In the words of Rumi, “Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” The Growth Mindset begins with a quest to learn new things daily. An urge and curiosity to become a better version of yourself. An improved and enhanced version of what you were in your yesterday and how you see yourself in your today.
To evolve your mindset, firstly you need to have a dynamic and open mind frame to adapt to changes around you. You need to become your own clay molding your pot and shaping it around with your own fingers. One needs to have an outlook of curating a positive belief system around themselves.
In order to upgrade yourself, you need to accept your past mistakes, past value system and past behaviour and learn to move forward from them. You need to look up and aim for the highest star above you. You need to aim for your highest self in life and progress towards it by climbing the stairs one step at a time.
Evolving and building your growth mindset involves a number of minuscule elements in your daily routine. The way you talk about yourself, the way to build your energy around yourself, the way you nurture your own self-respect, the manner in which you allow others to take your space of mind, etc.
Developing a healthy mindset takes a lot of determination, endurance, and firmness. It needs a clear long-time vision in the life of how you project yourself in your mirror of life.
Now let’s address the two major kinds of Mindset that exists, one is the Growth Mindset, and the other is the Fixed Mindset.
“In a growth mindset, challenges are exciting rather than threatening. So rather than thinking, “oh, I’m going to reveal my weaknesses, you say, wow, here’s a chance to grow.”
Psychologist Carol Dweck
While on the other hand, with a Fixed Mindset or a negative mindset, you suffer more because of your outlook in life and the way you deal with failures.
“In a fixed mindset, people believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits. They spend their time documenting their intelligence or talent instead of developing them. They also believe that talent alone creates success—without effort.”
Psychologist Carol Dweck
Here Are 10 Effective Ways To Evolve A Growth Mindset
1. Change The Way You Talk To Yourself!
“I monitor my self-talk, making sure that it is uplifting and supportive of myself and others.”
Louise Hay
The way you talk to yourself makes a deep impact on your life. Giving positive self-affirmations and having an optimistic thought process is the key. You are responsible for your own well-being. You decide your own energy throughout the day. Thereafter your energy radiates to others, which overall defines the aura of your space around. Creating positive vibrations through your words transforms the space and elevates it into a high energy atmosphere.
You need to be accountable for your own happiness and for creating a positive atmosphere with whoever you talk. It is thus very essential to keep track of the conversations you have with your inner self. Keeping a check on the words also defines your personality and your individuality.
So, try and eradicate all negative self- talk from your life and fill it with encouraging and motivating sentences. Develop a positive belief system for yourself. Always know that you are capable of everything in life if you aim for it.
2. Challenge Yourself To Learn New Things Daily
“Once you stop learning, you start dying.”
Albert Einstein
Developing a growth mindset is about challenging yourself on a day-to-day basis and learning something or the other new. Upgrading oneself by learning a new skill, a new hobby, or developing a new habit. Learning is about not limiting yourself to your own field but rather letting exploring other areas of interest as well.
Learning is like a never-ending ladder that you just need to step on. It will pave the way for so many doors of experiences and exposure that will one day help you reach new heights.
Our mind feels secure and comfortable in a familiar environment or routine, but in order for it to grow, throw challenges at your mind every day. Though, you might fail at most of it, but it should in no way create any barriers. The key here is to brace your brain for all kinds of situations in life.
To keep growing in life keep challenging yourself and learn from it. Different aspects of life teach you how to deal with different emotions, situations and individuals. It widens your horizon and scope of mind frame.
3. Keep An Open Mindset
“The important thing is to not stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but he is awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity; of life; of the marvelous structure of reality.”
Albert Einstein
Keep an open mind as the possibilities for learning are limitless. Letting the gates of your mind ajar for knowledge to enter takes courage. To accept that learning never ends and it’s an ongoing process is crucial.
One also needs to have an open mindset to accept failures in life. To absorb failure and learn from your past mistakes is open-mindedness. Being open about feedbacks and growing from it is also a sign of having an open mind.
Self-reflection is another aspect of it. Questioning yourself and trying to find answers for the same is an important element in evaluating your steps.
4. Journal Your Life
“Journal writing, when it becomes a ritual for transformation, is not only life-changing but life-expanding.”
Jen Williamson
Journalling is nothing but mapping your life on a piece of paper. Giving your mind that freedom that opens a tap for you to let it all out. When your mind becomes crowded and feels cluttered, take the help of a paper and just pen down all your thoughts. Writing your emotions down in a diary gives you clarity in life. It assists you in aligning and categorizing your goals in life and helps to set targets you need to achieve. Prioritizing and scheduling your life is important to lead a balanced life.
The more you think about an issue the more it will feel like the threads getting tangled. An easy way to entangle your thought process and to lay them down is achieved by journalling.
Writing helps you to have a lucid understanding and helps to find solutions to all your problems on your own. So whenever you are feeling trapped in your own mind and are unable to find answers to your own queries just write them down. Having clarity of thoughts in life builds your persona and leads you to the path of success.
5. Set Achievable Goals For Yourself
“If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal. Not to people or things.”
Albert Einstein
Setting targets for yourself keeps you moving. Having a clear mission and vision in life helps you get out of your bed every morning. It becomes a reason for you to breath every day and for you to achieve something every day.
The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life as explained in the novel – Ikigai, written by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles lies in the concept of finding your purpose in life, the reason for your being.
Ensure that you set achievable targets for yourself and then break them down in the form of day-to-day tasks. This will make sure that you are not overwhelmed by your own targets and worry that you might not hit them on time. Moreover, it will give you a sense of achievement and confidence once you tick off your everyday target.
Being ambitious and aiming for the bigger things in life might sound just right. But on the other hand, do not set far-fetched goals for yourself. Failure of which can pull you down and discourage you from moving forward.
You are responsible for keeping yourself motivated and moving in life. Help yourself evolve a growth mindset by setting goals in life that you aim for.
6. Be Kind
“Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always.”
Robin Williams
A true sign of a mature and evolving mindset is how you treat others. Make it a habit to always show compassion and kindness towards others. Everyone is dealing with their own issues in their own way. They might put up a smile on their face at the end of a hectic and troublesome day but that in no sense means everything is fine.
Evolving a healthy mindset requires one to treat others how they wish to be treated. Kindness and compassion are the most undervalued aspects of life. They always take back seat when it comes to money and fame. But in order to achieve true well-being one must nurture a balanced outlook in life and learn to value people.
A growth mindset thinks about his growth in life but not at the cost of causing any harm to others. It believes in the concept of building a community where everyone grows along with him.
7. Keep Your Physical Health In Check
“Exercise is the key not only to physical health but to peace of mind.”
Nelson Mandela
A healthy body will support a healthy mind. To evolve your mind, you need to check your physical activity.
Exercising will have an impact on your energy levels and will enhance your productivity. Your brain will also function better when you have a habit of exercising.
Make it a habit to take at least thirty minutes out from your routine to do some sort of physical activity. Endorphins are released when you work out, which leaves you in a short-lasting euphoric state. This short-lasting state has a long-lasting impact on your life.
8. Keep Your Mental Health On Track
“Mental Health is not a destination, but a process. It’s about how you drive, not where you’re going.”
Noah Shpancer
According to UNICEF, 3 out of 4 individuals felt the need to seek assistance regarding their mental health during the pandemic. Life took a 180 degree turn then and started taking a toll on our mental and emotional health.
Mental health effects all aspect of your life, be it emotional, psychological or social well-being. Mental health is about controlling your thought process and not letting it control you. You have to take charge of your mind and govern how you take care your thoughts and have a positive outlook.
Mental health can be maintained by practicing basic rhythmic breathing techniques, meditation practices, seeking help in case of need, etc. It should not be bottled up but rather let loose. Since only when you are open about your emotions can you deal with it.
The taboo/stigma around the whole concept should be dropped. People need to accept the fact that it is alright to ask for help in case you are struggling with your mental well-being.
9. Surround Yourself With A Positive Group Of Friends
“We create our buildings and then they create us. Likewise, we construct our circle of friends and our communities and then they construct us.”
Frank Lloyd Wright
A negative social circle will act as an echo chamber for bad ideas. You decide who you surround yourself with and control your own energy.
All of us have limited time, we need to allocate and designate our timeframe accordingly. So, filling your time with a positive environment is the key to a fulfilled life. Always surround yourself with a positive, encouraging, and supportive group of friends.
The people you chose to spend your time with determine your personal growth graph as well. People around you also inspire you in your own journey and moreover learning about their experiences gives you insight into your own life.
10. Step Out Of Your Comfort Zone
“Do something uncomfortable today. By stepping out of the box, you don’t have to settle for what you are. You get to create who you want to become.”
Howard Walstein
Evolving a growth mindset is about challenging yourself and getting out of your comfort zones. Our mind get accustomed to we being in a comfort zone, that whenever we try to step out, it triggers the nervous system and other reflexes of our body.
We need to prepare our mind for such situation and for any adverse impacts of my systems. Breaking the comfort chain helps you to prepare for all sorts of circumstances in life.
It helps you evolve as an individual and build traits of personality for overall development of your mind. Basically, the idea is to engineer your environment to train your brain.
Conclusion
Our mind evolves and develops, just like we humans. But to keep pace with its dynamic nature we need to make some lifestyle changes.
Your mindset defines how you experience your life. Appreciating and valuing the little things in life makes you grow as an individual.
Growth Mindset is thus, an essential aspect in our lives that requires our constant attention and functioning.
