Here are three questions you need to ask yourself if you want to adopt a new mindset for success. Instead of relying on a fixed mindset, use a growth mindset, one that encourages effort and learning.
Every day people plan to do difficult things, but then they don’t do them. They say, “Well, I really can’t today, I’ll start tomorrow.” I hear this from people in my work as a coach. And I’ve done it many times myself.
You and I both know that even intense vowing is useless. Especially when the next day comes and goes and the excuses are really very true almost valid reasons. Truth is, we only makes ourselves feel worse.
Acquiring a growth mindset, according to experts like Carol Dweck, author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, is key. In applying a growth mindset about your goals, you need to ask yourself the following questions:
- What can I do that would advance the knowledge and skills I need to be successful at my goal?
- What can I learn about this task so I can achieve it?
- Who can I ask for help or feedback with this goal?
The difference between successful people and those who are not is often as simple as asking yourself these three questions: what can I do, what can I learn, who can help me?
This is how a growth mindset starts to take hold in your brain. Instead of putting things off, or finding reasons and rationalizations for why you’re not succeeding like you think you should, answer these questions and then make a concrete plan.
It’s not enough to dream, although that helps to have a clear picture of what you want. You also need to visualize and articulate what you’re going to do, when you will do it, and specify the details. Otherwise, you’re not really going anywhere.
Early on in my career as a consultant and coach, I decided I needed to let people know about my services, beyond contacting them and networking face-to-face. I asked other successful coaches what they did to have a strong, professional online presence.
Almost all the successful ones I interviewed said they stayed in contact with potential clients by publishing a regular newsletter or blogging. Many others, however, told me they knew they should be writing and publishing online but told me why they didn’t have enough time. Guess whose advice I took?
I asked myself three questions. What could I do? What did I need to learn? And who could I get to help me? The next step was to write down an action plan that included who, what, when and where.
If this makes sense to you, why not apply a test, a little experiment? Think of something you need to do, or a problem you have to confront. Make a concrete plan. When will you follow through on your plan? Where will you do it? How? Think about it in vivid detail.
The idea is not only to shift your mindset, but to get into action. The best mindset in the world is worthless if you don’t follow through.
If you want help, just ask. You can contact me here.
