While the term ‘girl boss’ started as empowering, it quickly became more akin to a backhanded compliment as it implies you have to be extremely ambitious and hardworking to matter in the male-dominant world. A growth mindset, on the other hand, seems like a less extreme version of the self-improvement trend because it focuses on helping you become the desired version of yourself, whether it means running your own business or improving as an employee.
According to the growth mindset, the abilities you were born with don’t define you and you can always learn new skills later in life.
So, here’s how to employ this mindset:
See every experience as an opportunity, not a failure
People with a growth mindset believe that talents can be cultivated through practice and effort. If you assume that you have unlimited potential, you’ll always find a way to better your circumstances, whether it’s developing new skills or finding positives in an upsetting situation. Instead of seeing failure as an indication that you’re not enough or that you’re lacking, shit your perspective and turn every setback into a learning experience. Ask yourself, what did I gain from it and what can I do differently next time?
Accept that things won’t always go your way
Unfortunately, progress isn’t linear and you’ll always experience both ups and downs. That’s just how life works and the more you try, the more you’re bound to fail. But if you want to succeed, you have to learn how to deal with obstacles. Instead of dwelling on what you did wrong, focus on going forward by adopting a more realistic mindset. Overthinking doesn’t serve you and only prevents you from being more productive. Whenever you find yourself denying reality and thinking “Things shouldn’t be this way”, remind yourself that you can’t change the past. Additionally, if you play it safe and worry about making mistakes, you’ll be more hesitant to take challenges and staying in your comfort zone is the opposite of growth.
Learn to be self-compassionate with positive self-talk
While being harsh on yourself after failing might seem to be a good strategy, it will only make you less resilient and able to deal with adversities, as well as negatively affect your self-esteem. So, next time you feel like putting yourself down, replace negative statements with positive ones and talk to yourself just like you’d talk to your friend. Tell yourself that it’s okay to fail and that it’s impossible to be perfect all time, even if you’d done your best. And don’t forget to praise yourself for your accomplishments, no matter how small they might be.
Don’t worry about your pace
Self-growth is gradual and it’s impossible to achieve everything you want overnight. This is why it’s important to be satisfied here and now; learn to enjoy the process and see it as a learning experience. Becoming successful is more than going after your end goal, it’s also setting small goals that you have to work on every day.
Don’t seek approval from others
It’s not possible to please everyone and worrying about what others think might distract you from achieving what you want in life. Instead of staying around people who think your targets aren’t realistic, make sure to surround yourself with people who inspire you to go after your goals. The best way to invite a bit of positivity into your life is by attending a networking event and meeting professionals from different walks of life, with various aspirations but a common goal: making the life they want for themselves.
Lastly, learn how to trust yourself and follow your gut. Just because your plans don’t match someone else’s vision of how life should be doesn’t mean that your choices are wrong. Once you learn how to be in tune with your true self, you’ll have more motivation to pursue your goals.
