Manipulate Your Mind to Program Your Brain for Success
I used to tell myself that I loved getting feedback from others. I used to walk around talking about how much I loved being told that I needed to improve at something. I’m sure people thought I was full of shit, and the truth is I was. I remember creating a big project for work and being told that my marketing materials looked bad. I had worked so hard on that project. I put so much time and effort into it that I lost touch with the fact that it might be my cup of tea... but not someone else’s. This was the pinnacle moment when I realized I actually didn’t care for feedback because I didn’t want someone else telling me that my work wasn’t good. This mentality wasn’t just me having a fixed mindset but also a lack of pride.
A fixed mindset is when you think your qualities are carved in stone and nothing can be done to improve them. I instantly assumed that I wasn’t good at creative marketing materials. So, I didn’t bother to improve them. I thought to myself, “I don't have the creative gene,” which is a load of crap. Anyone can improve at anything they set their mind to. Rather than taking the mindset of insisting that I wasn’t creative and shutting down, I could have asked for help, hired someone, looked at examples of what works, read books, or Googled it! There are so many great self-help resources available online and “not being creative” is not an excuse.
In many circumstances, excuses are formulated in our minds when we are afraid to move forward with something and when we don’t want to put the work in. I used this as an excuse because I was afraid of the big F word; Failure.
Everyone has experienced failure a number of times in our lives and it hurts. Those who walk around talking about how life is like rainbow sprinkles on froyo are just fooling you. That moment we feel like we are a failure we automatically take it personal. The key to feeling whole while sitting in the face of failure is to adopt the growth mindset. Someone with a growth mindset believes that they can improve anything that they put their mind to. Rather than cringing at the sound of feedback, a growth mindset person is begging for the feedback so they can improve themselves to the highest capacity. This is easier said than done, right?
The way we look at failure also impacts how we succeed in life. Most people look at the outcome and don’t look at all the failures that go into success. Thomas Edison completed 1,000 attempts before inventing the lightbulb. His teachers said he was “too stupid” to learn. Michael Jordan was cut from high school basketball tryouts. If you fail it means you are doing SOMETHING which gets you closer to your end goal. Once you do fail, reassess what didn’t work and then try something else. Keep on trying until it works out for you.
Overall, transitioning into a growth mindset will change the way that you look at failure. It takes practice and you won’t always get it right the first time around. Sometimes even just identifying that you have a fixed mindset can change your perspective. The key is to be aware of your thoughts and how you’re looking at the circumstances in your life. The universe will throw you a bone for not giving up.
Mindset coaching in Orlando, FL will help you develop for success.
