Food for Thought
Lately, the mindsets of people are fluctuating on the daily. Depending on their situation, people will take on either a fixed mindset or a growth mindset. From our perspective, we see more and more people are okay with a fixed mindset. The problem is that we see business owners wanting an upward progression but not doing anything about it. This is the problem with a fixed mindset. In life, whether it be the gym, work, etc., having a flexible mindset is ideal to succeed. We need to consider what each mindset has to offer and how we can improve overall.
What it’s Like to Have a Growth Mindset
Once, we were working with a client that seemed to have everything figured out. They’d wake up in the morning with every intention for making the most out of their day. They had a solid morning routine that would help them crush all their goals and tasks for the day. Starting at 4:30am they would work out, eat and meditate before jumping into emails for work. They would keep busy until their kids got up for school. Looking at their morning routine, we saw an effective morning routine that set their day up for success. We credited this as a solid work foundation and the key to their success. This client had an amazing growth mindset.
Challenges
Now talking to various business owner we can distinguish which type of mindset they have. It’s sad to say but many owners have a fixed mindset while thinking it is one of growth. They eagerly claim that they love trying new ideas and open to any suggestions. But when the time comes to implement them, they back out and continue with their original plans. This is because they remain their in comfort zone while not requiring to change or effort. New ideas require active effort when first starting out and there’s never a guarantee. Their change in attitude was confusing to say the least as express one thing but do the opposite.
Another common issue was the implementation process. We would make the effort to find any potential improvement that would increase productivity or sales. But the response to the action plan was disheartening. Clients would feel like we were putting their efforts and business down by saying they had to improve. Looking at them, we would see that they were stuck in between a rock and a hard place. They were wanting to change their current process but no ready to let go of the old one.
As a consultant, this is hard to see. We only want the best for our customers. But in order to see growth, they need to accept the positive feedback we have for them. Not having this capability is a huge challenge for some and will hold some businesses back.
What We Saw as Consultants
Our biggest challenge is telling someone the issues they have that need to be resolved. In doing this for many years we’ve come to learn that it’s not what you say but how you say it. The key is wording what you have to say in a way that lands easily on whos you’re talking to. You do not want to completely destroy your clients hard work with a meaningless conversation. This type of approach will only cause a company to resent working with you.
The downside is that it is hard to change one’s mindset overnight. Going from a fixed to a growth mind set is hard to do. And that is if the person want to actively change their mindset. Changing the mindset of someone who doesn’t want to change is a lost cause. Going through this change is a process that takes time and only help those who are willing to embrace change.
Fixed Mindset
The truth is that people will go on in life not knowing with mindset they have. While it is not necessarily bad to have a fixed mindset, there are some set backs it will bring. Here are a few thoughts that might resonate with you if you tend to have a fixed mindset.
- This frustrates me so I’m going to give up
- I am not good at this area so I won’t try
- I don’t want feedback or criticism from anybody
- If I’m not good at it, why should I try
- People who are more successful than me are intimidating
- I try to avoid new challenges
- I rather choose to stay in my comfort zone than take on a new challenges
In all honesty, this process of thinking is toxic and will hold you back in life. This is because of the limitation it places on your ability to improve. There is no positive direction you will move in when thinking with a fixed mindset. One of our favorite sayings is “Don’t be a dead fish, all they do is go with the flow.” It makes it hard for you to develop in your life with this mindset. We understand the comfort it gives one to think this way. But imagine how much more you can achieve if you try just one new thing.
Growth-Mindset
While we gravitate to having a growth mindset, we also understand the challenges it comes with. This type of mindset forces one to look beyond the scope of their horizon. It engages their critical thinking skill as they try to find innovated solutions to their problems. It also makes people try new uncertainties in order to grow, Most people find this extremely difficult to do.
But once you become capable of embracing a growth mindset, you’ll see the wonders it will do for you. Adopting this mindset opens so many opportunities that were not available before. Try gaining a growth mindset by using these simple thought processes.
- View new challenges as new opportunities
- Learn to give and receive feedback and criticism
- Try new things
- Continually stand strong when adversity hits you
- Understand that you will be a forever student
- Be excited when you are not the smartest person in the room
- Know that your efforts and attitude will determine your outcome
We understand this will be hard in the beginning. Especially if you face challenges that make you think all of this is just wishful thinking. It all starts with a habit, which turns into a mindset, that forms into a lifestyle.
Conclusion & Excitement
This point of this article is to challenge your way of thinking. It’s to help you understand yourself and help you improve. The reality is that your mindset will either set you up for failure or help you grow into the best person possible. Here is Reborn Consultant we have a questionnaire that will help you understand which mindset you have. You may think you know which one you have but it doesn’t hurt to find out. You may be surprised on the results. Do you have a fixed or growth mindset? Let’s find out together!