Mindset

[Maya]

Mindset is the combination of the individual's beliefs, thoughts, emotions and attitudes. At the same time, it influences how the person thinks, feels, and behaves in every situation. In other words, it can set our decisions, choices and actions, including how we relate to others and how we deal with any situation.
Our mindset includes how we view ourselves, how we view our position in the world and the whole world around us. The mindset influences the outcomes. Mindset isn’t just about our attitudes and beliefs. It also includes how much we believe in our abilities, how confident we are and our self-esteem. Our mindset plays a significant role on how we cope with life's challenges since the very first years of our lives. It starts getting a form since our early life. What the person believes about themself impacts their success and/or failure. Mindset is everything when it comes to success and happiness.

There are two types of mindset, the fixed one and the growth one. Individuals with a fixed mindset view their abilities as set in stone. Nothing can change. The fact that something hasn't happened until today means that it's not going to happen in the future either. In this case we worry about failing, being criticized. People with fixed mindset are more likely to give up when facing challenging events, even before giving it a try. The focus is just on winning vs losing. Like "I know that I'll fail, so I won't try at all". Not trying, not putting effort for something we want gives us 100% chance of failing. Fighting for what we desire will reduce the chances from absolute failure to a lesser degree, with a possible chance of actually getting what we desire. And this is what the growth mindset is all about.

Individuals with a growth mindset perceive abilities as dynamic, improve as time passes through constant effort and learning. A growth mindset initiates our persistance, strength, determination and endurance, our willpower in achieving our goals and learning everything we need in order to do so. A growth mindset is am outlook where we take challenges on and believe in our ability to learn and advance, and that we'll even learn from our failure. It’s about trying to be as good as we can possible be right now, while acknowledging that we can improve even more.

Unfixing a Fixed Mindset:

• Incorporate "yet" or "until today" when you have a thought about something you haven't achieved or mastered yet. While struggling with a task, sometimes we need a small reminder that the fact that we haven't achieved something until this very day, it doesn't mean that we will never achieve it. We need to keep our minds open to the possibility that we can overcome anything. By using "not yet" we’ll be more likely to start something new (even with doubts and fears about failing), pushing forward when facing adversity, and to not get stuck in setbacks, but instead think more creatively to move forward. This mindset will help build a more confident, calm mind that’s ready to take on a challenge while focusing on "not yet" as opposed to "I failed".

• Break everything in smaller steps. Let's say you have a goal, e.g. you are a student and you want to perform better this semester. Every course feels difficult, always you feel like it's too much, you don't know where to start from, it feels frustrating so you postpone it and you end up having the same performance as last semester. By breaking it in smaller goals, like creating daily goals such as creating a daily checklist for your homework, focusing on each class alone, planning for the next day and so on makes it way easier and achievable for your mind. Also by achieving those smaller tasks it boosts your self-confidence and self-esteem, making you feel better and more determined. That is to say, you are entering a positive vicious cycle.

• Try new ways. When you see that a method you use isn't working for your cause then try to find a new way to achieve it. Trying the same over and over again without any result is like hitting a cement wall with your bare hands. You are going to get exhausted, disappointed, feel bad about yourself and the wall will have no breaks, no change.

• Pay attention to your words and thoughts. Replacing negative thoughts with more positive ones to make your mind work in a more favourable way for you.

• Take on small challenges at your own pace, whenever you think you can give it a try. Making mistakes is one of the best ways to learn. Embracing them might seem frightening but isn't staying the same forever also frightening?

• Focusing on the journey. It is important to appreciate our journey, the value of it and its effect on us. When we are only focused on the end result, we miss everything we could be learning along the way.

 

[AFODO]

Thank you, very important. If we reach set goals, it can give confidence for other goals that is yet to achieve, and this can reduce undoing. The 3 second trick is also a nice method to start tasks and eliminate lazyness. You simply count to three, and start executing the task without letting time for your brain to think of excuses.

 

[Henu the Great]

AI is bossin' in these subjects.

Transitioning from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset involves adopting a belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort and learning. Here are numerous practical ways to unfix a fixed mindset:

1. **Learn About Growth Mindset:**
- Educate yourself about the concept of a growth mindset. Understanding the theory is the first step in changing your mindset.

2. **Self-Reflection:**
- Reflect on your current beliefs and attitudes toward challenges, effort, criticism, and the success of others. Identify fixed mindset thoughts.

3. **Embrace Challenges:**
- Approach challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. Embrace them rather than avoiding them due to fear of failure.

4. **See Effort as a Path to Mastery:**
- Value the process of learning and improvement. See effort as a necessary step towards mastering new skills.

5. **Learn from Criticism:**
- View constructive criticism as valuable feedback that can help you improve, rather than as a personal attack.

6. **Celebrate Effort, Not Just Results:**
- Acknowledge and reward the effort put into a task, regardless of the immediate outcome. Success is a journey, not just a destination.

7. **Cultivate Curiosity:**
- Develop a curiosity about the world and a desire to learn. Ask questions and seek to understand new concepts.

8. **Set Learning Goals:**
- Instead of focusing solely on performance goals, set goals that emphasize learning and development.

9. **Develop a “Yet” Mentality:**
- Add the word "yet" to your vocabulary. For example, instead of saying "I can't do this," say "I can't do this yet." It implies a belief in the potential for growth.

10. **Change Your Self-Talk:**
- Be aware of your inner dialogue. Replace fixed mindset statements with growth mindset affirmations.

11. **Use the Power of "Not Yet":**
- When faced with challenges or setbacks, think of them as "not yet" achievements. This helps maintain a positive outlook on future possibilities.

12. **Learn from Failures:**
- Treat failures as learning experiences. Analyze what went wrong, what can be improved, and use that knowledge for future attempts.

13. **Seek Feedback:**
- Actively seek feedback from others to gain insights into areas where you can improve. Use feedback as a tool for growth.

14. **Surround Yourself with Growth-Minded People:**
- Engage with individuals who have a growth mindset. Their attitudes and behaviors can positively influence your own mindset.

15. **Challenge Negative Thoughts:**
- When you catch yourself thinking in a fixed mindset, challenge those thoughts. Ask yourself if they are based on facts or assumptions.

16. **Learn from Others’ Success:**
- Instead of feeling threatened by others' success, see it as an opportunity to learn. Analyze their strategies and see what you can incorporate into your own approach.

17. **Take Risks:**
- Step out of your comfort zone and take calculated risks. This fosters a sense of resilience and adaptability.

18. **Use Positive Visualization:**
- Visualize yourself overcoming challenges and achieving success through effort and persistence.

19. **Create a Growth-Minded Environment:**
- Foster an environment that encourages learning and improvement. This can include the workplace, home, or social circles.

20. **Practice, Practice, Practice:**
- Repetition is key to learning. Keep practicing and reinforcing a growth mindset until it becomes a natural part of your thinking.

Remember, changing mindset is a gradual process, and it requires consistent effort and self-awareness. Celebrate the small victories along the way, and be patient with yourself as you make this positive shift.

 

[Hidden Warrior]

Thank you for writing this nice post.

I just want to stress that it is very important being conscious that not being able to do it right now does not mean that you will never be.

In my work many times I came to a point where I was thinking that there weren't any possible solutions, yet, after putting the required effort some ways were found.

Take some time to learn from past mistakes. Now, when I don't see a solution, I just become aware of that in that moment, and without further thoughts, just proceed to analyse other ways.
Don't let negative thoughts take over you.

 

[Maya]

Thank you, very important. If we reach set goals, it can give confidence for other goals that is yet to achieve, and this can reduce undoing. The 3 second trick is also a nice method to start tasks and eliminate lazyness. You simply count to three, and start executing the task without letting time for your brain to think of excuses.

Thank you for sharing this, sounds effective! I'll try it

 

[Maya]

Thank you for writing this nice post.

I just want to stress that it is very important being conscious that not being able to do it right now does not mean that you will never be.

In my work many times I came to a point where I was thinking that there weren't any possible solutions, yet, after putting the required effort some ways were found.

Take some time to learn from past mistakes. Now, when I don't see a solution, I just become aware of that in that moment, and without further thoughts, just proceed to analyse other ways.
Don't let negative thoughts take over you.

Thank you for stressing this, I think these can be the trickiest parts for a person.