tips for you how to overcome your insecurity in certain situations, because they probably used to feel the same way you do.
Where are you now and where would you like to go? The answer to this question marks your starting point and your goal and thus gives you an important orientation. Focus on your current situation and consider what skills you need to get to your goal.
Do you already meet all the requirements or could you use some more advanced skills? If the latter is the case, then acquire them and don't rest on the sentence: "I just wasn't born with enough talent. Talent is hard work. So focus on your goal and take the first step.
Are you one of those people who go through every possible scenario in your head and come up with the perfect plan for every eventuality? Then you'll probably never get started. Of course, it's good to think about what's coming up in advance. But are you making all these detailed plans just to stall for time? That won't get you anywhere.
At some point, it's time to get going. You can't prepare for every scenario 100 %. Trust your ability and believe in yourself!
You have achieved the first successes? Great! Now it is called: Keep going! If you rest on your laurels, you run the risk that your Growth Mindset will gradually revert to a Fixed Mindset without you being aware of it.
So always question your actions and check whether your recipe for success is also transferable to the current circumstances. Always be prepared to adapt to new situations.
You yourself are your greatest source of motivation, so always make yourself aware of that! Free yourself from your negative attitude and change it with the help of beliefs. into the positive. It may sound trite, but it will help you practice confidence. Replace "It'll never work" with "I can do it. every challenge master" or "I can do anything". Words with a negative connotation have Autosuggestion nothing lost.
Dynamic vs. static self-image - this is probably the biggest difference between a Growth and a Fixed Mindset. Dynamic in this context means that you are firmly convinced that you can always reach higher if you try hard enough. Failures do not slow you down, but spur you on to improve. You think carefully about what you could have done better and then put it into practice. In your eyes, that's the key to success, and you're right.
With this mindset, all doors are open to you and you are brave enough to walk through and explore what lies beyond. Your mindset is rather static? Then you assume that only talent will get you ahead and tell yourself that you don't have any. According to this, you believe that you have no chance at all to improve yourself, because the skills you need for this have not been given to you in the cradle. Unlike people with a growth mindset, you just take it for granted and don't make any effort to acquire these skills.
Your view of mistakes is also completely different. You're always afraid of doing something wrong and you get very uncomfortable when you think about what bad consequences they might have. You are always afraid of failing and therefore don't dare to try new things. This limits your horizons and deprives yourself of the chance to develop further.
Imagine the following scenario: In the office, you are entrusted to work with a very important client who is incredibly meticulous and demanding. What is the first thought that goes through your mind? Does your inner voice say, "I can't do this! What if I make a mistake? We'll lose the client and everyone will be mad at me. They'll make fun of me for not being able to master the task!"? That clearly speaks to a Fixed Mindset.
If you have a growth mindset, your inner voice reacts differently. You are happy to be able to take care of this customer, even though you may not have the necessary skills. But you are not afraid of this, you simply acquire these skills. This challenge doesn't scare you at all, it just spurs you on. You know you can do the job if you put your mind to it, and that motivates you to perform at your best.
You finally want to get out of your own way and make your mindset turn around? Then willpower is the first important step. Are you really ready for change? Do you dare to step out of your comfort zone to expand your horizons?
You yourself are your greatest source of motivation, so use it! No one else can drive you to change your mindset. You are determined? Great, then visualize your goals and face the challenges! Don't let small setbacks throw you off track, but stay true to your new mindset and see them as opportunities to learn.
